10 Suggestions for Contentment in Your Life

10 Suggestions for Contentment in Your Life

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Posted 2013-08-13 by Mila Woodfollow
Have you ever felt a sadness so deep that nothing or no one can fix it or talk you out of it? You heart, which feels like its exploded into a thousand pieces, aches and you want to spill the hell out of your guts, hoping it will make some difference. A mental pain that potentially can manifest physically unto us.

The cause could be anything; a break up from a relationship, an altercation at work that is beyond your control, financial difficulties, loss of a love one, pressure from peers, or just basically not being able to get what we want. Eventually, if we ignore these issues, it can lead to problems beyond our control. The attitude "it will be all right mate" is more easily said than done.

I don't have the medical training to say that what I have suggested in this article is proven, but these are merely suggestions based on research, experience, and with a lot of help from friends.

[ADVERT]It might not help the crisis that someone is experiencing in their life, but if this article deemed to be worthy of a reading matter, I'd say I've contributed to our society even if it's just a slight whip of my wisdom.
1. Meditation
Meditation is a tool for that we can use to open our mind. To acquire the benefits from this tool, I would say consistency and practice are the key words. Once we've fully developed the art of meditating, it should help us gain an insight into reality.

Find yourself a comfortable space and dim the lights or light up a candle. Start by inhaling, then exhaling and focus your thoughts into something positive. A calming music can also help.

Set your alarm to go off in 5 to 10 minutes time, and then increase it as you become adept to the process. Turn your phone off. It would be beneficial if you can do it daily. Some people find that it leaves them light headed but try to stick with it, and don't think too hard. Let your mind go.

It took me a while to learn the process of letting go, but once I've freed my mind, the rest of my body followed. So, with my eyes close, I imagine myself sitting on a huge rock in the middle of the pitch black universe. I can see my dad, mum, and my children passing by as they sit on this massive white clouds, with smile on their faces. The happiness that they beamed always made me feel happy. At the end of my session, I felt contented and free that at times, without even realizing the tears trickling down my face.

According to the Dalai Lama, "We must use a real individual as the focus of our meditation, and then enhance our compassion and loving-kindness toward that person so that we can really experience compassion and loving-kindness toward others. We work on one person at a time."

If you are not comfortable meditating by yourself, there are places where you can participate within a group. Regardless of your religious belief, Sydney Buddhist Centre at Newtown offers courses in Buddhism and Meditation in a friendly supportive environment. There are regular morning and lunch time meditation that is donation only. For time table, check out their website .

2. Decrease your alcohol intake
Alcohol belongs to the class of drugs called depressants. These do not necessary make you feel depress, but it slows down our central nervous system including the transmission of message to and from the brain.


It magnifies whatever we are feeling at that time a hundred times over. It can also reduce our concentration, and although the effect might boost our confidence, alcohol can also lose our inhibition.

In our society, drinking is part of our social life. These days, just about everywhere we go involves alcohol, but if we can curb and reduce our intake, it will not only save us some money but it can also help us think clearly and act rationally.

3. Exercise
I firmly believe that if you look after your body, it will look after your mind. You don't have to be a fanatic; just simply going for a 30 minutes daily walk will suffice. Physical activities can stimulate various brain chemicals that can boost our moods, feel relaxed and happy. If its done regularly, you will feel better about your appearance therefore, boosting self- confidence and self-esteem.

4. Pray
Do you believe in a higher being? I believe that Adam and Eve are created by a "Being" that you and I will never be able to comprehend. I believe that when a person is in trouble or having an attack of anxiety, taking a minute to say a prayer would immensely help. You don't have to go the Church to pray, it can be done anywhere, and anytime of the day. It will not evade calamities or banish our pain, but it will take the sting out of it. It is the essence of spirituality, and brings a complete satisfaction which nothing else can give.


5. Write
Words are very powerful; it can make or break us. It can land us in court and break people's heart, but it also alleviates some of the pain we are experiencing at that moment. We have freedom to write anything we want, and hopefully we will be able look back a few months down the track and feel stupid, feeling the way you were back then. Start a journal. It doesn't matter how trivial it is, write it down.

6. Eat well
Having a well-balanced diet can increase your strength. You can think clearly and able to handle stress a lot better. The chances of getting diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease will decrease. Green leafy vegetables are a good source of foliate – vitamin B that is essential for cell growth and reproduction


7. Read
I find that when I'm feeling down, I deviate by reading books. Newspapers, magazine, books, or anything that would take your mind off whatever your feeling at that, are easily available. Utilise the resources from the library. If you live in the vicinity, it's free to join .


8. Take a trip
It doesn't have to cost a lot of money to go away for a couple of days to clear our mind. I love camping and sitting around a campfire, watching the kaleidoscope of colours that emits from the ember of a burning log. You can almost hear yourself think. Of course, it would so much better if you are with a love one.


9. Acceptance
Today's society has it deemed unacceptable to admit that we need help. If you can accept that you're not coping on your daily life, the path to recovery is at your grasp. There is no shame in admitting that you're depressed.

10. Seek professional help
If everything fails, and you are feeling that life is not worth living, think of your love ones who will pick up the pieces when you're gone and seek professional help. We are in a lucky country and fortunate that there is a network of professionals who can help us when we having difficulty in our lives.

"In general, if we carefully examine any given situation in a very unbiased and honest way, we will realize that to a large extent we are also responsible for the unfolding of events.

"In accepting that suffering is a part of your daily existence, you could begin by examining the factors that normally give rise of feelings of discontent and mental unhappiness." (Dalai Lama)

#spirituality
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%wnsydney
99493 - 2023-06-12 08:30:46

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