Life advice: 21 expert tips on things we can all do to change our outlook and live happier and healthier

Everyone does what they can to live a happy and healthy life. We are all aware of the importance of looking after our bodies and minds in order to have the best physical health and mental health possible, but sometimes the pursuit of perfect peak health and wellbeing can feel overwhelming.

We all have demanding lives, both personally and professionally, and this often leaves little time for us to focus on ourselves - and even when we do find some time there can also be many things that get in the way such as supposedly helpful mantras which are actually unhelpful, or their may be time limitations.

With all of this in mind, NationalWorld has spoken to several experts who have shared their best life advice. Below you will find a list of small things we can all do to find more happiness every day. These tips require little to no physical action as much of the advice is about adjusting your mindset. This means, no matter how busy your lifestyle, you will find something in this list to suit you.

Accept uncertainty

Allow yourself to realise that nothing at all is certain, Gillian Harvey, author and freelance writer, told NationalWorld. Being able to say ‘what will be, will be’ or ‘I’ll handle whatever comes my way’ and accept that life can be unpredictable brings about a sense of calm.

Find a way to park your worries

Being able to set aside worries for another time is essential, says Harvey. To help with this she suggests writing a list of things concerning you and telling yourself, ‘I’ll think about that later’ and then focusing on the present instead of letting yourself spiral.

Have a chilled day when you need one

Hypnotherapist Amanda Elias told NationalWorld she believes whenever you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed you should treat yourself to a chill day, or even just half a day - whatever suits your lifestyle. She says it's “amazing” how something as simple as making a little time just for yourself each week can make a huge difference to your life. Spend the day relaxing, watching TV, sitting in the garden, or reading; whatever helps you to find calmness and quiet in both mind and body. She adds: “Since I started implementing this, I no longer get as overwhelmed and my stress levels have significantly decreased. Plus, it really boosts my ability to handle anything that comes up during the week”.

Start your morning the right way

“I often find that how we start our morning can have a real effect on how our day goes,” Kelly Conway, nutritional therapist and health coach, told NationalWorld. For example, if we have a carbohydrate heavy breakfast, such as some cereals, jam on toast or muffins, this will give us a sugar high and, soon after this, a sugar crash will inevitably follow. It comes in the mid morning, or around ‘elevenses’ time, when we suddenly feel low in energy and perhaps jittery and need a coffee or a sugary treat to boost our energy. She says: “This is because we are on a blood sugar rollercoaster from the minute we wake up and it will continue for the rest of the day. This not only affects our hunger hormones, but will have a knock on effect on all our hormones”. 

Instead, Conway suggests that it is the best idea to have a high protein breakfast with some healthy fats and fibre in order to stabilise our blood sugar so we aren’t on that rollercoaster. For example, eggs on toast with mushrooms and tomatoes, or avocado on toast, would be a good breakfast choice. Natural yoghurt with some fruit, nuts and seeds on top would also be a great alternative. Conway adds: “This way, we are fueling our body with long lasting energy from the protein, fibre and healthy fats and this should keep us fuller for longer and feel more able to go to lunchtime without the mid morning blood sugar crash”.

Find your ‘thing’

We all have different tastes and likes, but once you discover what it is that brings you joy you should incorporate it into your life as much as possible. Gill Erskine, co-founder of outdoor community building and movement company Wildstrong, told NationalWorld that once you find your ‘thing’ you should do it at least once a week. Examples include a walking group or a sewing club.

Don't let the fear of what other people might think of you stop you 

Holly Thomson, founder and CEO of brand copywriting company Blonde Creative, told NationalWorld she believes everyone should go after the things in life that they want, regardless of what other people think. She says: “Excuses will always be there, opportunities won't”. Jen Parker, owner of book publisher Fuzzy Flamingo, also told NationalWorld that it’s important to “choose what you enjoy most, not what you think you ‘should’ be doing”.

Focus on sleep

Rosey Davidson, a sleep expert, author, founder and CEO of infant sleep consultancy Just Chill Baby Sleep, told NationalWorld that “sleep is the most important pillar of health, as everything else is linked to it, and affected by it, such as our mental and physical health”. She suggests it is a good idea to work with your natural chronotype and plan your life around your natural rhythms. “Night owls will struggle to get up early, so don't force yourself to. Early birds might want to set work meetings for mornings though”. For more useful information to help you get the best night’s sleep check out our articles on different ways to help you fall into deep sleep, plus what are the different types of sleep and how much sleep each age group needs.

Carry out an act of kindness

Health coach Michelle Flynn told NationalWorld that “acts of kindness are one of the top ways to improve levels of happiness” so she suggests that everyone should think ‘what one thing can I do today to help someone else?’ and act upon that.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Stephanie Chivers, fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health, told NationalWorld it’s worth always remembering that life is short and so to only focus on the things that really matter. She says: “When people tell me about their to-do list, I always ask, ‘would it matter if you had three months to live?’”  

