Terri Ramsey Beavers Ask yourself this simple question. And be honest in your answer. Are you currently living your best life?
If you replied no, then the chances are you are currently stuck in a rut. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
So instead, of being dragged down by not having the energy to go out, living a hand-to-mouth existence, wearing the same old clothes, or eating a handful of the same meals on repeat, why not focus on becoming the best version of yourself you can be?
With that in mind, you may well ask ‘How can I do this?’.
Well, here are 12 ways to upgrade your lifestyle, to help you lead a more enriched and fabulous existence.
Get Active
For many people, the term ‘exercise’ is synonymous with the vigorous activity associated with treadmills, sit ups and bench pressing. Which goes a long way to explaining why they don’t do it.
However, as several studies have shown that regular exercise clears your mind, reduces stress, increases your energy, and makes you healthier, it is something that should not be ignored.
Therefore, instead of focusing on the negative, perhaps a better thing to do is open your mindset to the concept of getting active.
In other words, go for walks, do yoga, and play video games that involve stimulating competitive sports.
Basically, anything that will keep you moving and ensure you burn calories.
The more active you are, the more your mood will improve. You will also find yourself being even more productive and energized as well.
Fall in love with good food
Arguably one of the best ways to upgrade your lifestyle is with good food.
We all know that a healthy diet is critical for good health and nutrition. Protecting you against several conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
It’s also essential to eat 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit a day. As well as reducing your intake of sugars, salt, and in particular, saturated and industrially produced trans-fats.
However, rather than see this as an uninspiring chore, why not look at it as an opportunity to fall in love with food?
Reinventing yourself as a foodie is a great way to fall in love with food.
It also opens a whole new avenue of social dining – even if you go to places on your own. As well as a world of gastronomic delights you might not have previously realised existed.
You don’t have to go overboard and eat out at fancy restaurants every breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, it is worth factoring in a gourmet meal, particularly at a new venue, at least once every month, if you can.
Even better if you can join a community of like-minded individuals, and take turns in organising an event for foodies yourself.
Spend quality time with those you love
Sometimes life gets so busy, we tend to get too caught up in it, at the expense of the people we love.
As a result, we can often lose touch with people that have been in our lives for a very long time, or at the very least, for weeks or months, without seeing them.
It is important to realise that everyone has an expiry date when it comes to life. So, we should make every effort to spend quality time with the people we love.
This means engaging in meaningful communication with each other either in person, or virtually, to strengthen your bonds and convey your affection and appreciation for them.
As well as meeting face to face over coffee or dinner, there are several other ways to do this including web calls, exercising and doing activities like painting, gardening or yoga together.
Limit Screen Time
We’ve all been guilty of it in the past, but too much screen time is a bad thing.
Not only can it affect your sleep, but it can also impact personal relationships, lead to an increase in weight and even affect your work performance and social skills.
It is important then to manage your screen time effectively, to clear your mind and give you proper rest time.
Turn your phone off and the TV at least an hour before bed and see the difference it will make to your mindset after just a couple of days.
Get Outside
Just like with exercise, it is important to spend some time outside.
Several studies have shown that being outdoors in the fresh air can result in you experiencing lower levels of cortisol. Which is the hormone that is a signifier of stress.
In addition, feeling the sun on your skin gives you a huge boost of vitamin D which not only regulates your immune system but also is crucial for bone growth and can help to stave off depression.
If you can, you should always make time to be outside for a while. Even if it is just for 20 minutes or so, as the benefits to your overall health and demeanour are significant.
Give your home a makeover
Home is somewhere we spend a lot of time in. So, it is within our interests to make it a place we are comfortable, happy and inspired by,
Take a look around your house right now. Can you honestly say yours makes you feel that way?
If not, then consider giving it a bit of a makeover by painting the walls, changing some artwork or buying some new furniture, which you can easily do on a budget.
You don’t have to make major changes, just a few noticeable tweaks here and there. But whatever you do should not only breathe new life into your home, but also hopefully breathe new life into you.
