Living a Thriving Life by Adding Pleasure to Your World.

There is so much emphasis on achievement, productivity and accomplishment that folks today forget how to make time for pleasurable activities. Developing new interests and spending quality time with yourself and others is a way to thrive and build your self-esteem. It’s essential to make time for such pleasures.

How Do I Liberate Myself from My Work Life to Find Simple and Satisfying Pleasures?

1.This takes a new mindset. It means taking stock of each day and asking when you just hang out, stare at the stars, or have an engaging conversation about what inspires you.

2. It means taking time to do nothing but gaze at the moon and see what daydreams you have that make you feel really good inside.

3. Consider what you enjoy doing besides accomplishments that bring you income. Brainstorm and make a list of anything you can think of then pick a few to try.

4. Search the web for new ideas about things to enjoy. What would you like to venture out to do that you’ve never done before?

5. Try to accept yourself for who you are and what makes you feel inspired and happy. Do anything toward that end.

6. What have you yearned to do but never have time for? That’s the motivation right there!

7. Do you have children that are adults that you don’t spend enough time with? Take them on a trip even if it’s short to learn what they are thinking about these days. Remember to include them in your life.

8. Join a new organization that has nothing to do with work to meet other people with new perspectives and interests. You don’t need to make a major commitment just a trial to venture out.

9. Plan a weekend at a spa where you have time to take long walks that open your mind to new beliefs and points of view. Visit with strangers and discover new alternative ways people live.

10 . When you feel saturated at work and your mind starts to wander, pay attention to your daydream it may lead you on a path you otherwise would brush off to get back to the task at hand.

Thriving means opening your mind and heart to new discoveries that expand who you are and how you feel about yourself. It means opening your eyes to new sights and sounds that give a different visceral sense of the life you are leading. It doesn’t mean to change your whole being, but to take more of yourself into account.

Laurie Hollman, Ph.D., is a psychoanalyst and author of Unlocking Parental Intelligence: Finding Meaning in Your Child’s Behavior found on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Visit her website at www.lauriehollmanphd.com.

Originally published at medium.com