The quick-and-dirty guide to a life-overhaul

Humans are like gardens, we need to be pruned and refreshed. Every now and then I like to rejuvenate my life and remind myself of my core values. Here are my 3 phases to a life-facelift.

Phase 1 : Push Out Suffering:

Make room for new opportunities. Purge your emotional, mental , and physical self of old, useless, or negative energy.

Emotional cleansing involves releasing negative thoughts or feelings that wreak havoc on your emotional well-being. Tools to clean out your heart could include burning ceremonies, therapy, and visualization exercises.

5 Ways to clean out your soul:

Burning Ceremonies
Visualizations
Therapy
Meditation
Writing

Get rid of anything in your physical world that is not serving you or your goals. Lose weight, cut your hair, get rid of stuff. Simplify.

One way to physically cleanse is to do a detoxifying diet. There are lots of great detoxes online that will make you feel amazing in just a few days. Check out The Healthy Apple online; Amie has loads of invaluable health resources. Get rid of the toxicity in your body.

Simplify your surroundings. Go through each room of your house and get rid of stuff you don’t need. (Free resource on the bottom of this page about how to decide whether to toss or keep something in your closet.)

Phase 2: Push out suffering and let your happy shine.

What do you really want out of life? Have you ever asked yourself that question? What are your core values? Not what your parents want for you, or what would make you better than someone else. What do you really want? Think about what you’ve wanted since you were young. When do you feel your very best?

For a lot of people finding their ‘calling’ takes a lifetime. Is what you’re doing now making you happy?

If you’re unclear what the right career path is for you, or if you feel unsettled about your life, take a look at your perspective. Having a positive attitude makes any situation better. Every single person is already equipped with happiness, but in order to feel happy, you have to push out suffering.

Get rid of the idea that you “are just that way” or you’re always stressed because you’re an overachiever.

The four most obvious but effective way to get happy when things suck:

Write down 10 things that make you happy
Treat yoself ( see my other post on how to deal with burnout)
Watch what you say. Stop negative and destructive self-talk.
Exercise ( chemicals don’t lie)

You can be happy.

Phase 3: Live as if you’re already where you want to be.:

Start being happy. Live as if you’re a happy person. Our minds, bodies, and souls all work together, so if you physically say “I am happy”, your subconscious believes it.

The hardest part of changing your life is actually doing it. Once you know your what you really want for your life, take action. Remember , this takes people a lifetime to actually do if they do it. How many old, miserable people have you met ? Too many.

If you really want change in your life, you just have to bit the bullet. Think critically about huge life decisions. Don’t be impulsive.

If it’s breaking up with your boyfriend, finding a new job, moving across the country; listen to your gut and ask yourself – is this what I really want?