Kelly’s Know-how’ – May 2021 edition
What is happiness, and how can you achieve it?
It’s been over a year that we have all been facing the same problems related to the global pandemic.
Some of us are experiencing great stress and anxieties, feeling lonely locked in the walls of our own homes, others might have lost their jobs, loved ones in death… All of these problems have led people to reconsider their priorities in life.
No doubt, at least once, you have asked the question: “What is happiness and how can I achieve it?”
According to Wikipedia, happiness is used in the context of mental or emotional states, including positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.
In simple terms, happiness to me means being surrounded by people that I love, doing things that I enjoy, feeling connected to my community and not having to worry about money!
Can money bring happiness?
During my introductory meetings with clients, I always ask them “What does money mean to you?”
Common answers I hear are: peace of mind, spending meaningful time with my family, pursuing passions and hobbies.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not the money itself that people are pursuing, but the experience and feeling that they can get from it.
We recently shared an article (https://humbledollar.com/2020/07/15-ways-to-happy/) on our social media pages discussing ways to find happiness. This got me thinking about the things that you can do to help your own happiness, and the ways that we can take away some of the stress, and help you to achieve your goals.
How can you improve your happiness?
Take care of both your physical and mental health. There are several ways to do both, but in short you can…
– follow a healthy diet, but don’t be too restrictive. Lots of people quote the 80/20 rule, and we are firm believers that allowing yourself to indulge in the things you enjoy sometimes can help to keep you on a more steady healthy course.
– do some physical exercise. It doesn’t need to be extreme. I’m sure we have all re-discovered the joy of daily walks during lockdown – just think, to walk 1,000 miles a year, you only need 2.74 miles per day! As long as we are staying active, in whatever way our bodies want and need, we are doing great things for our minds and bodies!
– build healthy connections and relationships with people who have a positive impact on your happiness.
What can we do to support you?
The obvious thing we do is make sure your finances are well-looked after, so you don’t have to worry about money, and have peace-of-mind that you’ll have ‘enough’ for the rest of your life.
The plan we create together with you helps you to get you where you want to be and do the things that are most important to you. We don’t want anyone to hoard money – we want you to spend it doing the things you enjoy, with the people you love.
Unlike many financial planners, we are proud to be able to offer support in areas outside of your finances too! All of our clients can benefit from sessions with Jessica Schlupp-Taylor, who we are working with to help clients through any issues or transitions that they may be experiencing in any areas of their lives. Jess is highly qualified to support us all to improve our wellbeing, and her aim is to help us all achieve ‘healthy heads’ rather than ‘happy heads’. After all, no-one is happy 100% of the time, but the key is being well-equipped to deal with life’s challenges, highs and lows.
Colleagues and clients who have already benefited from Jess’ support have been really positive about their experiences and the benefits they have gained. Sessions with Jess are 100% confidential, non-judgemental and zero pressure.
We are all aware of the need to maintain healthy eating and exercise for our long-term physical health, but many of us don’t take the same approach to our mental wellbeing. As valued clients, we want to make sure that you are in the best position to enjoy your money and your life.
If you’d like to discuss any of the above, or would be interested to have a conversation with Jess, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – support@lucentfinancialplanning.co.uk / 0121 705 1000.
See you next month!
Kelly
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