When you hear self satisfaction, what is the first thing that pops into your mind?
Is it something that makes you happy and can’t be compared to anything?
Then, you are almost there!
By definition, self-satisfaction means a feeling you get when you achieve or get something that can be compared to nothing. This makes you stop being jealous and stressed. In short, we can say that self-satisfaction is not momentary but eternal.
But here’s the catch: it is not something one can achieve easily. In life, we set several goals for ourselves, but even after achieving them, most of the time, we feel that empty feeling, making us thrive more. So, the ultimate goal in our life is to achieve self-satisfaction.
Let’s not get confused!
When we look at happiness and self-satisfaction, it might seem the same to us. But there is still a minor difference between them.
All satisfaction is happiness, but all happiness is not satisfaction
Imagine landing a great job with a decent salary; it surely gives you happiness, but if it’s not what you dreamt about, the happiness lasts for a limited time. After that, you will think about your dream job, but once you achieve it, you won’t just feel happy but satisfied with your life.
Therefore, we can say self-satisfaction is happiness for the long term or forever!
Self-satisfaction and its effect on mental health?
Let’s clear one thing out; there is no black or white to a thing; it’s always in the shades of grey.
Mental health is essential for all age groups, from adults to college students and even teenagers, and awareness of it is necessary.
Self-satisfaction plays a significant role in our mental state. A person who feels satisfied is very calm and free from stress.
Satisfaction is essential for our self-development and inner peace.
Satisfaction, when aimed with a positive mind and silencing all negative emotions, is very beneficial for your mental health.
But, when we feel unsatisfied, we fall into a state of alarm and distress. Moreover, if you start beating yourself up about not being able to achieve your goal, that is how my friend, you start to hurt yourself!
A research published in BMC Public Health in 2018 by Patrick Lombardo and team on “The fundamental association between mental health and life satisfaction: results from successive waves of a Canadian national survey” states that “Subjective mental health is an important factor associated with life satisfaction and could be a valuable resource for a happy population.”
If we look at the positive side of self-satisfaction, we can reap hundreds of benefits. It helps you relieve stress, maintain calm, make you more productive, increase positivity, and enables you to feel happier, which thereby reduces anxiety and depression and builds your mental health.
How to get self-satisfaction in life
Although every individual has their personal goal to be self-satisfied, sometimes the process takes a toll on us and makes us feel miserable.
To not stray from your path and achieve your goal with ease, here are some tips for you:
1. Self-care
As per the University of Illinois, “Practising self-care during stressful times is an important way to reduce your stress and anxiety levels.” It is nice to achieve goals, but you need to focus on yourself, too, and how it is affecting you. Even runners need to catch their breath; you need to pause your rush life for a minute and start practicing self-care habits because that will help you reduce stress and other factors that will slow you down in your journey.
2. Set your goal
When you start feeling that your goal is impossible to achieve, break it down into multiple steps. Make short-term goals that will also benefit your mental health and strike off each thing you complete; this will keep you motivated by releasing dopamine in your brain and making you feel as if the finish line is nearer.
3. Don’t stop
It is okay to be disheartened after a failure, but the more important thing is what you learn from it. On this journey to achieve satisfaction, you will face many challenges and will also fail a lot. But all that matters is whether you stop or stand back up. It is the choice you need to make. Analyze your losses and learn from them.
4. Create positive surroundings
It is very important to realize what kind of surroundings you have. If you feel like being gaslighted or uncomfortable talking about your life goals with the people around you, it’s high time to change your surroundings. Surround yourself with people who have an aim in life, who will not demean you but help you and motivate you to reach your goals.
5. Change your perspective
Everything depends on how you look at things! Take any portion of your day and think about it! If you started right away with negative points or even if you started with positive points but ended up thinking more negatively, then you should start working on your mindset immediately. Achieving self-satisfaction is a big yet possible goal, but you must remember that it is only possible with a positive mindset. You need to look for the good things in life because that is what will drive you to reach your goal. Negative emotions might look the way, but in the long run, they are the ones that pull you down.
