Many people say they “want to be happy.” But what does that mean? Happiness is a feeling that is temporal and can come and go based on circumstances. A more lofty goal is to aim for contentment.
Dr. Cassidy Blair of Blair Wellness Group is a licensed clinical psychologist who helps people with her counseling services that include help with anxiety and anger management to marriage counseling and life coaching. Below, we’ll take a look at some great tips to help you achieve contentment. Get in touch today.
What is Contentment?
Contentment can best be described as a state of mind. It’s being satisfied with where you are at this given moment in your life, with what you have, who you are, and what you are doing. Contentment is an overall feeling of happiness and fulfillment. Some people equate contentment with having a purpose in life, too, and living out that purpose in their everyday life.
TIPS TO ACHIEVE CONTENTMENT IN YOUR LIFE
Take Stock of Where You Are At
When you think about your life, your goals, and your ambitions, where are you at with regards to them? Are you where you want to be? Have you achieved many of your goals? Are you working towards them steadily? Are you happy with how your life has turned out so far? Is there something you are still yearning for? Is there something crucial you are missing? While these are deep questions, it’s good to periodically think about them, especially if you feel you are not happy or content, so you can take steps to become happy or content.
Examine What You Love Doing
What are your favorite hobbies? What do you look forward to doing the most? What makes your heart sing? Oftentimes, your hobbies can lead you to contentment simply by doing more of them on a more frequent basis. Perhaps you could change your career in order to be able to do more of what you love doing. When you are engaged in activities that you enjoy, you’ll be overall more content.
Be Grateful
This advice is given a lot, so you may be thinking it’s cliche. However, the truth of the matter is that studies show that when you are grateful, you are happier. This is because you are not focusing on the negatives in your life; instead, you are focusing on the good in your life and all that have. When you pause for a moment and take stock of what you have: a home, family, fur babies, kids, and a warm blanket, you truly have a lot of comforts in this world that others don’t have. Pausing every day to find what is good in your day will help you to find contentment.
Examine Your Career
Most of us spend at least 40 hours a week at work. This is a big chunk of our time, so it’s normal that what you do has a big effect on your attitude and thus your overall happiness and contentment. If you are in a job you don’t particularly like, it can take its toll on your mental health and well-being and affect other aspects of your life, such as your relationships and your family. It can cause a lot of stress, like financial problems, that can lead to discontentment in life. Decide to make a career move as soon as possible if your career is pulling you down.
Examine Your Relationships
Human beings were made for fellowship; we weren’t made to live alone. Yet, relationships are difficult to say the least. This is because people aren’t perfect; they all carry their own baggage, and they are doing their best to navigate this world, as you are. That being said, when you surround yourself with others who are content in their life, you’ll find you’ll be more content. You’ll see how they live, and they may offer helpful advice you can implement in your life. If you are in relationships that are negative, you should work to move away from them, no matter how challenging they are.
Spread Your Wings
If you are not content, it may be time to spread your wings and make discoveries about yourself. This can be anything from finding new friends to trying new hobbies. Perhaps you are unhappy with where you live and you want to experience another part of the country. Perhaps you feel stifled in other ways, such as in your work or life, and you just need to break free. You never know where one path will lead, so taking that first step can be key to finding contentment in your life.
Examine Your Purpose
Life can be very challenging and hard. The day-to-day grind can take its toll, and at the end of the day, what are you left with? However, if you have a purpose in life, your life will be much happier because you are working towards something you believe in and you believe is making a difference in your life, your family’s, and in others’. The day is much easier to face when you wake up and have something to work towards. Having a purpose also makes it easier to get through the tough times.
GET HELP IN YOUR CONTENTMENT JOURNEY
So how do you find contentment? It’s definitely not easy, that’s for sure. In fact, most people say it takes many years for them to finally be content in life. Plus, it can be a work in progress that may even be lifelong. Rest assured, though, you don’t have to undertake this journey alone.
Dr. Cassidy Blair of Blair Wellness Group is a licensed clinical psychologist who offers many counseling services that can help you find contentment in life. If you are struggling with a relationship, with life and career goals, or some personal issue from your past, we can help. We serve clients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Brentwood, West Hollywood, and the surrounding areas. Schedule your counseling appointment today.
