Every human being desires happiness and contentment, though finding it isn’t always easy. For most people, it is a lifelong quest, aided by principles such as forging lasting relationships, practising gratitude, thinking positively, and prioritising health and wellness.
Following up on yesterday’s article, here are three more (comparatively unconventional) approaches that could help you achieve fulfilment in the long run.
1. Explore laughter meditation
It may sound silly, but laughter meditation is a fun and creative way to improve mental and emotional health. Using the therapeutic potential of laughing, this method entails purposefully carrying out laughter exercises, engaging in laughter yoga, or watching humorous films to induce genuine guffaws.
Laughter’s many positive effects on the body and mind have long been acknowledged as a powerful method of stress and tension relief, and to enhance general health and happiness.
2. Indulge in ecotherapy
As immersing yourself in green spaces can restore and recharge a person’s energies, ecotherapy involves spending time in nature improve emotional and psychological health.
These positive effects can be experienced firsthand through ecotherapy, of which “shinrin-yoku”, or “forest bathing”, is one approach.
Forest bathing, as the name suggests, involves spending time in the wilderness or forest-like environments to enjoy the multitude of sights, sounds, and smells that can heal a person naturally.
Studies have shown that being in the great outdoors can help one relax, relieve stress, and attain inner peace by promoting awareness and full sensory immersion in a natural locale.
Other ecotherapy activities include outdoor exercises and trekking. One can also go for hikes, jogging, and canoeing to get fresh air, exercise, and connect with Mother Nature for essential emotional and psychological benefits.
3. Engage in ‘voluntourism’
How about volunteering to help those in need while experiencing the sights and sounds of a new destination? “Voluntourism” enables you to learn new cultures while making a difference in new places and communities.
Voluntourism programmes offer participants a sense of self and purpose, while creating fond memories as they help others. The best part is, rather than being “regular tourists”, visitors become part of a community.
Engage with local groups in educational, conservation, community building, and healthcare capacities, and in turn, you will achieve a sense of accomplishment and significance by participating in projects that benefit communities.
Finally, if you are struggling to find fulfilment in life, do remember to reach out to trusted friends, family members, or a healthcare professional for guidance and support.
Read more articles by Dennis Relojo-Howell here.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg and host of ‘The DRH Show’. Connect with him on X (Twitter) at @dennisr_howell.