Want to be happier? Begin by being good to yourself. That may sound self-evident, but too many people skip this step and try to make themselves happy by chasing ever-higher goals, or holding themselves to ever-greater standards of perfection….
Ironically, being good to yourself instead will bring you closer to achieving those lofty ambitions, says Daylle Deanna Schwartz, speaker, columnist, and author of 15 books, including “The Effortless Entrepreneur….. “The more you value yourself, especially at work, the more you build confidence,” she says
In fact, the happiest people go out of their way to treat themselves right and they do something nice for themselves each day…. They set appropriate boundaries and take care of themselves by saying no to things when they need to. “When you love yourself, you understand that saying no to something you don’t want to do is an act of kindness, and you don’t walk around with negative feelings toward the person who asked you to do something you didn’t want to do,” Schwartz says.

You’re studying, you’re working, you’re worrying, you’re sorting out your life and seeing where you need to be next, you are just trying to make the best out of your life… But have you made yourself the best you’ve been..? When did you last buy those roses you eye everyday..? When did you last be your own best friend? Can you remember the last time you took care of yourself? If it’s been longer than a day, it’s time to change that… You are the best friend you can have… Give yourself the best love you can every day… Be it a longer shower, a ridiculous movie, a pastry you know you shouldn’t be eating, a walk in the park, a day at the beach, a quick preview of that book you haven’t gotten to, writing that article you’re so passionate about, or watching a scandalous reality show, whatever it is, as long as you love it. For, to love yourself is the first step to life long happiness.

That is, listen to how you talk to yourself, and the internal tone of voice you use. (Mine tends to resemble my mother’s in a lecturing mode.) “We often criticize ourselves in our own heads and that brings down our confidence,” Schwartz says. “When you love yourself, you know you’re good enough that you have to stop talking to yourself in negative terms

“Forgiveness is a big part of it,” Schwartz says. “It’s hard, because most of us have been getting angry at ourselves for all the things we do wrong all our lives. People get into trouble because they try so hard to be perfect and then they beat themselves up when they’re not. Loving yourself means accepting that you’re stuck inside your own imperfect skin.”
Schwartz recommends this exercise to start forgiving yourself: “Look in the mirror and say, ‘I love you and I forgive you.'”

We look so much yet we gather so little. Every time you are out and about, don’t just ‘look’, observe. Observe the things around you, nature, concrete, humans, everything! The tilt of the trees, the fashion on the streets, the building in despair and everything in air. Observe like a child would. Why? Well, why not!?And when you do, you’ll realize that there is so much more life in the concrete, so many more emotions in nature and so much more warmth in humans than we thought there was and there is so much more to the way back home than just a subway stop

Listen to your body, closely and carefully. Listen to your mind, your gut, your intuition. Everyday your body talks to you, responds to you. The sleep it gets, the food it consumes, the surroundings it faces, with every passing minute your body responds. Listen to what it says, is it telling to slow down? To take a break? To eat? To sleep? The more you push yourself the more you tire your body, the lesser you listen to yourself.Ifnothing else listen to your body to be the best at work. Respond to its needs and your body in turn will reward you with healthy system and sharper brain and a happier mind.

Every negative vibe that you’ve felt, for every snarky criticism that you didn’t deserve, every unprompted shaming or name calling that you’ve endured, leaves you a little scared, a little hesitant, a little unsure. A lot of these, tear down your spirit and cut short your creativity, even hampering with your self-worth, and your self-esteem. Shun them. Let go of all the people in your life who make you feel anything less than the perfect and able individual that you know you are.  It might be difficult to do so, but do it for your happiness, for we all deserve nothing but the best and we owe it to ourselves to surround ourselves with people who believe the same. 

“People say, ‘I’ve been so busy I had no time to eat today,'” Schwartz says. “That’s a very unloving thing to do… Grab something, even if it’s just a salad…”
Neuroscience tells us that letting your blood sugar sink sends stress signals to your brain. So if you truly can’t stop and grab a meal, make sure you have healthy snacks at your desk.

Work will always be there. Be it at home, in college, at the office, wherever it is, there will always be something to do. Another sad truth of life is that at a work place no one is indispensable. Working hard just enable us a little more security of our ability and bank balance but that’s it. The only thing that is indispensable to you is your health. Going back to the adage ‘no health, no wealth’, without a healthy lifestyle, a healthy body, mind and soul,  your work, your home but more importantly you suffer. Take up habits that enable you to have a healthy lifestyle and a healthier body,mind and soul.  The healthier you are the happier you’ll be. Eat right, exercise more, take breaks often to relieve stress and take up a hobby that give you joy.The healthier you are, the happier you’ll be.

Don’t forget that when you’re feeling stressed, overworked, or upset, simple breathing exercises can up your happiness quotient dramatically, Schwartz says. “If you do some deep breathing during the day, you can calm yourself down and not let stress get to you or make you sick.”

“A lot of people work in dark spaces. That’s very unhealthy and unloving,” Schwartz says. Try to work in a place where you have access to natural light, she advises. If that’s not possible, invest in full-spectrum light bulbs. Either way, make sure to get outside for a walk as often as you can.

When you’re upset, or angry, or sad recognize it, acknowledge it and eliminate it. Most of us recognize our emotions but tend to ignore then in a pursuit of  being ‘cool’. Today the idea of emotions has become so overwhelming that we hide from them instead of acknowledging them. They get so bottled up that then we lash out, especially at our loved ones and then wonder ‘where did all that come from’. The trick to avoid that is to face your emotions everyday, resolve them everyday and then let go of them everyday. Everyday till you start doing it subconsciously, making you happier, more aware and a little more in control of your life.

Always remember, especially if you have the means to read this article, that you have something more than someone else. That, whatever you have, no matter how little it may seem to you, is more than what someone else has. No matter what your gender is, what your ethnicity, where you’re from or what you believe in, always be content with how much you have.  Be content with what you have and move forward. Being content is not synonymous with being complacent. To be ahead you cannot be complacent but to be happy you must learn to be content.