The Toxic People In Your Life

Many people with negative emotional habits are the same as the people who impact your life in a bad way. You just have to mix and match these, but the effects are the same: the reinforcing of all of your worst emotional habits as well which, is a bad place to be in.

To avoid dealing with such people that drag you down - or at least to reduce the interaction with them to a minimum - you must learn to identify the 4 types of toxic people in your life and then decide to put distance between them and you. It needn't be a complete and total exclusion of them from your life, you just need to allow yourself some distance so their negativity won't affect you.

Many times this simple solution works wonders in destressing and decluttering your mind and life as a little distance can go a long way. Basically, they are still in your life. You still talk to them from time to time, but they're not so close and so dear that they end up dragging you down. At the very least, you're not so connected to them that you are stuck in this downward emotional spiral.

This being said, let's now take a look at the 4 types of personalities that are most likely draging you down as we speak and keep you from achieving greatness in your life.

Toxic Personality Type #1: The Black Hole

This person has deep and profound emotional needs. They're very needy people. You can't tell by their appearance, though. Some look very successful. Some are very attractive. However, when they open their mouths to somebody they're confident in, it's all about them. It's all about how they have lost out, what they need, how everything in life is against them, and so on.

It's as if no matter what you do, or how much you support them it's simply not enough. Even if you keep on giving and supporting it's still not enough because that's how needy they are. They are black holes. All they know and all they seem to be capable of is sucking in positive energy.

So, do yourself a favor and stay away from black holes. I'm not saying you should cut them out, but don't get so near. Learn when to say no. After all, we all have one life to live and it's not worth sacrificing it for people who don't care about theirs to begin with.

Toxic Personality Type #2: The Judge

Do you have a friend or an acquaintance who's constantly putting everybody and anything and any situation into neat, tidy, little boxes? This might not seem all that negative at first. However, this habit of theirs can be quite bad because life is not black and white.

When such people see you they might say "you're a loser" or, on the contrary, they might go "oh, you're a winner." No matter what type of label these people put on you many times it's easy to be influenced by their labeling.

For some people it's tempting to think that they're losers (or winners) when they come across this sort of judgment.

But what if I told you that both these labels are equally toxic? Why, you might ask...

Well, it's because people are people. We change all the time. We have different dimensions. We have different aspects. There are so many sides to us and to reduce somebody to a one-word description really strips them of their complexity (ie. humanity).

If you say to a friend that she's ugly or she's stupid, you reduce that person's being to just one attribute. Maybe they're just behaving stupidly in that one moment of their life, but for the rest of their life they're acting like complete and total geniuses. So, does it make sense then to dismiss them as idiots?

And the same applies to physical appearances or income mobility or the ability to increase one's net worth.

Unfortunately, none of this nuance matters to the judge. This person derives a tremendous amount of comfort in making his or her world as black and white as possible. Everything is extreme. Either somebody is a loser or somebody is a winner. There's no in-between. There's no middle.

Stay away from these people, as well. Again, you don't necessarily have to stop being friends with them, but achieve some sort of distance because, sooner or later, you start adopting that black-and-white mindset, and this is a very corrosive mindset to live your life by. The world really is not black, or white. And it's not gray either. It has many colors, figuratively speaking. It's so rich, so vibrant and so beautiful that you just can't see it as black or white.

Toxic Personality Type #3: The Stylish Hoarder

The style hoarder is a person who looks at different people's lives and tries to find trends or styles that they can collect. When you talk to this person, they're not really interested in the real you. They couldn't care less about your hopes, dreams, fears, aspirations, insecurities. None of that matters. Instead, they look at what you are doing. They're obsessed with all sorts of trends. These can be technological trends, fashion trends or any other trends really. Regardless, it's stuff that other people are doing.

They then use this as some sort of grid when they're judging you, and they say, "Ah, this person, does he think this way? Does he share in that trend? Does she have this fashion sense that is kind of trendy?"

That's their value to you. You basically vindicate their judgments regarding tends because they're extracting a large sense of their self-worth and ego from that. They feel good about being able to spot these trends. They feel good about being part of the right crowd or people who think the right ideas.

However, these people are usually very shallow. They collect. They grasp. Conversely, the motivation is very shallow. It's really all about making themselves feel good, feel substantial and feel worthy. Unfortunately, this is all at the surface level. They don't really have the core conviction, or the substance of the trends that they are so obsessed about. And when you hang out with these people, you become superficial as well. You start slicing and dicing people based on where they are in terms of politics, cultural sensitivity, ideology, personal style.

