Every one of us wants to live a happy, healthy life, but it doesn't always come so easily. Work and everyday stresses can get in the way and take over, and we can forget what it's like to be stress-free. We can begin to take it as the norm to be stressed, and if we're not stressing over something, we feel we must be forgetting something that we should be doing. Actually, stress isn't needed in our life; if we genuinely want to be happier in life, we need to make some changes. When we do feel nothing but stress, this is a sign it is time to stop, realign our life, and focus on making some changes to cut the stress out. Below are some common things we all forget to do, signs we ignore, but simple to include in our lives to make things less stressful.

1. Acceptance

If you don't love yourself and fully accept yourself, it's hard to have the same acceptance for those around you. Everything starts with you; you have to have love and respect for yourself before you can truly love anyone else. If there are things you don't like about yourself, make that change so you can begin to accept yourself more easily.

2. Be Compassionate

Daily life is a constant distraction; we can get annoyed at the slightest wrongdoing of another. A thoughtless driver annoys us, a thoughtless comment from a workmate is getting under our skin, and so on. When we feel this annoyance building, take a pause, and think why that person may have acted a certain way or said a certain thing. Practice being compassionate about the people around you, they're probably just having an off day, as we all sometimes have, so reacting doesn't help, it only aggravates the situation. If you can't be compassionate towards others, you can end up experiencing anger, jealousy, and cruelty instead.

3. Pay Attention To Your Needs

Everyone has needs, but we often spend so much time focusing on the needs of others, that we completely leave ourselves out of the mix. Being compassionate and caring for others is a great thing, but remembering that our own needs have to be met first is vital. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so if you want to be compassionate towards others, it has to be from the overflow, otherwise, we end up draining ourselves. If you physically hurt yourself, you pay heed and give the injury the care it needs; we don't apply this to our spiritual needs often enough. Pay attention to your mind, spirit, and body, and listen to what they are trying to tell you.

4. Live From Your Beliefs

One of the main reasons people are unhappy and dissatisfied with their life is they live in a way that they do not believe at a soul level. Beliefs and inner knowing are there to guide you as a person to where and what you want from life. When we go against these beliefs, it can lead to feelings of guilt and unhappiness. Although it can sometimes be inconvenient or challenging to stick to our beliefs, and easier to go with someone else's ideas and opinions, we must remain true to ourselves.

5. Stick To Your Intentions

With so much going on in this fast-paced ever-changing world we live in, it's easy to forget our goals and intentions in life. If you have dreams for your life, you cannot let outside influences distract you from your goals. Don't let fears about what might go wrong interfere with where you want to go. Your intentions are your guide through life, and how and what you experience, they help to anchor you in the present moment.

6. Expect The Unexpected

Contrary to the above problem, some people never live out their dreams because they never set any intentions. Others expect way too much, and this leads to disappointment and unhappiness. While it's important to have dreams and goals, you have to be open to the fact that problems or diversions will inevitably happen along the way. You can't expect the world to conform to your expectations, so be open to all possibilities to get you to your dream, and be adaptable to any problems you may encounter along the way.

7. Reach For Your Dreams

Giving up on your dreams and goals is like giving up part of your soul. We all have dreams and ambitions and letting these go is equal to give up on who you genuinely are. Never be afraid of your dreams, or think they are unattainable, reach for the stars and go after what you want.

8. Self-Awareness

We are all continually a work in progress; no one is perfect. To become a better person, we have to call ourselves out on our bullsh*t, faults, and flaws. Being open and honest with ourselves and making the right changes, helps us to grow, expand, and become better people. Once you know your fears and faults, you can begin to make changes. Becoming self-aware is the only way to grow as a person.