If you use Social Media, chances are you spend much of your time feeling envious of people you see on there who seem to be living their 'best lives'
How is it that you’re still stuck in your nine-to-five while influencers enjoy sunning themselves by the infinity pool? I'm guilty of it too but do you really want to see me doing housework or sat doing invoices? Probably not - but that is the real world
While it may be tempting to look to social media for cues as to how to improve your lifestyle, research has shown that it could be having the exact opposite effect. The constant stream of seemingly-perfect lifestyles on social media can have a negative impact on your self-esteem, which—ironically—can stop you from going out there and living the life you deserve!
If you want to improve your lifestyle, social media can be an overwhelming place to start. These tips will help you stay focused on your own real-life situation and take positive steps towards becoming your best self.
Learn Something Every Day
One of the biggest downsides of social media for many people is the fact that it can take a lot of time out of your day without you even realising it. Yes, I do it as part of my job, put people don't realise the time it takes to sort the photos, write the captions, find the right hashtags, promote the post - they think it's easy! While it can be inspiring and educational to see the interesting ideas and experiences that people post about, the time you spend aimless scrolling can start to creep up. Imagine if that time was spent learning something new instead?
Research has shown that daily learning plays an important role in a positive lifestyle. Learning something new every day throughout the course of our lives has well-documented positive effects on our long-term happiness. While this could be reward enough, learning on a daily basis also positively impacts other areas of life as well. Learning helps us to become more emotionally mature and gain valuable knowledge that equips us for the highs and lows of life, gives us something interesting to talk about on a first date. Learning broadens your horizons and gives you the opportunity to widen your perspective. It even helps your mind stay sharp for longer, which is essential if you want to still be living your best life after ninety!
I love learning and what I don't talk about often is that I've usually got a few courses on the go. I think it's incredibly important to keep up to date with learning and new things. If you’re keen to build a learning habit into your daily life, your daily dose of learning doesn’t have to require a huge time commitment. The most important thing is that it is regular. A library card was once your best friend when it came to readily available educational material and still comes in handy, but there are tons of learning resources on the Internet, too. I do online study courses but you could also try a podcast, YouTube tutorial, or read a blog that teaches you something every day, and you’ll soon start to feel the benefits in terms of your overall lifestyle.
Go Into Debt
Wait, what? Ok, kinda. Aren’t we talking about improving your lifestyle? Yes, we are, and one of the best ways to improve your lifestyle is to increase your borrowing potential. That means improving your credit score. Dream of owning your own villa in Spain one day? (Complete with infinity pool?) You’ll probably have to get a sizable mortgage to buy that! And while your dream villa might feel like a long way in the future, it may one day be possible for you if you start gearing your life towards becoming someone that banks are confident loaning money to.
Having worked in mortgages, I have seen clients get declined for not having a credit history i.e they've had no credit cards for example. One of the ways that banks decide whether to loan to you or not is by looking at your credit score. Banks look favourably on people who can demonstrate a history of paying debts on time. A high credit score takes vigilance and planning. One way to build credit over time is by paying on a credit card or taking out a loan and paying those debts on time. Of course, you should always exercise caution when going into debt, but you may want to read more to find out whether a credit card or same day loan could help you reach your goals.
Save Twenty Per Cent of Your Income
Sometimes improving your lifestyle takes money. Maybe you want to travel the world and find yourself. Maybe you want to move to another city, or take time off work to retrain or pursue your passion. Or maybe there’s something amazing that you simply want to buy for yourself—an incredible sofa or designer handbag.
Saving money for these exciting outlays can be difficult without a structured savings plan over an extended period. The best way to save is to commit to a certain amount every month, ideally via automatic transfer to a savings account. Twenty per cent is a great goal, but don’t be hard on yourself if you have to build up to it. What matters is that you get started.
Meditate
Mindfulness and meditation are both buzzwords on social media these days, as many people have started to see the benefits of being more present in daily life. But pairing this healthy approach with social media is actually counterintuitive. Time off from social media—and mindless scrolling in general—should be an important part of the practice.
If you haven’t tried mindfulness meditation yet, get ready for an amazing wellness boost. Not only will you be calmer and suffer lower levels of stress, but you may experience a significant increase in your overall life satisfaction and happiness. And don’t worry—while meditation has its roots in Eastern religions such as Buddhism, you certainly don’t have to be religious to practice it. If you’re culturally sensitive, you may wonder about cultural appropriation, but this practice has long been incorporated into the global culture, so you’re not doing anything wrong by trying your hand at this ancient spiritual practice. Just fifteen minutes of mindfulness meditation every day will help you form a healthy habit of tuning into your body and being present in your surroundings.
Instagram can be a great source of lifestyle inspiration. But the truth is, social media is not a realistic depiction of people’s lives. Those glamorous images represent only a highlights reel of what really goes on behind the scenes. It can be hard to remember this when you’re looking at your social media for inspiration, hoping for a glimpse of something a little more appealing than your day-to-day life.
If you want to improve your lifestyle, sometimes it’s best to stop scrolling and start doing. These tips will help get you on track to the lifestyle you want.
Love Tx