Appreciate Life for Health's Sake

One may think that they are truly appreciative of life and that they live every day to their fullest, but let's be honest we could all improve in this category at least a little bit. Appreciating life and being as happy as you can stand is one of the most important lessons in life, however, we all forget this simple task daily. The simplest problems can ruin our entire day, week, or even year. So, how do you stop this never ending battle?

The answer is simple. Well, not simple for all of us; It may take years of effort and hard work to finally appreciate your life and everything and everyone who is in it. It's not an easy journey, and it takes some determination, but once you've reached a point where you are completely satisfied with your life, you'll see how better your quality of living truly is.

The importance of appreciating life and being happy all comes down to our health. You may be content with your life, with some stress and depression, but overall you are pretty fine with the way things are going. Notice the words content and fine in that last sentence. Honestly, who wants to live their entire life being content and fine with life? That sounds pretty awful to me. But hey, who am I to tell you how to live your life? 

The beauty of life is that you can do whatever you want to. You can choose any path or road you want, and you can be as happy as you want or as miserable as you want. That's pretty empowering, huh? Well, it's true. You are the only one who gets to choose how your life is. You are the one that makes yourself have either a great day, a bad day, or a "fine" day. 

As I was saying before, being happy and appreciative in life will contribute to your health. Ultimately, your mental health is vital in this life, and so you might as well think as positively and be as appreciative as you can -- for health's sake. 

Alright, now that you understand the importance of appreciating life, here's a few ways you can do it:

1. Write down or just think about all the things you are thankful for. This is probably the best way to appreciate life. Be thankful that you have a family and friends. Be thankful that you have food on the table to eat (if you do). Be thankful that tomorrow is another day to progress and learn from our mistakes. A simple, but truly forgotten step in our lives.

2. Think of everyday as a new adventure. Often, we think of each day as a schedule that we just have to follow and nothing else can go differently. We go to work or school, come home, relax, get some things done around the house, and then go to bed, and we usually wake up the next day and do the exact same thing again. Instead of that boring, typical life, how about you try and spice it up a bit? Randomly go on a walk in a part of town that you've never seen before. Try a new restaurant. Call someone you love. Do anything different that you normally wouldn't do and you'll soon realize that there are many things in life that are worth appreciating that you probably have paid no attention to in the past.

3.  Remember that things could be worse. This is an extremely important step to think about when you feel like you're in the gutters of the city called Life. Nobody has a perfect life. They may act or seem like they do, but they are fighting their own demons just like everyone else. It is important to remember there are always people worse off than you. When you are feeling down and unappreciative in life, do some research and you'll see that there are millions of people in the world worse off than you. These people would kill to be where you are standing or live the life that you live, so why don't you just take the time to appreciate what you have -- for them?

Your attitude in life is definitely an indicator of your overall health. There are many ways to improve your thinking and prevent negative thoughts, so that you can appreciate life easier. Just know that appreciating life is not the easiest process and you are not the only one who struggles with it. There are many factors that play a role in mental health, such as your eating habits, and your overall committment to fitness. Being physically active and healthy can improve your quality of life, but also changing your attitude and appreciating life can prolong your life and improve the quality of your life. 

About the Author

Katy Stephens Katy Stephens is a 19 year old college student who enjoys writing about health and wellness. She has a passion for graphic design and writing blogs.