Fortunately, human beings are greater than the sum of their parts. You can take one person and strip that person to different layers, but guess what! When you put all those layers together, they don't add up to that person. Something's missing.

Maybe we can call this the soul. Perhaps we can call this the essence of that person. Regardless, the truth is that you can't just strip people based on these trends and reassemble them into a complete person. You missed the point. You missed the person.

That's how the stylish hoarders think. That's how they look at the world. They see it as layer after layer of stuff that they can reconfigure, recombine, and slice and dice, mix and match.

If you hang around these people long enough, you become like them. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking falls flat when it comes to reality because, ultimately, people are not like that. We're worth more than the sum of our parts. We're not just thin, superficial layers.

Toxic Personality Type #4: The Troll

Trolls are annoying and you probably know this already. However, the problem is that they're not always obvious. In fact, one of the most common forms of trolling involves flattery.

There are people who think 180 degrees opposite of whatever view or opinion you've stated. They couldn't disagree with you more, but you cannot tell based on their response. It seems like they're supporting you. It might even come off like they are egging you on. However, what they're really doing is trolling you because they don't agree. Whatever opinion you shared doesn't line up with what they actually think and believe.

So why are they doing it then?

For the laughs. They get a (sick I might add) sense of satisfaction in being complete and total liars. But the problem is that trolls eventually reprogram themselves, and that wouldn't be bad had humans not been designed to influence each other mentally and unconsciously. But they have been designed like that, and this is one of the reasons why being around trolls is never recommended.

It's not uncommon for a troll to get such a kick out of getting people to agree with things that they themselves hate because this makes them hate the person or ridicule the person in their minds. Eventually, they get so trapped in their decision that they no longer know what the truth is.

The whole point of their game is just to get a rise or a reaction from people. They're not really invested in whether things are right or wrong, or whether things are proper or unjust and unfair. Instead, it's just the emotional rush that they are getting.

"This person is agreeing with me, he's a complete and total idiot and bigot. I gotcha!" This is how a troll thinks. And they might seem harmless, but who do you think pays the bigger price? The person who is honest with his, or her opinion - as unpopular or unpalatable as it may be, or the one who egged him on?

If you engage in this behavior, you are really trading in your soul, and by soul I'm not talking about some quasi-mystical component of your life. I'm talking about your integrity. You're lying basically. The worst part to all of this is that the lie eventually seeps in and becomes you. It becomes part of you. You reach a point where you don't even know which side is up.

That's how confused trolls are. They become some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. It all boils down to feeding insecurities because they are very insecure at some level or another. That's why they get a kick out of getting people to say stuff that they hate, or say stuff that they deep down inside want to say but can't. Thanks to their behavior, encouragement and underhanded tactics, they get people to voice out stuff that they wish they could say or stuff that they hate.

And just like with the previous 3 types of people, hanging out with trolls brings out the worst in you, as well. Moreover, you end up being friends to somebody who doesn't appreciate you for who you are. And if you're not careful sooner or later you end up becoming like them.

https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Toxic-People-In-Your-Life&id=10297432

Free Yourself From Toxic People - 'Create Your Own Reality'

Fed up of living for others? Fed up of pleasing others? Life is too short to make it miserable by living in others footsteps. Time to free yourself from those dominating and toxic people, which do nothing less than dragging you to hell. You don't owe your life to them or they don't own your life. It is time to take a step away from them. They harm your mental health and cognitive thinking leaving you worthless and with low self-esteem.

Toxic people cast a shadow on you covering you from your surroundings leaving you suffocating. These people first isolate you from your social life. They treat you like you are their very own personal property. They suck your positivity as predators. They prove you wrong in every aspect. They judge you as well as other people in their surroundings; Don't worry! it is their own way of hiding their complexes. They lack empathy for others and you will rarely find good words in their vocabulary. They are highly selfish; they will only focus on their benefit and will easily crush you down for their benefit without any remorse. They do not admit their mistakes when they are wrong, they lie twisting the whole scenario holding you responsible for every mistake they made. They do not appreciate your work, every time you do something for yourself they envy, and try their level best to pick and point the flaws and let you down.

