Nourish your friendships
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Two women running in a field laughing together
\'Close friends contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder.\'
Judith Viorst, novelist and poet (b. 1931)
Make a list of the people in your life who increase your sense of wellbeing and happiness. Let them know how much they mean to you, and nurture your relationships by making time for people.
Get rid of guilt
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
woman smelling a large yellow flower
\'Guilt agonises over trifles, ignores wrongdoing.\'
Mason Cooley, writer (b. 1927)
Rather than feel wracked with guilt, express regret and learn from your experiences. Allow yourself to feel renewed and move forward.
Appreciate what you have
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life,Europe
Woman cupping her face in her hands and looking upwards and smiling
\'Think not on what you lack as much as on what you have.\'
Greek proverb
The trick to having a positive mind, even in the worst of times, is to focus on your blessings. Be sure to consider non-material wealth, such as your family and friends, your health, your talents and your values.
Love yourself
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Woman smiling and looking at herself in the mirror
\'What you need is an acceptance of yourself as you are.\'
Chungliang Al Huang, author (b. 1937)
One of the keys to a simpler life is recognising the true you. List your assets and positive qualities, and learn to love the person looking back at you in the mirror.
Remember to rest
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
woman laying on the sofa reading a book
\'Everywhere I have sought rest and not found it, except sitting in a corner by myself with a book.\'
Thomas à Kempis, monk and mystic (1380-1471)
Relaxation is essential to us all, as a way to rejuvenate body and mind. This allows you to gain perspective on the frantic activity that has become the norm of modern living.
Be truthful
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Blonde woman laughing and walking along the beach
\'The good I stand on is my trust and honesty.\'
William Shakespeare, dramatist (1564-1616)
The best way to simplify your life is to be honest. There’s nothing more stressful than keeping track of stories. See honesty as a fresh breeze to blow away cobwebs.
Have that difficult conversation
music,emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Woman in bikini on mobile phone on the beach
\'Got disagreements? Work them out...\'
Paul Simon, musician (b.1941)
Living with underlying tension, because of ongoing disagreements, complicates your life. To simplify things, keep your relationships as open and honest as possible. If you feel really stuck, get help from a mediator.
Pay attention
music,emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Woman holding a large notebook and a pen
\'Life is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpiece.\'
Nadia Boulanger, music teacher (1887-1979)
Life is much more straightforward when you focus on one task at a time. Try letting go of all thoughts apart from those that relate to what you\'re about to do, however lofty or mundane.
Trust yourself
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Woman with brown hair looking troubled
\'Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.\'
Ralph Waldo Emerson, author and poet (1803-1882)
Learn to trust in your own values when you\'re making decisions and determining what\'s right for you. Stay tuned to your inner compass and don\'t let other people\'s opinions undermine your self-confidence.
Make peace with your parents
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,parenting,family life
Middle aged woman and her older mother having coffee at the table
\'Don\'t hold your parents up to contempt. After all, you are their child, and it is just possible that you may take after them.\'
Evelyn Waugh, novelist (1903-1966)
Talk to your parents about past hurts or misunderstandings and let go of resentment. Create a healthy relationship in the present.
Be energetic
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Smiling woman on a bike
\'The difference between one person and another is not mere ability, it is energy.\'
Thomas Arnold, educationalist (1795-1842)
Your energy is your life force, but sometimes our reserves can be depleted. Vow to maintain, preserve and enhance your vitality through a combination of positive thinking and looking after your body.
Start something new
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Woman threading a sewing needle
\'Age is something that doesn\'t matter, unless you are a cheese.\'
Billie Burke, actress (1885-1970)
Do you think you\'re too old to start something new? Think again. George Dawson learnt to read and write at 98, and wrote his autobiography Life Is So Good at 100. No matter what your age, be a lifelong learner.
Learn to laugh at yourself
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Woman with brown hair smiling
\'If I could present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at him or herself.\'
Charles Schulz, Peanuts comic strip creator (1922-2000)
Life is easier if, once in a while, you step back and have a laugh at your idiosyncrasies, failures and occasional neurotic thinking. You’ll relieve your stress and have a better perspective on life.
Stop hurrying
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
woman facing a large window looking out
\'Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.\'
St Francis de Sales, Catholic saint (1567-1622)
Don\'t confuse moving fast with going somewhere. Hurrying makes you less efficient, it tires you out and it makes you more self-centred. Stay grounded by living at a pace that suits you.
Cast off outworn beliefs
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Brown haired woman walking along the beach
\'When you find a burden in belief, or apparel, cast it off.\'
Amelia Jenkins Bloomer, women\'s rights activist (1818-1894)
As you grow older, you may find that values you had when you were younger no longer apply. Remember that your attitudes change and evolve, so get rid of ones that no longer fit who you are today.
Be young at heart
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
woman holding a wrapped present with a pink bow up to her smiling face
\'To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent, is to triumph over old age.\'
Thomas B Aldrich, author (1836-1907)
If you want a real antidote to ageing, keep your heart young. No matter what\'s happening in your life, have hope that tomorrow will be better.
Kindness counts
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
woman with lawnmower
\'Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than necessary?\'
Sir James M Barrie, playwright (1860-1937)
Offer to mow a neighbour’s lawn, cook dinner for a friend or let a car go in front while driving. Simple acts of kindness help others and make you happy, too.
Love people
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Three woman with their arms around each other walking along the beach
\'I tell you, the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people\'
Vincent Van Gogh, artist (1853-1890)
When looking back on your life, you won\'t be thinking of that new car you bought, but about those whom you have loved, and have loved you back.
Finish what you\'ve started
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
woman using a tape measure to measure the wall for home DIY
\'Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.\'
William James, psychologist (1842-1910)
Worrying about unfinished jobs is often more painful than just finishing them. To simplify your life, complete that half-painted room or that sweater you started knitting a year ago.
Create happiness
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
Woman with short brown hair smiling
\'But does not happiness come from the soul within?\'
Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850)
The most important ingredient in achieving happiness is having the intention to be happy. Make a list of 30 activities that make you happy. Do one each day.
Forget what others think
emotional wellbeing,healthy living,stress management,Prima,family life
woman running along a beach
\'Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.\'
William Shakespeare, dramatist (1564-1616)
Keeping up appearances complicates what we do, and it\'s impossible to have a good reputation in everyone\'s eyes. Live your life according to your own outlook, and free yourself from worrying about what others think.
Taken from \'365 Ways To Live A Simple And Spiritual Life\' by Madonna Gauding (Godsfield Press, £12.99).
Think your way to a better life
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