Live a more meaningful life

Without consulting Deepak Chopra

Think back to your last perfect day: you met someone you really clicked with, caught up with an old friend, had a great conservation with your boyfriend – and still had time and energy left for yourself. Can’t remember?
 
Well, we’ve got some easy tips for strengthening your bond with everyone in your life and – most importantly – you.

Get to really know the inner you

Savour going slow
We spend our lives rushing from A to B – speeding to work in oeak hour traffic and marching down the street with tunnel vision to meet a friend for lunch.
Instead, the next time you’re on route, why not make a point of enjoying the journey and “living in the now”. Indulge your senses; sneak a lingering look at a passing by hot guy and give yourself a few minutes to window-shop. Don’t ignore that delicious coffee smell. Stop, sit down, relax and enjoy a latte – instead of just wishing you could.

Revisit a happy memory
Look at photos of yourself at a tops time of your life. Tal Ben-Shahar, author of Happier, says you should ask yourself, “What was it about these moments that made me happy? Think about what you can do in the future to recapture the feeling or experience.

Start a new morning ritual
It’s hard to feel in sync with yourself when you’ve literally rolled out of bed, jumped into the shower and rushed to work. From tomorrow, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and take a quick walk or read an entire chapter of a book. “Making an effort to wake up and do a fun activity will set a positive tone for the rest of the day,” says Kathleen Hall, author of A Life in Balance.

Replay the soundtrack of your (happy) past
Music has the power to take us to another place. Barbara Becker Holstein, author of The Truth, suggests downloading a few songs you loved last year or even five years ago, then lying on your bed and listening. It’ll transport you to that time, and help you reflect on how you were feeling and how far you’ve come since then.