Check your happiness levels

Merrisha Gordon, a leadership coach and organisational consultant, told NationalWorld that everyone can apply something called the Positive Psychology approach to their life. This was pioneered by psychologist Martin Seligmann and uses the acronym of PERMA as a toolkit that people should follow to bring them joy. It stands for:

• P - positive emotions 

• E - engagement

• R - positive relationships

• M - meaning in your life

• A - accomplishments

Gordon adds: “If any of these are low or non-existent in your life, it’s an indicator of where you can make some small changes to bring more happiness into your life”.

Forgive quickly

Forgiving someone, and then maintaining relevant boundaries with them, may help to bring contentment into your life. “Forgiveness does not mean being a pushover or pretending someone didn’t hurt you, instead it is freeing yourself from the burden of keeping the walls up and constantly reminding yourself of what they did to hurt you. The speed at which you forgive means less of your life is being given to negative emotions allowing you to reclaim that time and space for your enjoyment”, Toks Aruoture, who works as a nursery interior designer, told NationalWorld.

Be authentically you

It’s easy for us all to compare ourselves to others and strive for perfection, but if you practise being the real you then you won’t have to live up to any standards but yours, Aruoture says.

Disagree without drama

Mediator and relationship and conflict coach Rob McPhillips told NationalWorld that the breaking point of relationships comes when we find points of difference. He adds: “Conflict scares us and so we stop communicating openly. Then we lose trust, connection and eventually the relationship. If we can disagree without shutting down communication, however, we develop better understanding and strengthen the relationship”.  

Make life goals and enjoy the journey

It’s important to think about the things you want in your life and plan how you are going to get them, but money expert Polly Arrowsmith told NationalWorld we should all also remember to enjoy what happens in life as we work towards our goals.

Use the full stop technique

The full stop technique involves noticing how you feel In a moment when your emotions become overwhelming, instead of reacting straight away. Jess Shaw, director PACT Creative Training, advises that it’s a good idea to take a moment to notice and even describe to yourself how you are feeling. She says people should question ‘what are the physical sensations? What are the thoughts I’m having? What are the emotions?’ And then apply the full stop, no judgemental thoughts about why, just notice.” She adds: “I find the act of noticing without adding a value judgement as to whether or not I should be feeling something transformational and I also often find that the challenging feelings pass quicker”.

Take it one day at a time

Ivana Poku, an award-winning mentor who helps mums, told NationalWorld that everyone should take things one step, and one day, at a time. She says: “We often want to be, feel or do what we want right away but life doesn't work like that. It's like wanting to build a puzzle without putting the small pieces together, it's just not possible”. What we need to do instead, she adds, is see value in every little piece we put into place, which are all the supposedly small amazing things we do daily, as it is only then we can reach the goal. 

Build healthy habits in to everyday life

Everyone should work out the things that are good for their short time and long time mental and physical wellbeing, and bring those things into their everyday life, suggests wellbeing coach Marie Paterson. For example, can you take a short walk before work or do a few exercises to build up your strength? Or, can you take your own healthy lunch to work? Can you always make sure you get to bed eight hours before you need to get up? Can you spend five minutes a day breathing slowly to help you relax and reduce your stress levels? She adds: “The key is to build these healthy habits into your daily life and to continue doing them for life. Your 100 year old self will thank you”.

Talk to yourself like your own best friend

 Everyone speaks to their friends with compassion and kindness but when it comes to ourselves we can be hard on ourselves and also self critical. When you learn to speak to yourself in the same way you speak to your best friend you can change any negative self-talk and become much much happier, life coach Julie Leonard told NationalWorld. She adds that this could be “instrumental in increasing confidence, happiness and wellbeing”.

Ask for help if you need it

“Asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness,” says Leonard. “We all need help and support sometimes and it’s okay to ask for it as none of us have to go through life and the various struggles it can present alone. She adds: “Getting support from friends, family or a professional is the proactive way to become the best version of you”.

Do one thing each day that makes you happy

CBT therapist, and founder of Conscious and Calm, Navit Schechter told NationalWorld it’s important that we’re careful that we don’t get so caught up in all the things that we have to do that we can forget to prioritise the things we need to feel happy. To combat this, she suggests making sure that we do at least one thing each day that gives us a sense of pleasure or achievement, offering an opportunity to feel happy and enjoy life, even when there's a lot going on. She says: “This could be having a bath, calling a friend, going for a walk in the woods or cleaning out the cutlery drawer; it will be different for everyone but as long as it makes you happy”.

Spend money on experiences rather than things

Occupational psychologist Suzanne Guest told NationalWorld what brings us more joy is focusing more on experiences rather than physical possessions because the happiness which comes from possessions wears off really quickly but the happiness which comes from experiences survives in memories. She believes this can strengthen relationships too.