Your location is a factor with an impact on your wellbeing. The relationship between the environment and wellbeing has even sparked interest in psychologists. They have long known that an individual’s surroundings can impact their moods and mental health.
Both physical and social environments can contribute either positively or negatively to physical and mental wellbeing. Your home and work environment, for example, can:
- Affect your mood: studies show that spaces with bright light can help reduce the effects of anxiety and depression.
- Influence your behavior and motivation: for example, if you walk into a room where people are busy, you’ll be tempted to find something to keep you occupied as well. On the contrary, if you find them in a merry-making mood, you’re likely to join in.
- Create or reduce stress: if your home is calm and peaceful, it becomes your go-to place when you’re stressed. You’ll, however, avoid going there if all you’ll find is chaos and conflict.
The type of place you live is vital for your overall well being. It’s especially crucial that you feel appreciated and integrated into your neighborhood.
However, it’s not always possible to move from your community every time there’s an issue. That’s why you should strive to create happiness for yourself and feel great wherever you are.
You can be Happy Wherever You Are
Finding happiness, regardless of where you are, is possible. Don’t get so bogged down with life issues that you forget to see the brighter side of life. Here are some tips to help you get a daily dose of happiness.
Practice Positive Self-Talk
One of the leading causes of stress is negative self-talk. How many times do you think that you’re not beautiful or good enough? How much do you put yourself down and beat yourself for mistakes you made in the past? These thoughts may seem trivial, but they are impactful in influencing your moods and behavior.
If you want to live on the positive side of life, kick out the enemy in your head. Be very intentional about your self-talk and start your day with positive affirmations. A happy life starts with a happy mind.
Create and Celebrate Small Wins
Life has its twists and turns, and you might not be happy at all times. All the same, you can reassure yourself that you’re doing well by celebrating your small victories. Strive to stay focused on gratitude and positivity.
Your small wins could be as trivial as maintaining a positive attitude throughout the day. It could also entail learning a skill that you’ve been postponing for a long time or staying committed to a goal.
To build momentum on these small wins, consider documenting or journaling them. You could have a mailbox without a PhysicalAddress, where you send yourself letters of appreciation for each success. The more you appreciate yourself, the less you’re likely to give in to stress.
Don’t Live with Regrets
It could be that the environment you live in reminds you of something nasty you did in your past. It probably reminds you of a job you lost which meant the world to you, or a relationship that went sour. The worst you can do is live in those lost moments.
Forget about what went wrong and think of the beautiful experiences you’ve had in that same place. Also, get over the fear that what happened in the past could happen to you again in the future. Try to find or create meaning in those things that broke you in the past.
A relationship that didn’t turn out right was probably paving the way to a lifetime of happiness with another person. Instead of waiting for life to give meaning to the bad experiences, move on and let bygones be bygones.
In many situations, things will happen that are beyond your control. Your response and how you handle them into the future is what matters.
You are Not Your Circumstances
No matter how bad your environment and circumstances are, it helps to draw a line between you and them. The truth is that situations don’t define who you are as they exist outside of you. You are the essence of your inner being and exist despite what’s happening around you.
Learn to separate life’s situations from who you are. For example, if you have no money in the bank, it doesn’t mean you’re poor or a failure. There’s simply no money in your account, and that’s not your identity.
Final Thoughts
The environment and circumstances around you can affect your mood and behavior. The world has become so stressed that it’s almost hard to live in stress-free conditions. However, you can commit yourself to unconditional happiness wherever you find yourself in life.