Four Methods for Appreciating Life
Let’s talk a bit about life. Life can throw a mountain of things at us to where just getting through our day is an accomplishment. Having days like that are not uncommon, but having an excessive amount of those days can hinder our enjoyment in life. A sense of dullness can suck the life out of us. This gray mood can permeate throughout our day in everything that we do. It can be as if we feel like robots going through the motions.
Life is not just getting through the day. It is about engaging with what is in front of us and what we feel as we take part in our experiences. It is about being content as we appreciate what is happening in that moment or remembering what came before. It can be difficult to appreciate life with its ups and downs, especially during times of hardships. If you feel as though you are struggling with appreciating what is going on in your life, here are some methods to consider.
1) Slow Down
The first method to consider is to slow yourself down to appreciate what is going on around you. Your life can feel as if you have to jump from task to task. It can be difficult to slow yourself down from the busy “go-go” lifestyle. Slowing yourself down can help orientate yourself in appreciating life. This does not mean you have to meditate for thirty minutes. It can be taking a brief moment for yourself to slowly breathe in and slowly breathe out. It takes time to ease the natural acceleration you have with what’s in front of you and be comfortable with deliberately not pushing yourself to the next objective. Slowing down offers you the opportunity to notice and experience what’s going on.
2) Experience What’s Going On
The second method of appreciating life is to actively be conscious of yourself and your surroundings. Leisurely engage in the moment rather than checking it off your to do list. Consider spending a few seconds to be aware of your five senses. Take time to check on how you are emotionally feeling during the situation. It can be in anything that you do from eating a meal, chatting with friends/family or being immersed in your favorite hobby. As you bring awareness to yourself and engage with your day, you can appreciate the experiences you were a part of.
3) Acknowledging Thanks and Yourself
The third method is to remind yourself what you have gone through to get to this point in life. At times you can get stuck thinking of bad moments that have occurred. Dwelling solely on negative moments can hamper your ability to enjoy what is going on around you. Take the time to outline what you are thankful for. It can range from the minor gestures from others, the different enjoyments of your day, the relationships you hold dear and the special moments you have taken part in.
In addition to being thankful for the world around you, don’t forget to appreciate yourself! It is as important to be thankful for what has occurred to value yourself as a person. You have overcome trials, achieved milestones (big or small) and have been able to dust yourself off from past letdowns. Appreciate yourself by highlighting positive traits that you like about yourself. It helps to appreciate life with reminders of what you are thankful for and to cherish ourselves.
4) Reinvigorate Hope
The final method of appreciating life is to instill hope for what is to come for yourself. This is not to minimize the hard times when bad things happen, though. It is normal to feel disappointed, to feel hurt and to feel angry among many other feelings when they surface. Part of appreciating life is reminding yourself that things come and go. The bad times are not permanent, the catastrophic moments are not perpetual and the future is not a sentencing of misfortunes. Make no mistake that difficult times will happen, but it does not mean you have zero control on how you can approach it. Allow yourself to hope for better times. Part of appreciating life is finding hope for the future and instilling excitement in all its possibilities.
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