To boost happiness and life satisfaction, give your mind and body the appreciation they deserve.
1. Tend to your most-neglected body parts.
Show your appreciation by treating your body to the TLC it needs. You can think of your body like a row of dominoes; when one topples, you risk a cascade of injuries that may sideline you from your favorite sports and make everyday life more difficult. That’s why it’s so important to care for both your large and smaller, oft-forgotten muscle groups and joints. Next time you’re cooling down (or warming up) for a workout, spend time targeting the neck, wrists, ankles, and toes. READ MORE.
2. Put pen to paper.
To bring yourself into the present, jot down everything about yourself that you’re thankful for. In your gratitude journal, make sure to appreciate both the small, seemingly less-significant and grand, course-altering aspects of your life, whether it be the mental strength that helped you get through a tough season or the physical endurance that helped you finish your first HYROX. Allow the first thought to pop into your head to be your best thought, says Michael Gervais, Headstrong Meditation creator, yoga teacher, and Equinox’s senior director of group fitness programming. READ MORE.
3. Pamper yourself.
A stress-melting Bodywork treatment at the Spa at Equinox is just what your overworked muscles and mind need. For a deeper calm, customize your session with a CBD Enhancement.
It’s an add-on that taps into cannabidiol’s “broad spectrum of benefits that all relate to wellness, from improving skin health, relaxation, and stress reduction, to reducing pain and inflammation and improving sleep quality,” says Equinox Senior Director of Spa James Gu. “...Bodywork by itself [can] release endorphins anddopamine and improve your mood and make you feel better, and adding the full-body CBD Enhancements will magnify that effect,” he adds. READ MORE.
4. Prioritize self-compassion.
To create space for self-compassion, try your best to avoid “all-or-nothing” thinking (e.g., “If I skip my run to do yoga today, I’ll never be able to win my Turkey Trot.”). Instead, “if you gave up or avoided something yesterday, today choose to adapt, adjust, and work with discomfort,” says Caroline Silby, Ph.D., a sport psychology consultant for the U.S. Figure Skating National Team and other organizations.
Believe that you have control over your own actions and outcomes. “Individuals with a higher internal locus of control demonstrate higher psychological well-being, increased life satisfaction, greater positive emotions, and less negative emotions,” Silby explains. READ MORE.
5. Move freely.
Instead of focusing on the movement you have to do (think: training for a marathon), give yourself the opportunity to explore the movement your body wants to do. One way to do just that: dance.
Moving your body through dance, regardless of your rhythm or ability, allows you to express yourself freely and with vulnerability. Because it happens in real-time, there is a feeling of immediacy and presence, fostering a deeper connection with the flow of life. Dance has also been found to relieve physical tension, anxiety, and aggression while increasing pleasure, fun, and impulsiveness, according to a 2022 review. READ MORE.
6. Delight in small indulgences.
“Indulging yourself is actually a very good thing to do,” says Ellen Langer, Ph.D., a psychologist and professor at Harvard University. Mindfulness is the simple act of actively noticing new things, so you can’t have fun when mindless (read: doing things on autopilot). “When you make the decision to do something special for yourself, you’re going to be mindful,” she says.
Even "guilty" pleasures can be beneficial, says Sonja Lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. “Research shows that when we experience positive emotions, we might be more creative, we might be more social,” she says. “Even our immune systems can be boosted through positive emotions.” READ MORE.
7. Celebrate your wins.
Mark every ending by pausing and taking yourself through a three-step reflection process: think about and highlight your achievements, acknowledge what can be learned from missed opportunities, and decide what to leave behind and not carry forward, says life coach Amina AlTai. “Taking this moment to pause and look at what we achieved, how we arrived there, and what we’re going to let go of moving forward I think really turns up the satisfaction,” she says. READ MORE.