20 Rules to Live By For a Happy Life

After working with thousands of clients over the years to help them improve their lives we know a thing or two about what can make people happy. This is why we have come up with 20 rules to live by for a happy life.

We know that many of our clients have problems because they are simply doing the wrongs things to make them happy. Whether it be working too hard, staying in poor relationships, or trying to be perfect how you live has a big impact on how you feel.

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A Balanced Life is a Happy Life

The key to a happy life is all about finding balance. When that balance starts to shift in the wrong direction you start to feel out of control and that is when negative thoughts start to appear.

Our simple rules to live by for a happy life are designed to help you create more happiness and follow your dreams in a more positive way.

The other factor our clients often ignore is that they are searching for happiness in all the wrong places. Happiness isn’t dictated by money or being a senior manager. Instead, you get a happier life when your emotional, physical and spiritual well-being are nurtured as well.

Happiness comes when you are able to focus on all aspects of your life rather than putting too much effort into just a few areas.

Here are some of the essential rules for living that can help you build joy in your life.

Life Rules to Live By – You Have More Control Than You Think

We regularly see clients who feel trapped by jobs, relationships, and situations that they feel are out of their control. This makes them feel anxious or depressed and can lead to sleepless nights. The reality however is that all of them have the ability to take a step back and think about what they could do differently to create change.

There are always other ways of doing things or alternative solutions you just need to stop for a moment and focus on alternatives. When you do it can be surprising what changes you can make to let go of negative situations and people so that you feel happier.

Golden Rules of Life – Have a Plan to Attract The Life You Want

Too many people believe that they are going to have all their dreams come true by doing nothing and then are shocked when life didn’t present them with the future they wanted.

The reality is in order to get on in life you need to take action every day to build the life you want. That means learning extra skills, volunteering, networking, hustling, and a whole lot more. Find your passion and then focus on planning how you are going to turn that into a lifestyle that makes your soul sing.

Use our Law of Attraction planner sheets to help you grasp the opportunities and plan your days for success rather than failure.

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How to Have a Happy Life – Follow Your Gut Instincts

Your subconscious spends a lifetime learning and automating processes that work in the background of your mind. It knows when things don’t feel right or seem right but many people choose to ignore it and plow on doing something even if their brain is telling them it isn’t right or not going to work. In our rules to live by for a happy life we want you to start paying attention.

As therapists we see people make mistakes even though the red flags were there in the first place. Choosing to ignore your gut instinct is not going to help your happiness. If every fiber of your body is telling you to dump your boyfriend, walk away from a job offer, or avoid certain situations then it is worth listening to.

Basic Rules of Life – Earning More Money Isn’t Always the Answer

We love to help our clients with self-development and confidence so that they earn more money. We know that having the right mindset can transform your finances which is why we have created affirmations for money and abundance and have a billionaire mindset audio. However, having money shouldn’t be your only goal and doesn’t always help you to have a happier life.

In order to be happy you also have to take care of your emotional, physical and spiritual needs as well. For example, money is of no use if you are ill because you didn’t take time to look after yourself. Money is also useless if you feel stressed or overworked.

Instead of planning for how much you want to earn start to plan for the lifestyle you want. So how many hours do you want to work? Where is your ideal work location? How many holidays would you like a year? Factor in all the other elements and then pursue that rather than fixating one wealth.

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Life Rules – Never Put Up With Bad Relationships

The people you spend your time around will make a difference to your happiness and mental health. Surround yourself with positive and supportive people and the energy they give off can make your world a happier place. Of course, the opposite is true if you put up with people who belittle you, criticize you or make you feel bad about yourself.

Failure to deal with these people is never going to end up well for you because their negative acts will rub off on you. So make it your priority to remove them from your life or where that isn’t always possible limit your interactions with them as much as you can. This is one of the great rules for a happy life.

Recipe for a Happy Life – Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

If you want a happier life then avoid comparing yourself to others as you will never come out of it well.

The reality of life is that there is always someone richer, more beautiful, or cleverer than you. If you draw comparisons then inevitably you are going to be disappointed.

Don’t create negative mental health worrying about other people and their success or looks. Instead, work to the best of your abilities and start to concentrate on building your self-esteem. Self-esteem building means that you start to respect and love yourself rather than worrying about others.

Read The Confidence Workbook and start using the strategies within it to silence your inner critic and build your self-belief.

Rules of Happiness – Practice Deep Relaxation

If there is one thing that most people don’t do enough of it is practicing deep relaxation to lower their stress levels. Our rules to live by for a happy life therefore had to include stress reduction strategies to help your mental health.

Stress is the number one problem that causes problems for my clients. Stress makes people drink too much, eat too much, sleep badly, and saps their energy. Yet with some simple strategies stress can be lowered and this can make a massive difference to how you feel.

Practice deep relaxation techniques such as self-hypnosis or meditation regularly and you will start to feel calmer and more in control. You can use our self-hypnosis for relaxation and stress reduction audio to help lower your stress levels today.

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Good Rules to Live By – Seize The Moment

Too many people are hesitant when it comes to seizing opportunities and running with them. Anxiety, a lack of confidence or even a fear of failure of looking stupid can rear their head making them shy away from change in their world.

If you are being blocked from achieving what you would like in life because a part of you is worried or fearful it is time to Feel the fear and do it anyway as Susan Jeffers said. Read the book and find out why she believes you should push your worries and fears to one side and grasp every opportunity you are given.

Simple Rules for Living – Stop Overthinking

Overthinking is another way to put your success and happiness on hold as it makes you overanalyze everything you do or say.

