When a person feels a sense of contentment in their life, it means that they are happy and satisfied with what they have, what they’re doing, and how their life is going. A content person doesn’t experience nagging feelings of “falling behind” compared to other people or “being left out” because they don’t have what others do. Instead, they are content (or satisfied) with what they already have in their lives.
A person who is content in their life doesn’t allow feelings of FOMO (or the “fear of missing out”) drive their decisions. Instead, they take stock of what they have in their lives and feel gratitude, or a deep sense of appreciation, for what they already have. When a person feels life contentment, they are free from the limitations of pressure to perform a certain way.
How do I know if I’m having issues feeling contentment in my life?
Issues with life contentment manifest in a few different ways. Some common ones include
- Feeling jealousy over what someone else has or is doing.
You may look at your neighbor’s new speedboat with envy. Perhaps your coworker who got yet another big promotion causes you to feel serious jealousy. Whatever the triggering incident may be, you often find yourself wishing your life could be different or you could have the same things you see your friends, family members, coworkers, or neighbors getting.
- Feeling bored or restless with your current routines or lifestyle.
Routines are wonderful – having some good ones in place can help your everyday life run very smoothly. However, if you find yourself feeling really bored or restless with your day-to-day living, you may be experiencing contentment issues. Rather than feeling happy or satisfied with how your life is going, you’re feeling restless and bored instead.
- Feeling like you aren’t meeting your fullest potential.
Do you ever feel like you aren’t doing enough or aren’t doing as well as you could be? This can be a serious sign of discontent in your life. People seek to feel fulfilled and successful, and when you aren’t getting that dose of success in your life, it can leave you feeling like you aren’t working up to your fullest potential, leaving you pretty discontent.
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If I am not feeling content, what can I do to increase those feelings in my life?
Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to increase your feelings of contentment in your life. Finding that contentment can give you lots of personal freedom. Without the restraints of feeling discontent, you’re free to stop comparing yourself to other people and daydreaming about how things would be better if only “so and so” would happen to you. To begin finding your own contentment in life, consider the following strategies:
- Practice gratitude each day.
It’s important to remind yourself of everything you have to feel grateful about in your daily life. When you see your friends and family regularly, go to work every day, and always have a full refrigerator, for example, it’s easy to lose sight of how these aspects of your life should fill you with a sense of contentment.
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- Find a way to help out someone else in need.
A great way to increase your contentment is to help people who need it most. Volunteer at your local shelter, participate in a food drive, or offer to tutor students at a local school. Activities like these not only benefit folks who need the help, but it also reminds you of what’s really important in life – and how you are contributing to others feeling that importance as well.
- Reassess your personal goals.
People change over time – it’s a fact of life! A goal you set for yourself years ago may not be as applicable anymore. Give yourself permission to adjust your goals as needed so you can keep yourself on a pathway toward a future that is best aligned with your personal desires to maximize contentment.
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All the best,
Patti
