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1. Meditate if you haven’t tried it

If you’ve never tried meditation before, give it a try. It’s a great way to let all the stresses of life melt away and find a happy place on the inside. Read my articles on unguided meditation to get started.

2. Don’t get mad

This one is difficult, but if you practice remaining calm, eventually you will master it. Getting mad just complicates situations, and then you have to deal with it after the fact. If you don’t get mad, you can focus on what matters.

3. Make peace with everyone

Just because you’re not getting mad, it doesn’t mean that you automatically feel good about every relationship or interaction you’ve ever had. You might still feel a lot of friction, but try to figure out why that is and let go of it. Knowledge is power.

4. Have a hobby

Work on something that you are passionate about that has nothing to do with work. If you have time, work on it every day, even if it’s for only 10 minutes. A hobby that you’re passionate about can be one of the most rewarding things in life.

5. Read an author you love

Reading is great, but it can be difficult to find time as an adult. Plus the fact that there’s a million ways to entertain yourself nowadays, reading can really fall through the cracks of your day to day life. I’m not saying you should read more, but if you’re able to find an author that you genuinely love and look up to, they can have a very positive influence on you. It’s easier to crack open a book when you feel a connection to the author.

6. Let yourself relax when you want

It’s easy to feel guilty for relaxing, or like there’s not enough time in the day for that 20 minute nap, but you’ve got to remember you’re human. If your body or mind needs a break, giving it to yourself can do wonders. Plus maybe there’s something on your mind that deserves your relaxed attention that you would have missed if you had continued slaving away.

7. Explore every dimension of your interests

No interest is too small to be taken seriously. The more things you learn about and get into, the more interesting your life will be. Nothing feels better than being very tired of the grind, and then being pleasantly surprised that some random fact about cooking flashed through your mind that you can then dig into just a little bit to give yourself the distraction that you need.

8. Solve as many problems as you can

Life is full of problems, but it also can be filled with solutions. The more problems you solve, the better you’ll feel about whatever situation you are in. Plus solving problems is really fun. The key is to find solutions that work for you – everyone is different.

Bonus habit: Focus on what matters and let the rest be like water under the bridge

Let’s be real, life comes with many difficulties. The key is recognizing what matters to you, and focusing on that. There will always be frictions, but learning to let go of what isn’t relevant to you is extremely liberating.