How are you feeling today? And what are you thinking about right now? Are you thinking about your to-do list while you are trying to read my blog post? Are you living on autopilot? Or are you present at this moment? A lot of people are living on autopilot, which can be a great thing because you don’t have to think about those tasks anymore. But it can also make your life less fun. If you ever went to a concert, you were probably having a lot of fun and enjoying the moment. You were living in the moment. We should feel like that (almost) every single day. So here 10 ways to have more fun and enjoy every moment.
11 ways to stop living on autopilot
Practise mindfulness
Are you living on autopilot on a daily basis? Mindfulness is a great tool if you want to stop living on autopilot but it is not very easy to do, especially at the beginning it can be hard to focus on your task and to stop your overthinking. But you can always start with something small. For example, a simple 5-minute meditation. Or when you are in nature, notice everything that going on around you. What do you smell? What do you hear and what do you see? Don’t judge, just notice.
And eventually, you can practise mindfulness when you are at work or when you are doing the dishes or cooking. Just focus on what is going on right now and if you get any thoughts, let them go away.
Take a deep breath
We breathe differently when we feel stressed, it is shallow. When you are completely relaxed you breathe slowly and deep. And that is a healthy way to breathe, even when you are stressed. When you breathe deep and slowly, you feel more relaxed even in stressful times. Try to focus on your breathing a few times a day. First, notice how you are breathing at this moment and then take a few deep breaths in and out. A great video that helps me with this, is this video I’ve found on YouTube.
Don’t watch tv for a week
One person told me once: why would you watch other people on tv (or social media) when you can have fun and live your best life? I agree with that. I can understand that watching tv can be fun at some times. I like to watch Netflix too. But I could also understand what this person was saying. Why would you watch ‘the Kardashians’ for example if you can also use that time to have the best time of your life? This is also one of the reasons why I don’t watch a lot of vlogs on Youtube for example. It feels useless (to me) to see how someone else is living their lives.
Write everything down that you notice in your daily life
When we live on autopilot, we miss a lot of things. I have a colleague and this person takes the same route to work as I do. The difference between us is that I am paying attention to my surroundings (most of the time). When I ask her if she had seen these cute little goats, she said no. She even had no idea that there were goats on that route. It took her several months to notice that and that was after I said it to her! And if you see something beautiful, write it down. It is a great mindfulness exercise. When you pay attention to the little things, you will notice more beautiful little things.
Get lost
Yup, take a different route to work or just go somewhere on a Saturday and just get lost. And of course, don’t use your phone when you trying to find out how to get home again. When you are in a different environment, you are more present. You are mindful. But you need to use all of your senses if you want to find your way back home. That is why you are more present. Normally, you don’t have to think about how to get home. You take the same route every single day. But if you stop doing that, you suddenly have to focus.
Try something new
Another fun way to be more mindful is to try something new. This can be anything. You can try new recipes or maybe you want to learn how to play an instrument. Just pick one thing every single week. And you don’t have to do this alone, you can do this with friends and have the best time of your life!
Give someone a compliment
This will not only make you feel better, but you can also make someone else’s day. I even remember those moments when strangers came up to me to give me a compliment. Okay, don’t give a compliment because I said it. You have to mean it and not force it.
Feel your emotions
Do you know what kind of emotions you are feeling right now? I suggest you take a deep breathe now and focus on the inside of your body. What are you feeling right now? This can be a challenge if you have been ignoring your emotions for the last few years but try it. When you are sad, just feel sad. Allow feeling those emotions. Because when you accept those emotions like sadness or anger, the more likely they will go away faster. Ignoring your emotions on the other hand can make you sick.
Eat and drink mindfully
Take the time to eat your meal or to enjoy your tea break. Sit down and just focus on you eating the food or drinking the tea. How does it feel in your hands? What colour is it? How does it taste? Again, use all of your senses. Don’t think about the things you have to do later. Focus on the present moment.
Dance for 10 minutes a day
Dancing is fun, so dance like nobody is watching. Take a few minutes every single day and just dance. Turn on your favourite song and enjoy this beautiful moment.
Romanticize your life
This is a pretty new concept that I saw on social media recently. Romanticizing your life means you should pretend you are in a movie. People in movies stop and smell the flowers when they see one. They are the main character of their lives as they should be. You shouldn’t be an extra in someone else’s movie. Your life means it is your movie. You are the star of your own movie.
A few examples:
– Notice the small things
– Learn to love yourself first
– Don’t be afraid to do things alone
– Dance like no one’s watching
– Take yourself on a date
– Take risks
– Be grateful
– Do your favourite things every day
These were my 11 ways to have more fun on a daily basis. Are you living on autopilot or are you living in the present moment? Let me know in the comments.
lifestyle,mi