Re-invent Your Fashion Style
In the same way as reinventing the look of your home can be a good way of upgrading your lifestyle, so can reinventing your fashion style too.
Sometimes the act of wearing a new item of clothing can give us an instant lift, as well as providing a bit more variety in our wardrobe.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be an expensive dress from Chanel, or a top-tier pair of shoes from Jimmy Choo. Just buy something that makes you look and feel like a million dollars, and revel in the feel-good factor wearing it provides you with.
Focus on Your Mental Health
One of the key ways of upgrading your lifestyle is to focus on your mental health.
A negative, troubled or prosaic mindset can be very debilitating and really hold you back – in all aspects of your life. So, trying to counter this should be a priority.
There are several ways you can attempt to do this including making social connections, exercising/being active, listening to music and finding creative ways to express your emotions.
All of which will keep you in a happy, or happier, place.
Get Good Sleep
We all know how important sleep is. Not only does it perform major functions in terms of physical repair and recovery, it also helps cardiac function, body metabolism, brain functionality and improves your mood.
Every adult should be attempting to get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Which will see you wake up relaxed, recharged, refreshed and ready to tackle anything with a positive mindset.
If you are looking to upgrade your lifestyle, one of the first things you should do is concentrate on sleep. After all, we are all completely different people when you get a good night’s version of it.
Learn a new skill
Learning a new skill is a very under-rated activity.
Not only does it demonstrate to you that you are capable of change, growth and educating yourself. But it also gives you added expertise and new opportunities in terms of jobs, meeting new people and potentially living in other areas.
Taking the time to improve your communication skills such as negotiating and finding common ground in conversation can be a great way to upgrade your lifestyle; in terms of personal and professional growth. Being a great communicator, not only helps you feel more confident in social situations, it helps to connect with yourself and others on an interpersonal level — allowing you to build relationships with others founded on deeper understanding. With this newfound knowledge, you will be able to interpret different lifestyles and experiences, finding the beauty in all of them. This strengthens bonds between individuals, leading to even better conversation and enriching experiences — ultimately making a great lifestyle upgrade.
So, whether it be learning how to juggle, speaking in a different language, or taking a diploma of mental health from TSA that you’ve always wanted to do, why not go ahead and get started?
You never know where it could lead you!
Treat Yourself
Contrary to what some older people will tell you, life should not always be about sacrifice.
Instead, why not build your life around treating yourself every now and then?
It’s a simple formula. The sacrifice usually results in feelings of unhappiness or disappointment, whereupon treating yourself occasionally leads to feelings of contentment.
Whilst you must obviously live within your means and not overspend; with proper budgeting, you can afford that massage, pricey item of clothing, or occasional stay in a deluxe five-star rated hotel.
Spurge on a new wireless dream custom-design controller so you can always stay on target with your video gaming. They have custom designs to suit any style.
There is no better way to upgrade your lifestyle than by treating yourself to the odd luxury every now and then.
Travel More
Ever dreamt of travelling the world? Well, why don’t you?
After all, it is definitely one of the best ways to upgrade your lifestyle.
Even if you can’t afford to travel the world in a private jet and stay at exclusive luxury hotels, there is no reason why you can’t visit new places.
Road trips can be very inexpensive, especially if you travel off-peak and stay at camping sites, hostels or Airbnbs.
You can also drive to other countries too, depending on where you live. Or take cheap flights or ferry rides to pretty much anywhere in the world.
The point of travel is that it opens your minds to new experiences, cultures and ways of life. It also allows you to visit places you long since wanted to go to, and it gives you freedom and a sense of adventure to boot.
If you don’t have a friend, or partner, to travel with, don’t worry. There are several benefits to solo travel that will change you as a person forever.
Conclusion
So, there you have it, our recommendation of 12 ways to upgrade your lifestyle.
Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in our work, home and financial responsibilities, over the course of our daily routines, which can prevent us from really living and enjoying life.
If you currently find yourself in a rut and thinking ‘there has got to be more to life than this’, then it is worth embracing some, if not all, of the steps outlined above.
After all, imagine how great it would be to wake up every morning, with a feeling of excitement at how the day might pan out?