7 Daily Goals That Are Easy and Rewarding

Life can be really stressful sometimes, and it may seem difficult to escape the craziness and focus on yourself (Have I eaten today?). Instead of panicking about your loss of control, try using these 7 tips in your daily life for a more positive experience.

Smile More

You probably already know that smiling is contagious, but did you know that smiling also reduces stress instantly, boosts your immune system, and increases your mood? And if that isn’t enough convincing enough for you to show your pearly whites, consider the obvious fact that smiling is just so attractive! “Oh, you have such a lovely smile!” “Why, thank you, kind stranger!” Day has been made.

Learn Something New

As we age, we acquire (hopefully) a natural wisdom from our various experiences with life. However, engaging in active learning into our adult years has been shown to have many benefits beyond gaining knowledge, such as increasing our self-esteem and independence from others, improving happiness, and adding healthy wrinkles to our big, beautiful brains. There’s no time like right now to pick up that book you’ve been eyeballing or google a random fact you’re curious about.

Meditate

Meditation is one of the simplest and most rewarding hobbies you could ever have, and not just because it offers a peaceful escape from the endless chaos of modern society. Meditation increases your sense of self and helps to develop your natural intuition, relieves and reduces stress, and improves your mood as you proceed through life. Just close your eyes, and relax…

Do Something Kind

“A kind and compassionate act is often its own reward.” Whether it’s calling an old friend or spending a few hours volunteering at a nearby nursing home, regularly doing something kind has profound effects on our minds and our lives. Spending time each day assisting someone else has been shown to improve longevity, lower blood pressure over time, and encourage the release of dopamine in the brain, which creates what’s known as a “helper’s high.”

Compliment Someone

We all like to receive compliments from others, especially when we’ve worked hard to accomplish something (even if it’s just picking an outfit for the day!). But giving compliments can be just as rewarding, if not more so. Complimenting others genuinely requires attention to the good in our environment, and that, in turn, increases our own good mood. Also, complimenting someone eases the social tension and awkwardness, and could even lead to a blooming new friendship!

Meet Someone New

Speaking of blooming new friendships, have you ever noticed just how many different people you encounter every day? Certainly one of them catches your attention, so why not find out more about them? Introduce yourself! Having more friends has been shown to increase longevity, boost our self-esteem, and reduce stress (because we have someone to vent to!). And if you’re still hesitant, meeting new people could also expand your networks and introduce new knowledge and experiences into your life.

Reward Yourself

Most of us have no problem rewarding ourselves for major accomplishments (turning 30, establishing a career, buying or building a home, etc.) but acknowledging your small achievements with small rewards can help to motivate you and increase your well-being — who doesn’t like a treat? Speaking of small achievements and rewards, didn’t you just finish reading an entire article? 🙂