Happy women are revealing their life secrets, and the advice is gold

If you feel like life has been hard lately, you're not alone. It can be difficult to navigate your everyday routine when things feel like they're on fire all the time. So when Threads user itsamayawithwifi asked: "To the women who genuinely love their lives… What’s your actual secret?" I thought I would share their advice below.

1."I stopped confusing peace with boredom and chaos with passion."

2."Not centering men is HUGE. You wouldn't believe how much that impacts your life. Working from home and a dog help."

—71saretta

3."I give my inner child what she wants."

4."Whimsy. I romanticize my life. I turn my life into a movie."

—laurenhsweeney

"I’ve started doing this, and it’s so great! I get married in a little less than two months, and I have been adding items in fun, bold colors and patterns instead of the usual all-white that people expect. Whenever people ask why, out of curiosity, I tell them it’s to add whimsy — they love it, and I feel like more and more people are starting to see the power in it!"

—ciara.woodin

5."Can I be real with you — a lot of it is just having enough money to comfortably cover expenses and some left over to enjoy."

6."Made room in my life for big dreams, play, and curiosity. Other people’s opinions of me are none of my business. Stopped centering men and trying to appeal to the male gaze. Found work that is meaningful and flexible. Trying to leave the world and its inhabitants better than I found them."

—sherrijustsherri

7."Stop waiting to have someone to do things with to do them. Go see the movie alone. Go to the concert. The book signing. The amusement park. You don’t need a friend or partner to do these things with you. Stop missing out because you think it’s 'lame' or 'sad' to go alone."

8."Regulate your nervous system and find joy in the small things."

—mrs.rachel.lynn

9."Number one reason I love my life? I don’t have children. My home is peaceful and clean, I sleep as much as I want, and I travel spontaneously. I also have a husband who does all the cooking and his half of the chores. I don’t spend energy on people who have zero interest in me. I live well below my means, which means I’m financially secure."

10."I genuinely stop making vague claims out loud. It’s insane how quickly your entire mindset shifts. It’s not a bad day, it’s a bad moment. I don’t love my life; I love xyz about it. I’m not actually mad today — I woke up with little sleep, and now my patience feels thin. As soon as I did this, everyone around me did too, and now no emotion or challenge seems bigger than it actually is. It’s wild how much we gaslight ourselves."

—jess_peddy_b

11."My therapist told me to 'waste one hour each day,' and as a Virgo perfectionist, it has changed my life. That one hour of turning my brain and priorities off allows me to take one hour to just have fun and self-care every day."

12."I stay away from emotionally underdeveloped people. It’s really hard, especially when you love them deeply, and when you know they don’t know any better. But once you distance yourself from people who are chaotic and emotionally immature, your life soars."

—meentheequeen

13."Things I try to get in every week: Gratitude, time with friends, time with animals, time in nature, three days of exercise, and good sleep. It sounds so basic, but it has taken me 44 years to realize and put into practice. Also, being a bit gay."

14."I stopped living my life like it was a dress rehearsal for the real thing. Saving experiences for when all your ducks are in a perfect row only makes you miss out on cool ****! Book the epic trip, burn the fancy candles, use the good skincare products... Oh, and decenter men."

—author_julie

15."I genuinely like who I am."

Women, do you have any other secret ways to genuinely love life? Tell us what you do, either in the comments or the anonymous form below:

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