When you accept that you need to stop worrying and just let go it can be liberating. There is no point wasting all your energy considering all the possible options and worrying about what could go wrong because inevitably you won’t be able to control everything.

It is far easier in life just to get on with things and see how they turn out. If there are mistakes or problems as an adult you can make changes or alter things so why bothering overthinking.

Rules to Follow in Life – Make Peace With The Past

As therapists, there is one thing we absolutely know and that is the past can have a significant impact on your present emotions and world. In some instances, the things you have learned from the past are incredibly helpful and help you live a happier life. Whilst in others the things that have happened can create anxiety or depression, guilt or anger.

If you have issues that are unresolved from your past that are still causing you problems try and learn to let them go. If you can’t do it by yourself seek out a therapist to help to give you the peace and acceptance you need to move forward with carrying a ton of baggage.

Forgiving What You Can’t Forget is a great book by Lysa TeuKeurst which is a New York Times Bestseller on how to let go of the past and live your life to the full.

Everyday Rules to Live By – Forgive Yourself When Things Go Wrong

Inevitably in life, things don’t always go to plan. Relationships fail, some bosses suck and you are going to make mistakes that are going to make you feel like you messed up. Yet in our rules to live by for a happy life we want you to forgive yourself when things don’t go to plan.

Yet when you look at failure in a different way it can be empowering and change your mental attitude. Have you ever thought that every failure is a learning experience that helps you to move forward in life and create a better future?

Elon Musk knows this. At the time of writing this, he has been testing his super-heavy rocket ships in preparation for an eventual trip to Mars. So far most of them have blown up but the Space X pioneer looks at the broken-up rocket ship and says we’ll get a ton of data out of that. In other words, they’ll learn how to do it better next time. You need to think in the same way.

How to Have a Happier Life – Ditch Perfectionism

Perfectionism is never a recipe for a happier life instead it is a soul-destroying trait that should be avoided where possible. In fact, perfectionism has been linked to poor mental health particularly anxiety and depression.

When you strive for perfectionism you are setting yourself up for failure especially if you have incredibly high standards. Invariably your self-critical mind will berate you for not earning more, achieving more, or looking more beautiful. Perfectionism becomes a standard that is impossible to live up to.

Instead, practice gratitude and learn acceptance and take time to appreciate how far you have come rather than worrying how far you need to go.

Read The Gifts of Imperfection as it is a great book to help you embrace who you are.

Do What Makes You Happy – Take Calculated Risks

The next of our rules to live by for a happy life is if you want to achieve success and live a full life sometimes you need to take calculated risks.

That doesn’t mean you need to go out and be reckless or do things that don’t make sense but it does mean trying things even though you sometimes know that there is a chance that they won’t work out.

Of course, many of the risks that you take will have a positive outcome and the positive results mean that you are always widening your comfort zone. You may be shocked at how good it feels.

Personal Rules to Live By – Get Organized

If there is one thing that is going to make you have an easier life it is by learning to become organized.

Disorganization creates chaos and makes your life ten times harder as you will never know where anything is or what you should be doing. Get yourself a great planner and start to focus on organizing your day.

If your house is a mess then check out the Home Edit Guide to Organizing as these ladies are experts in helping people create systems to live by that create a happier life.

Rules to Live By at Work – Don’t Stay Somewhere Where You are Unhappy

One of our main rules to live by at work is to not stay somewhere you are unhappy.

We see clients who have wasted years of their life feeling unhappy or underappreciated in jobs that frankly are sapping the life out of them. Life is way too short to waste every day going into a workplace that you hate.

So if that is you dust off your CV and start actively planning on moving on because if you want a happier life you can make it happen by finding something better to do.

Happy Living – Create a Good Work/Life Balance

If you are living a happy life and enjoying your work that is great but also don’t lose sight of the other elements in your life.

Certain jobs can be immersive and make you lose sight of other things that are important. Don’t let the world pass you by because you are spending all your time on your job. Find a middle ground and create a good work-life balance.

Work-Life Brilliance is a great book to help you manage stress and carve a better path.

Living By Your Own Rules – Carve Your Own Path

One of the great rules for living is do what you want to do and don’t spend time listening to what everyone else thinks you should be doing.

Family expectations often force people into careers or paths that aren’t necessarily right for them. This can lead to unhappiness and a sense that you are missing out on happiness because you know in your heart and soul you are better suited to doing something else.

Stop listening to others and start leading your own life.

Enjoy Your Life With Your Own Rules – Take Responsibility For Your Own Success

If you want to be successful you need to take ownership of your life and what you do. Begin by taking simple practical steps to get you closer to where you want to be.

Happiness and success are earned and not handed to you on a plate. So start taking control of your life and build the future that you want one step at a time.

Try our morning manifestation rules and rituals to help you start moving down the path to success.

Building a Positive Life – Be Kind to Others

This rule for living a happy life shouldn’t need an explanation. If you want to lead a positive and happy life then you need to think about the feelings of others. Create joy by being kind and doing the right thing.

Positive Living – Build Relationships With People Who Make You Happy

Finally, surround yourself with friends and people who make you happy. Remember that some people are energy vampires whilst others are people who fill your life with joy and happiness. If you want rules to live by for a happy life then being around people who give off good energy should be a priority.

Christiane Northrup has written a book called Dodging Energy Vampires which can help you to avoid people who suck out your soul especially if you are a sensitive person.

Our 20 rules to live by for a happier life are of course just our take on what can help you to be more content. If you have some others add them to the list and start implementing them for a better life.