They damage you, they damage your confidence, control you as if they have every right to you. They have a great audacity to sabotage people around them. They are always the victim they always hold you responsible for the situations they faced. You keep expecting them to change and they keep on letting you down. Lastly, when you speak for yourself and tell them they are disturbing you, and are interfering in your life. They play victims again here as if they haven't done anything wrong and put you responsible for the whole matter. When they are done destroying you, making you a dead wood, they leave you for no good reason. So, before they leave you, just decide for yourself and leave them before they do, they are not the only pebble on the beach.

Confused? Where to start from and how to start? Are you Afraid? Afraid of making decisions others will laugh at you for your opinions and suggestions saying they are not worth it, huh there only way to drag you back to the misery. Some people are never going to speak in favor of you, so forget it. Step out and cut all ties with the toxic group of fellows, so-called close friend, or dominating relation. Do what satisfies the inner you. If you are satisfied with your work, then all is good. You were not born to please everybody. Be independent forget depending on others stop living in others dreams stop being someone's pawn. This is your life, get on with it. Own it, speak up for yourself. You have every right to your life. Make decisions for yourself. If someone is stopping you from achieving your dreams, that's nobody else but you. You have the control of every situation and you can direct your destiny the way you want no one else would do that for you. The more you come under the shadow of destructive critics the more you are heading back.

In case there is a situation where you have to deal with these kinds of toxic people and have to work in an environment where there is no way out, then there might be some ways you can apply in order to minimize their effect on you.

- Firstly, minimize your time of interaction with them.

- Know your boundaries which you would not cross at any matter especially not for these destructive people.

- Learn to say 'NO', if you are uncomfortable doing something then just simply say 'No'. you don't have to go out of your comfort zone just to please such people.

- Make sure you do not go out of your standards because of these people; be kind, sincere, and caring the way you are.

- Avoid listening to them when they are victimizing themselves, as negativity is contagious it would surround you and you won't even realize it.

- They are in constant need of attention so they'll do anything to create a drama so that they can be the center of everyone's attention. What you can do is run a mile from them at that time.

- Do not take their critics seriously as they will always give you destructive ones, and deflate you.

- Never trust them on anything as they are barefaced liars.

The only revenge you can take from them is to move forward that will burn them into ashes. You don't need any one's validation to move ahead. Fling yourself to work, because that is only going to take you far ahead of where you want to see yourself. Be an eager beaver. It is time to create your own reality and go the extra mile. Challenge yourself with new tasks on daily basis. Consistency is the key to success so make sure you are working day to day for what you desire. Create your own goals, be a go-getter, find out your own paths to success, and live for yourself. Remember, not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth, so you have to work for yourself and Leave no stone unturned. Work on your strengths. Surround yourself with the positive people, people that motivate you, that inspire you and appreciate you. The people that know you are worth everything and would like to see you flourish.

Find out your way; find out your very own passion. Uplift your life, and double your working hours. Find out what is the main cause of distraction to work, as understanding the problem is 80% of the solution.The more you rely on others for their opinions you lose the opportunities and self-worth. Nobody will take you seriously. Have a firm belief that you can and you will. Make a decision. At first, there will be a ton of difficulties and ton of inner voices holding you back from positivity, but with time you will adjust and thank yourself for making the right decision that steered you to the pinnacles of success.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Free-Yourself-From-Toxic-People---Create-Your-Own-Reality&id=9804441

5 Tools to Get Over Your Fear of Failure

Everyone can relate to the fear of failure at some point in his or her life. When a positive trait like achievement becomes too strong in someone's life, its on the way to becoming a major handicap. Often time's we view failure as more of a bigger story we tell ourselves "I am not good enough" " I will never become a successful entrepreneur" "My ex spouse was right- I'll never make it on my own-I am a loser." However, we have to remind ourselves it is just that-a story. We have to reframe our minds and turn failures as something positive and something we can learn from. It's important to not turn to external activities (drinking, drugs, eating etc ) to avoid your fear of failure and instead create more positive ways to deal with it.

Here are 5 Tools to Get Over Your Fear of Failure:

1. Talking it Out

It is important to face your fears and not suppress them by having someone you can trust to discuss your discomforts or shortcomings. By having someone to talk to about your fears it can better frame the situation by objectively looking at it from afar and realizing that the big problem was not so big after all. By talking with someone its also important to not dwell on your fears and an opportunity to strategize how you can break down the tasks into smaller pieces to not make it look so daunting and motivate you to face your fears.

