I heard the saying “Live Easy” the other day and it really resonated with me. So much so in fact, I decided to make it my own. I’ve decided that 2016 and every year thereafter will be lived easy; after all life is too short to live it any other way. I guess by now you’re probably wondering what “Live Easy” means. I can tell you what it means to me but I want to encourage you to find out what it means to you. Today’s blog post is all about helping you find your own path to “Live Easy”, but before we get started I want to tell you what it means to me. Living easy is living stress free and knowing that things will work out even when they seem hopeless. To live easy is to be happy in the lowest moments and always find the silver lining no matter what. Last but not least living easy is keeping a positive attitude at all times and uplifting those around you. Now that you know what “Live Easy” means to me I want to uplift you and help you put the “Live Easy” mantra to use in your own life. Here are 10 steps that I truly hope will help you do just that:

1. Identify what triggers your stress: Often times we think that negative events are what cause stress, but positive events can cause stress too. Major life events like purchasing a new house, planning for a wedding or even getting a new job can cause stress levels to be elevated. Be aware of what triggers your stress and figure out a game plan to manage the stress away. We all have different techniques that we use to relax. Figure out what relaxes you the most and incorporate these things into your daily routine to ward off the stress.

2. Keep a positive attitude: You would be amazed at what keeping a positive attitude can do for you. Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. A very simple thing to do that can make a world of difference in your everyday life. I love repeating positive mantras to myself. Find some positive quotes and post them in places that you frequent. The uplifting words will have such a positive effect you’ll wonder why you weren’t doing this all along.

3. Stop caring about what other people think: When it comes to your happiness other peoples views shouldn’t matter. Focus on what makes you happy and do it; what other people think is irrelevant. Strive to live a life full of love and meaningful relationships, not a life full of regrets. Life is too short to wonder what if, don’t waste any of your valuable time thinking abut things that just don’t matter.

4. Focus on what you do have: Look around at everything you do have and be thankful. Most times we have a tendency to focus on the lack thereof and what we don’t have. Just know that it could always be worse than it is.

5. Learn to say No: Stop taking on more than you can handle and say no. We all have a tendency to be people pleasers and say yes to things even though we know we are already stretched too thin. Learn how to say NO, sometimes this is necessary to our own sanity. Life is busy enough with our jobs, family, etc., so do yourself a favor and just say no.

6. Overanalyzing things that haven’t happened: I’ve been guilty of this myself, you know worrying about a situation that hasn’t even happened yet. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why worry about something that hasn’t even happened yet? Stop stressing yourself out with all of the negative possibilities. Instead of thinking about a negative outcome, replace it with a positive one. You might be pleasantly surprised what happens.

7. Let go of the past: Leave the past where it is, in the past, enough said!

8. Stop worrying about things that can’t be changed: Another offense I’ve also been guilty of. I’ve learned to just let it go if there is nothing I can do to change it. There are some things that are just out of our control and we just have to accept that. Stop working to change an outcome of a situation that you have no control over. Why stress yourself out over something that you can’t change; hope for the best and move forward.

9. Embrace who you are: Love yourself and be confident in the person you are. Know that you are making the right decisions for yourself and find comfort in that. Know who you are and where you’re going. Focus on your life and how to be the best possible person you can be.

10. Live in the moment: Be open to life and all the possibilities that come with it. Life can be so wonderful but it’s all in what you make it. We are the captains of our own destiny, so take control and “Live Easy”

I hope these 10 tips help to guide you down the “Live Easy” path. Even if you don’t use all the tips just putting a few to use might do you some good. Give it a try and let me know if you see any immediate changes, we always love hearing from you! Make sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay on top of all the latest, we’ve got some great things planned for 2016.