How we spend our time has an immense effect on our overall happiness and well-being. It's hard to always make the most of our time with busy schedules and deadlines to meet. Before we decide how to best spend our time, we should self-reflect and think about what makes us happy, who makes us happy, and what benefits our future.
1. Surround yourself with people who make you happy.
Whether it's family, your best friend, a significant other, or a pet, this is probably the most important point of this whole article. It's important to be around supportive and positive people and it's not hard to decide whether you enjoy being around someone or not. Of course, there are times when you are kind of forced to be around some less than desirable people, but in your free time, you can choose!
2. Plan and prioritize.
Just like you plan for things you NEED to get done, plan for the things you WANT to do. Make a list of things you would like to do for fun so when you have a little free time, you can reward yourself for your hard work.
3. Set aside alone time for yourself.
Some of us enjoy being alone more than others, but I am a strong believer that the right amount of alone time is healthy! It allows us to relax and think without the input of others.
4. Be on time.
Break the habit of being late to everything.
5. Try new things.
Go to new places. Try a new restaurant. Meet new people. Learn something new. This will help you find more things you enjoy doing!
6. Become aware of how you actually spend time.
Do you spend 4 hours watching Netflix most days? Are you scrolling through social media every 15 minutes? Do you get enough sleep so you can enjoy your day and not feel exhausted halfway through? Do you sleep too much? There are apps to track how much time you spend on your phone. This really helped me to manage my phone use better.
7. Do something to make someone else happy.
You will find joy in this, I promise! It's a great habit to go out of your way to make someone else's day.
We don't always realize how much of our time is going to waste or not being used wisely. However, if we evaluate how we spend our time and think about how we WANT to spend our time, we can make changes that lead to a happier lifestyle.