6. Take out the weeds
On this journey of finding what makes you satisfied in life, pause and look over the relations you made. Are they pulling you down? Are they the reason you feel demotivated? You might initially say no but take a minute to yourself and think hard about it. We know it is not easy to detach yourself from people, but what needs to be done should be done. It might seem hard at first, but it will have a positive effect in the long run.
7. Be grateful
It is important to go after the things you want to achieve, but meanwhile, you shouldn’t forget about all the good things in life. Remember, you are not going after self-satisfaction because of these little things; it is for your self-improvement and peace of mind. These small yet significant things are what help you have a more positive approach to life. Make sure to feel more grateful and express your gratitude towards all. There are multiple ways through which you can practice gratitude, from your old-fashioned pen-paper methods to modern gratitude apps.
8. Start writing
Maintaining a journal helps you be in touch with your original self and also helps you sort out your emotions. Keeping a journal helps you heal on an emotional level. It makes you happier and has a positive outlook on life. Writing about your goals in your journal is also beneficial as it will help you keep updated with your progress too.
9. Improve your lifestyle
In your journey, don’t ignore your lifestyle and health. These things are as important as self-satisfaction. By maintaining a good lifestyle, you will feel more productive, which, in the end, is going to help you achieve what you desire. Start cultivating good habits that help in improving your lifestyle by
- drinking more water,
- exercising more often,
- taking care of yourself,
- maintaining a proper schedule,
- getting the proper amount of sleep, etc.
10. Talk to yourself
Every once in a while, when you feel confused, are you after the right goal? Ask yourself:
What does it mean to be self-satisfying?
What makes you satisfied in life?
Think hard about it. This will help you realize the importance of your goal and will also make your work more for it.
11. Be a bit selfless
Yes, it is important to work on yourself. But in the process, don’t forget about the people around you. Go volunteer at least once a month and spend some time helping a good cause. You can always start by helping at your own home. These small acts play a significant role in shaping us for a better and brighter future.
12. Work on relations
A Harvard study referred to as the Grant, and Glueck study, started in 1938 and has been continuing for the last 82 years, clearly states that people with healthy and quality relationships tend to live happier in life.
After all, who doesn’t want to be happy? Giving focus and time to your relationship is quite essential. Working on your existing relations and even working on new relations that bring positivity to your life is the key factor in truly succeeding in life.
13. Start meditating
Meditation helps us maintain our calm and composure. Just meditating for 5 minutes a day shows great results. You can meditate however you like; it can be transcendental techniques, focused meditation, and spiritual meditation. Along with meditation, practicing deep breathing exercises also helps with peace of mind, makes us focus better, and fills up with energy for the rest of the day.
14. Make your own rules
Self-satisfaction’s meaning is subjective, and everyone has their own definition of it. No one except you can answer the question, “How can I be satisfied in life.” You know yourself the best and should live your life according to your will. No one can dictate to you on how to live. Yes, you should listen to others because you have plenty of well-wishers. But in the end, do what you want to do, or else you will feel miserable. You might be making the wrong decision, but it’s your decision; even if it is wrong, you can turn it into a learning curve and reap its benefits.
15. Focus on your health
It would be best to focus on your health as the most important thing. Nowadays, people are so busy with their jobs that they have neglected their health and come across severe illnesses. Your body needs to get enough rest, take a walk and eat healthily by avoiding junk food. When you keep your body fit, you will be positive from both the inside and the outside. Make sure you work out daily to satisfy yourself and be happy with yourself.
Conclusion
All of us want to achieve self-satisfaction in life. But remember, there are always two sides to a coin. If you are living your life as usual and not stressing about being self-satisfied, then you are on the right path, just keep working on yourself, and one day you will achieve it. Awareness of your mental health is necessary, but if you are obsessed with it and hamper your daily happiness, peace, and calm for it. Ask yourself? Is this what makes you satisfied in life?
If you keep the above-mentioned point in your mind and implement it in your life, you might not achieve satisfaction but will surely get a positive push towards it, and after that, everything’s up to you!
In life, while reaching for self-satisfaction, we often hamper our calm, which can take a toll on our mental health. So learning how to calm your mind is necessary for us. We present you with our top ways to calm your mind.
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