12 Ways To Achieve A Happier New Year | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

12 Ways To Achieve A Happier New Year

It's time to let go and open up in 2017.

19
12 Ways To Achieve A Happier New Year
Odyssey

1. Learn to open up.

Sometimes it's easier to keep everything closed in because we don't want to be vulnerable to another person and face the potential of getting our feelings hurt. Stop closing yourself off this year because when you finally open up to someone you will begin to connect on a new level. Also you never know what opportunities may arise from it.

2. Say I love you more...and mean it.

We toss "I love you" around either way too much or not at all. This should be the year that you tell the important people in your life how you love and appreciate them, but only if you mean it. This year don't be afraid to tell someone how you may feel.

3. Say yes.

There are times we wait for the "right thing" to come around and we let many opportunities because of it. This is the year to say yes to more opportunities that come your way.

4. Do what you are passionate about every day.

At the end of the day you should lay your head on your pillow and be totally satisfied with what you have done in your day. This can be done by doing what you love; it can be something as small as taking time to read, exercise, etc. Do what you love because when you do, part of your day feels less like a responsibility and more like happy living.

5. Forgive.

Harboring harsh feelings toward someone is exhausting so this is the year you let it all go. Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting, but it is time to free yourself of the angry burden.

6. Eat well & exercise.

This ones pretty self explanatory. If you treat your body well, you will feel well. Do this by eating your greens, exercising often, stretching, and getting a good night sleep. This will improve both your physical and mental health.

7. Set goals and take actions towards them.

At the start of the year make a list of goals you want to accomplish this year. By doing this, you are holding yourself accountable to your goals and this will encourage you to take action towards them. Dream big because there is no such thing as too large of a goal.

8. Be grateful for the things you have by giving to others.

Take time to look around and realize how lucky you are. Be thankful for the things we most often take for granted. When you finally realize how fortunate you are, then it is time to give back to others. You can do this by donating old clothes, volunteering at shelters, assistant living homes, etc.

9. Let go of things you can’t control and realize that nothing can be perfect.

I know for me I strive to be perfect in everything, but what we all need to realize is that no one is perfect. We need to stop trying to achieve perfection by embracing our flaws. This year you need to stop trying to control everything to create the perfect year. There are many things in life that we cannot control so embrace whatever life throws at you.

10. Remove the negativity from your life.

This is the year to cut the negativity out of your life. This includes an stressors, toxic relationships, horrible places, etc. It may seem impossible to cut out a person or place in your life, but you will find that by removing negative energy from your life, you will be lighter and freer.

11. Stop trying to please others, please yourself.

This is the year you put yourself first. Take time for yourself. With everything that you do, do it for yourself, not anyone else. Because in the end you will be happier and more confident in yourself.

12. Let go of what happened yesterday.

Last year was last year. It is time to move forward by letting go of yesterday and start looking forward to tomorrow. Things in our past have shaped us, but they do not control us. Appreciate your history, learn from it, but force of the future.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
man wearing white top using MacBook
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

College is super hard. Between working, studying, and having a social life, it feels like a struggle to just keep afloat.

I understand. When you feel like your drowning and there's no way to stay afloat I understand that it feels like everyone else is doing just fine. I understand all the frustration, long nights in the library, and that feeling that you want to just throw in the towel. I understand that sometimes it's too hard to get out of bed because your brain is already filled with too much information to remember. I understand because I am also feeling pretty burnt out.

Keep Reading...Show less
No Matter How Challenging School Gets, You Have To Put Your Health First — A Degree Won't Mean Anything If You're Dead
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Some of the best advice I've ever received was from my social studies teacher in sophomore year of high school. He stated, "If you don't know it at midnight, you're not going to know it for the 8 a.m. exam, so get some sleep."

It's such a simple piece of advice, but it holds so much accuracy and it's something that the majority of college students need to hear and listen to. "All-nighters" are a commonality on college campuses in order to cram in studying for an exam that is typically the next day.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Warnings About College To Incoming Freshmen As Told By Gifs

College is hard, but you will make it through.

504
college just ahead sign
Wordpress

1. You will have that special "college" look to you.

2. You will feel like an adult but also feeling like a child.

3. You will have classes that are just the professor reading from their lecture slides for an hour.

4. You will need to study but also want to hang out with your friends.

5. Coffee is your best friend.

6. You don't know what you're doing 99% of the time.

7. You will procrastinate and write a paper the night before it is due.

8. Money is a mythical object.

9. It is nearly impossible to motivate yourself to go to classes during spring.

10. The food pyramid goes out the window.

11. You will have at least one stress induced breakdown a semester.

12. Most lecture classes will bore you to tears.

13. You will not like all of your professors.

14. You will try to go to the gym... but you will get too lazy at some point.

15. When you see high school students taking tours:

16. You will try to convince yourself that you can handle everything.

17. Finals week will try to kill you.

18. You won't like everyone, but you will find your best friends sooner or later.

19. You actually have to go to class.

20. Enjoy it, because you will be sad when it is all over.

Obsessive Thoughts Keep My Brain Stuck On A Loop And Me Stuck On My Couch
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Sometimes my brain just starts turning on an idea and it doesn't want to stop.

I don't know if it is related to my anxiety, perfectionism or depression. I don't know why it happens. It's frustrating, it's painful and it stops me from functioning.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl with a hat

This is for the girls who have dealt with an emotionally, mentally, physically or verbally abusive father.

The ones who have grown up with a false lens of what love is and how relationships should be. The ones who have cried themselves to sleep wondering why he hurts you and your family so much. This is for all the girls who fall in love with broken boys that carry baggage bigger than their own, thinking it's their job to heal them because you watched your mother do the same.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments