How can you achieve happiness that goes beyond materialism and superficiality?

Friday: Mindfulness by Miles FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Hello, everyone. Welcome to “Mindfulness by Miles!” I’m excited to share another mindfulness- and health-related tip with you. I write about these topics every Friday because personally, I find these tips useful in my daily life. My hope is as you read these articles, you’ll also be encouraged to try my recommendations and experience their benefits. Ready to know what today’s feature is all about? Continue reading below. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

How can you achieve happiness that goes beyond materialism and superficiality? According to Mental Health America, over 2.5 million youth in the U.S. are experiencing severe depression, and the number is still on the rise. I’m also sure many of you have heard that Millenials and Gen-Z’s are some of the most depressed generations in recent history. Personally, knowing this data scares me to the core. As a father and grandfather to these generations, I can’t help but worry about their overall health and well-being. I believe our society has a duty to investigate this issue and provide proper changes to combat this rising “trend.” After all, we’re humans, and a generation label should not separate us from caring for one another. With this article, I hope to bring this societal concern to your attention and get you to act in some way to make an effort to either listen to those experiencing depression or offer up your own tips on how to personally achieve happiness. After all, we all find joy in our own ways. I’m not a psychologist, but I have gone through difficult times too. This is why I know I can do something to empower younger generations and guide them so they can maximize their full potential. Here are my top 3 guidelines for people hoping to be happier: Guilt is real… and that is why many of us often feel bad or guilty if we don’t say “yes” to someone who asks something of or from us. For example: Your family has plans to do something that’s completely outside your interest or comfort zone… or maybe your extroverted friends plan to do multiple things in just one weekend, and you, as an introvert, would only like to join in on one activity on your friends’ long list. In another instance, your boss asks you to work late or take on more tasks even though you’re already drawing in piles of work. These scenarios can cause your habit of feeling guilty over saying “no” to overwhelm you… and this overwhelming emotion can make you sacrifice yourself just so you won’t disappoint people. If you’re that kind of person, here’s what I’m going to tell you: STOP. Stopping will be hard at first, but you need to become comfortable with saying “no” too, especially when necessary. To be honest with you, nowadays, I’m happiest when I prioritize myself by skipping events or situations that I just don’t want to be a part of… but when I was just starting to learn to say “no,” I felt a bit bad because I dislike hurting people’s feelings. As time passed, I realized I also felt less burned out when I didn’t say “yes” all the time. My true friends respected my decision and didn’t mind my not coming to every outing, gatherings, etc. Because of that, I also had better work life and personal life boundaries! So, you don’t need to worry about whether or not others are hanging out and having fun without you. Saying “no” to one event doesn’t mean you’ll say “no” to every event. Some days, you need to just relax on your own. Trust me. If you’re constantly doing things you don’t want to do, you’ll not only feel burned out, but you’ll also start resenting the people you are supposed to like or love. So, start putting into practice the words/phrases such as: … and so on. I promise doing or saying these things will result in a much happier you. “No” is not a “dirty” word. “No.” “Thanks, but I’ll catch up later.” “I think I’ll sit this one out, but thanks for thinking of me.” Prioritize your health. Your body is important, so you MUST take care of it. This doesn’t mean you have to become a gym rat or consume a protein drink every day. There are other, simpler ways to take care of your body, like: Making sure you get a sufficient amount of sunshine each day. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. Getting about 6 to 8 hours of sleep per day. Taking these steps to improve your health will keep you feeling good about yourself. Additionally, these will help you respect the body systems that keep you alive and kicking daily. I assure you: Caring for yourself will not only affect you physically but will also help you emotionally and mentally. Prioritizing your health and well-being has major effects inside and out. You’re Your Own Competition. For some individuals, competing means comparing themselves with others. However, falling prey to the comparison game will only leave you stressed out and in constant self-deprivation. You need to remember you’re your own competition. No one else can be you. No matter how much you think someone could do a better job or be better than you, is not true. No matter what people say, you are not replaceable. Don’t get me wrong. Working on improving yourself and wanting to develop the right skills are fine… but you should do it from a place of self-love and passion instead of competing with others. Sure, you may use others’ successes to inspire your own growth and celebrate wins without envy. Doing so will enable you to be genuinely happy for yourself and others. — When it comes to finding happiness, I believe a lot of us fall into the trap of believing we need to buy the next big item, getting that huge promotion, or having that spectacular relationship. Then, once we get whatever “that” is, we will temporarily feel satisfied, as if we’re done searching for that missing part in our lives. Unfortunately, that’s not true. This kind of satisfaction only forces our minds and aspirations to become exceptionally materialistic and superficial. Sooner or later, we’ll still feel empty and, in some cases, alone. This is why I’ve realized that happiness is not a tangible material but a mental and emotional choice we must make for ourselves each day. From my own experience, I’ve realized I’m happiest not when buying the latest, most popular items but when I’m spending time with people I love, experiencing new sights and sceneries, or doing an activity I enjoy. I hope you’ll learn to set boundaries and use some of these principles to protect and create your own sense of happiness too! Having such guidelines will allow you to hold yourself accountable for your own well-being. After all, you only have one life to live… so why not make it a happy one? Have a great day ahead, everyone!     Follow us on LinkedIn.