2. Meditation

Meditation is an excellent way to reduce fears of failure. As you begin practice you begin to notice patterns of fear arise and the hold they have on you. With practice you can recognize these thoughts as just that-thoughts-and not to become attached to them. You'll no longer find your subconscious fear or resentment running your life from beneath your awareness. Through meditation, as you train yourself to not let your emotions control you or to be completely subject to them it will become easier to do this in your life as a whole as well.

3. Surround Yourself with Positivity

Another tool to help you with your fear of failure is to surround yourself with positivity. Getting rid of toxic people in your life who only dwell on why something will and cannot be done is not very motivating and puts additional fears into your mind. Also, do not read negative media often. Sure it is important to keep up with world events but constantly listening to the traffic accident on the highway or the latest terrorist attack is stifling in your attempt to move forward in your own personal goals. Your physical surroundings are key as well. If you work from home and hate the colour of your walls, do not get enough sunlight and are not energized by your atmosphere that can make things worse. Surround yourself with pictures, positive affirmations, and anything else that generally makes you feel good to improve your mindset and attitude towards your goals.

4. Failing More Leads to Success

Yes that's right-failing more leads to success! Persistence is key. Successful people do not give up after suffering a defeat. Even Malcolm Gladwell said it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. Statistics say that most entrepreneurs fail in their first business and that on average they finally succeed on their third business attempt. Failure seems to be the stepping stone to success. Understanding what happened and what you learned from it is the most important aspect of failing and the wisdom you will bring towards your next attempt of success. We all fail, its how quickly you pick yourself up and how long you waste time feeling sorry for yourself that usually determines success.

5. Self Growth

Every time you fail, your fear of failure becomes much smaller, which allows you to take on even bigger challenges. Each failure makes you stronger, bigger, and better. Failure teaches you that a certain approach may not be ideal for a specific situation and there are better approaches. Every mistake is a learning opportunity and a chance to look at your mistakes with a new perspective. Failing is essential in personal development and you simply will never grow as a person if you don't put yourself out there and be willing to try and inevitably make mistakes.

So there you have it folks! Setting yourself up for failure is integral to your success in your personal and professional development. Just remember that failure is a stepping stone to your goals and to not let the failure define you as a person.

http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Tools-to-Get-Over-Your-Fear-of-Failure&id=9348744

8 Ways Emotionally Intelligent People Deal With Toxic People

Toxic people poison those around them, and gain satisfaction from creating disorganization and a stressful atmosphere.

Life is stressful enough for most of us. Allowing a toxic individual to ravage your immediate environment can cause havoc in your mental well-being, which can lead to physical challenges.

A bad state of mind not only affects your physical well-being but makes it difficult for you to respond calmly under pressure. Ninety percent of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions, so your ability to perform effectively can be affected if you do not adopt strategies that will allow you to deal with toxic people.

1. Successful People Establish Boundaries

There is a fine line between being friendly and allowing somebody to lead you down a path that jeopardizes your ability to remain effective. Successful people understand this and do not allow the toxic among them to take charge, but rather choose to set effective boundaries.

2. No One Limits Their Joy

How much do the words of those around you affect your state of mind? Successful people have mastered the ability to ensure that the negative remarks of others do not affect their strong sense of accomplishment. Toxic people like to break you down with rude, hurtful comments, and gain satisfaction from watching you fall apart.

Learn to react less to the opinions of others, especially those you know do not have your well-being at heart.

3. They Have Mastered the Art of Rising Above

I learned this from John Rampton from Due when he was on stage at TC Disrupt. “By mastering the act of rising above, successful people are able to remain rational and calm in the presence of the irrational and chaotic. They master rising above the rest, no matter what the circumstance,” Rampton said.

4. They Are Solution Focused

Do you spend more time focused on the negative person and how they affect your life than on achieving your goals? If so, then you have a problem. Instead of focusing on the negative, focus on your goals.

5. They Understand the Importance of Support

Reach out to your mentors, chances are, they have experienced what you are going through. There is a good chance that co-workers, team members, even family and friends have useful tips to help you get by. The emotionally intelligent understand how to tap into their resources to get through the challenges of working with toxic people.

6. They Are Aware

Self-awareness is important, because it involves knowing what it takes to push your buttons in order to prevent it from happening. Lack of emotional control is a great way to empower the toxic people in your life.

