Step 3 - Pleasure and Satisfaction
We often feel guilty about taking time out to have fun but experiencing pleasure and satisfaction is one of the most important requirements for good health. We all know that life is difficult and challenging so what is our motivation?
We are driven by our need to experience positive feelings such as happiness and contentment. We set goals, we have dreams and ambitions, we change our situation, have a need to socially interact and we do all this hoping that it will make our life that little bit better. We often refer to stress as a negative thing but most of the time we actively encourage stress into our lives. We have children, get married, forge a career or buy a bigger house. All these things have the potential to bring happiness into our life but they can drive us mad as well!
Feeling happy and contented is the greatest health tonic of all; it fills us with energy, reduces stress and increases our activity levels so taking time out to enjoy should be a priority because it will help you get healthy.
TIPS:
- Set aside time to do something pleasurable. Even if it is just an hour or an afternoon a week, making plans for fun helps you through the bad days and when a boring chore needs to be finished because there is always something to look forward to.
- Don't neglect those you love. Spending quality time with friends or family is a great way to unwind. It also helps you get a better perspective on what is really important.
- Does everyone around you seem negative? Try and start every conversation with a complement or a positive statement, it reduces confrontation and it is amazing how quickly others follow suit.
- Be realistic. Often our expectations are over optimistic, we strive for perfection but under the circumstances, this is impossible. Aim for what is achievable in a realistic timescale under the limitations you know cant be changed. It is better to gradually improve than to be constantly disappointed by unrealistic expectations.