What exactly is “quality of life?” Some people will tell you that living in a warm climate is the key to having a good quality of life, while others will inform you in no uncertain terms that the only factor which affects the quality of life is having family and friends. Still, others will feel that eating rich, delicious meals on a regular basis is essential for their quality of life.
The simple fact is that “quality of life” is one of those concepts that encompasses different things in the minds of different people. One person may feel completely thrilled with a lifestyle that someone else would find too Spartan or too decadent.
There are, however, certain fundamental activities and attitudes that seem to correspond with a higher quality of life for the bulk of people, however.
So, here are some simple lifestyle shifts for dramatically improving your quality of life.
Deal with any medical issues you’ve been ignoring
Being free from pain is one of the most commonly agreed upon factors involved in having a good quality of life. While it’s certainly possible to have a rich, fulfilling, and deeply meaningful life if you suffer from chronic illness or injury (just think of Stephen Hawking), it’s always preferable to be free from those things to the greatest extent possible.
So, the first lifestyle shift to make is to proactively deal with any medical issues you might have been ignoring. If, for example, you experience chronic muscle pains, you should make an appointment with a physiotherapist at the soonest possible occasion.
If, on the other hand, you are hard of hearing, researching a list of features found in the most popular hearing aids on the market, could be a great place to start.
Stop engaging in behaviors that make you miserable and cost you your self-respect
You might be offended by the idea that you routinely engage in behaviors that contribute to making you miserable, and that cost you your self-respect, but if you’re anything like the majority of people, you probably do — at least in a few key ways.
Common examples include regular binge-drinking, involving the poor life decisions that often go along with it, followed by the regret and self-loathing that comes after.
The specific negative habits in question will vary from person to person, but if you can identify what they are in your life, and then stop participating in them, things can improve rapidly.
Adopt a policy of complete honesty and responsibility
To a surprisingly large degree, the secrets we keep and the lies we tell — even the “white lies” — can seriously weigh on us psychologically, drag us down, and do untold harm to us and the people around us.
If you find that you regularly say things that aren’t true — or hold off on saying things that are true — adopting a new life policy of complete honesty and responsibility can make all the difference.
When you’re truthful about everything, you can resolve many issues and discover new positive directions to move your life in, that may have been invisible to you before.