7. Forget-Me-Not 

Being forgiving comes with being emotionally intelligent. It allows you to remain unburdened by the mistakes of others and to have peace of mind. But being forgiving does not mean forgetting whom you can and cannot trust. It just means you stop wasting mental energy on those you cannot trust.

8. They Store Their Energy for Better Opportunities

As I have mentioned several times, the toxic thrive on chaos, and will do anything to have the ability to take you down to their level. Learning to understand your limits will help you to stay away from dangerous situations. Choose your battles wisely, and conserve your energy for bigger and better things.

Final Thoughts

Those we look up to as being the "bigger person" or as being able to conduct themselves in the most challenging of situations do not have a magic solution in their back pockets, but they have worked hard to become emotionally intelligent people. What are some of the challenges you have experienced with toxic people?

http://www.inc.com/drew-hendricks/8-ways-emotionally-intelligent-people-deal-with-toxic-people.html

Success Hack: 3 Tips to Liberate Yourself from Toxic People

When I was a first-year history teacher in a Chicago high school, I quickly stopped going into the teachers’ lounge, which I dubbed the “Ain’t It Awful” Club.

Worse than the haze of cigarette smoke that constantly hung over the room was the cloud of emotional negativity:

“Can you believe what they want us to do now?”

“I got that Simmons kid again this year in math. He’s a holy terror.”

“There is no way you can teach these kids. They are totally out of control!”

... It was a constant stream of negative judgements, criticisms, blaming, and complaining.

I didn’t want to be around that kind of negativity. I knew it would make it so much harder for me to be the positive, life-changing teacher I wanted to be.

Fortunately, I soon discovered a group of dedicated teachers who hung out in the library and ate together in the teachers’ lunchroom. They were passionate about their jobs and believed they could overcome and handle anything that was thrown at them.

I started hanging out with them and implemented every new idea they shared with me – as well as a few more that I picked up from my weekend classes at the University of Chicago.

As a result, the students voted me Teacher of the Year in only my first year of teaching. That never would have happened if I had allowed myself to get sucked into the “Ain’t It Awful” Club!

Don’t let toxic people infect you with their negativity

All of us have to deal with at least a few toxic people in our lifetime.

You know the kind of people I’m talking about...

They’re the ones who are always complaining and blaming others for their circumstances. They judge others, spread negative gossip, and always talk about how bad it is.

They tell you your dreams are impossible and try to dissuade you from believing in and pursuing your goals. They’re constantly trying to bring you back down to their level.

A simple phone conversation or email exchange with them will bring tension, stress, and disorder to the rest of your day.

Sound familiar?

Maybe these toxic people are your coworkers, or your old group of friends from high school. Or maybe they’re your family members.

No matter who they are, they have the power to drain you of the energy, faith, motivation, and self-confidence you need to achieve your goals and create the life of your dreams.

IF you let them, that is.

Here are my three most valuable tips on how to liberate yourself from their negative influence.

Tip 1: Get clear on who the toxic people are – and how they’re holding you back

Make a list of everyone you spend time with on a regular basis— your family members, coworkers, neighbors, friends, people in your civic organization, fellow members of your religious group, and so on.

When you’ve completed your list, go back and put a minus sign (–) next to those people who are always negative, critical, and complaining, and a plus sign (+) next to those who are positive and nurturing.

As you make a decision about each person, you might find that a pattern will begin to form.

Maybe your entire workplace is filled with toxic personalities. Perhaps it’s your friends who nay-say everything you do. Or maybe it’s your family members who constantly put you down and undermine your self-esteem and self-confidence.

Once you identify them, you’ll begin to see how they’ve been influencing your outlook on your life and career – and holding you back from creating the life of your dreams.

Tip 2: Stop spending time with them

You’re better off spending time alone than spending time with people who will hold you back with their victim mentality and their mediocre standards.

I know, it might be easier said than done... especially if those toxic people are your co-workers or family members.

Maybe you don’t feel like you can remove them from your life right now. At the very least, I encourage you to severely decrease the amount of time you spend with them.

And remember, nothing is impossible – it’s always a choice.

If you work in a toxic environment, apply for a different job. Tough market? Upgrade your skills to be a more attractive job candidate.

If your family’s negativity is slowly poisoning you, have an honest talk with them and tell them how their negative words and actions affect you. If they don’t listen to you or honor how you feel, stop spending time with them. It really can be that simple.

You have the power – and the right – to remove people from your life if they constantly attack your sense of self worth and are preventing you from becoming the best possible person you can be.

