7 Ways to Live Your Best Life

Life is tough enough as it is already. Pressure from family, bosses, and societal standards or obligations can get daunting real fast. Especially in the age of constant doom scrolling and notifications, when do our brains have time to turn off and think in peace? I like to set aside time for routine, mindful practices that help me break through all the commotion, and continue to show up as my best self.

Talk less and listen more

Listening is an art, and one not enough people care to do well. I truly believe if we all took some time to listen more and talk less, we’d gain valuable insight about both the world and ourselves. It’s a skill that benefits everyone. To be a good listener, we need to resist the urge to interrupt and give our own input—I’m guilty of this too! I’ve been catching myself before doing so and reminding myself to listen better. Other valuable traits that make a good listener are maintaining eye contact (put that phone down!) and not rehearsing your response while the other person is still talking.

Stop waiting for others to take action

You are the CEO of your life. Delegating tasks is easy, but if you end up relying too much on others, and they are not as efficient as you, then it’s going to set you back more. Don’t wait for approval to take action steps in your life—just take that step. At the end of the day you can still be respectful and accommodating to your parents, teachers, and supervisors, but remember, do what is best for you.

Adopt mindful living practices

Live in the present. Eat whole foods. Move your body. Don’t speak down on yourself. Rest when you need to. These are all reminders and practices that have helped shape my life for the better. Taking time to do some grounding exercises like taking deep breaths, meditating, or journaling in the morning helps me be more mindful throughout the day. I pay attention to the foods I eat so I feel my best, and make time to really move my body. One of my biggest practices is speaking kindly to myself. Unlearning the negative self-talk and relearning how to be more forgiving for my shortcomings (real or imaginary) has definitely improved my overall wellbeing.

Break up with your screen time

This is definitely a hard one, but more necessary than ever in this day and age. We are all so addicted to constantly checking our phone for notifications, it’s become muscle memory! Less screen time means less intake of negative news, comments, and media. It means less comparison and more appreciation. If you need ideas on easy ways to break up with your screen and doom scrolling, check out THIS POST!

Drink more water

We all know this one and how important it is to stay hydrated, but I’m here to remind you why. Drinking water helps maintain clear skin, control weight, kidney function, blood pressure, joint health, and keeps you energized. There is virtually nothing bad about staying hydrated, and if doing so helps boost your energy and overall health, why not do it more? To help me get my daily intake, I carry a reusable water bottle around with me.

Practice gratitude

My favorite life hack, habit, and practice. Once I adopted practicing gratitude into my daily life, everything drastically improved. Yes, I still have depressive episodes and need extra rounds of therapy, and on a surface level I don’t technically have my life “together,” but I am genuinely happy. And I know that happiness comes from actively being grateful and living in an abundance mindset.

Stop comparing yourself

Social media has made it near impossible for us to live in the presence gratefully because we all fall victim to comparison. It’s a horrible habit and seeing people I love speak down on themselves as a result of comparing themselves to people they may not even know in little squares breaks my heart. Comparison comes from a scarcity mindset. With comparison, we constantly focus on what we “don’t have” and what others do. Instead of being grateful for our own attributes and blessings, we focus on other’s.

Remember, you are not in competition with anyone but yourself, yesterday. You have survived all your bad days and made it this far in life! You matter, your voice matters, your ideas matter. I believe in you. You got this.

XoXo,
Azadeh