Tip 3: Surround yourself with positive people

Here is the easiest way to insulate yourself from toxic people: fill your life with positive people instead.

Make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive, nourishing, and uplifting people who believe in you, encourage you to go after your dreams, and applaud your victories.

Seek out successful people who have already accomplished amazing things in their life. This is one of the most powerful ways to bring more success and happiness into your life – by hanging out with people who inspire you and can give you the support and advice you need to achieve your own success.

Where do you find successful people?

Join a professional association. Attend your professional conferences. Join the Chamber of Commerce or your local country club.

If you’re a young person, join the Young Presidents’ Organization or the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization.

Volunteer for leadership positions. Join civic groups like Kiwanis, Optimists International, and Rotary International.

Volunteer to serve with other leaders in your church, temple, or mosque. Attend lectures, symposia, courses, seminars, clinics, camps, and retreats taught by those who have already achieved what you want to achieve.

Your life will be so rich you won’t have any time to spend with toxic people!

And who knows? Maybe your success will inspire those negative people in your life to aim higher in their own lives as well.

http://jackcanfield.com/success-hack-3-tips-to-liberate-yourself-from-toxic-people/#

10 Simple Ways to Find Balance and Get Your Life Back

    

Life balance seems to be the topic on everyone’s mind of late. We have discovered that maintaining a healthy life balance is not only essential for happiness and well-being; it can be a tremendous boost to your productivity and career or business success as well. A well-balanced person has a far greater ability to focus their attention and energy on attaining their goals, taking productive actions and moving forward in a meaningful way.

The big question is…What does life balance really mean? What would a balanced life look like to us? And most importantly, how do we go about achieving it in the midst of our crazy schedules?

There are steps you can take to change what isn’t working and get back some control and balance in your life. And once you start seeing results you’ll be better equipped to maintain that new found equilibrium. The key is not to try to change everything at once, but to make small adjustments over time to determine what works for you. Eventually you will have a whole new set of positive life habits and you’ll never look back!

Some strategies that work:

• Turn it off – Disconnect on the weekend. I hear the excuses already, but try it, at least for one day or even a few hours each night. Put the phone down and turn off the computer. Give your work brain a rest. Bonus: Spend the extra time actually interacting with your family and friends!
• Trim, trim, trim – It’s a given that if your life is overflowing you will never be able to achieve balance and manage it all. It’s just not possible.Say no to everything that is either not essential or doesn’t add something valuable to your life. Be ruthless!
• Pay attention to your health – We hear this over and over again, but usually only give it lip service. We know what we need to do, but it isn’t a priority until we have a health crisis. Our health really does affect the quality of our lives and our work. We are far more productive and happier when we get enough sleep, eat a little healthier and fit in some type of activity.
• Minimize toxins– By that I don’t mean chemicals (though that might help too.) Minimize the negative influences around you. Avoid toxic people(complainers, whiners, poor attitudes.) If you can’t completely avoid them, at least minimize contact and tune them out as much as you can. Surround yourself with positive, supportive, can-do people whenever possible
• Spend time alone – Making time for you is probably the hardest thing to do for the typical overworked and overwhelmed person, but it is crucial for lowering stress, increasing happiness and encouraging creativity. Some things to try; meditate, write, sketch, do some yoga or simply sit quietly for a few minutes each day and do absolutely nothing. You can do it!
• Relationships do matter – Set aside quality time with your family and friends. Don’t just sit in front of the television, really connect and pay attention to those you care about. Make a date with your significant other, have coffee with a friend, play a game with a child. Really get to know the people around you.

• Treat yourself– Get a pedicure or a facial. Better yet, schedule a massage. It doesn't need to be costly; a glass of wine, your favorite coffee or tea, a delightfully scented candle or beautiful flowers will make a huge impact.
• Explore the world - Take a walk and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Take a new route, visit a new town or try being a tourist in your own. Attend a local performance, play amateur photographer or go to the park and watch children play. They really know how to enjoy life!
• Expand your awareness – Take a class, learn to paint or try something new that you've always wanted to learn. Read a book that sparks your interest or try listening to uplifting music. Find what interests you.
• Remember fun – Laugh, joke, play, find your sense of humor, subscribe to a daily joke or get a tear-off calendar. Nothing makes the feel better as fast as a good old-fashioned belly laugh.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-simple-ways-to-find-balance-and-get-your-life-back.html