What does it mean to be content?
Being content is the peaceful vibe you get when you appreciate what is happening. Feeling satisfied with life regardless of what is going on is hard, but it is beautiful when you feel content.
I am content with where I am right now
I haven’t felt like this in a long while, and it feels so good to be here. I recently started working as a mental health personal independence coordinator for a charity, as some of you may know. My role consists of supporting people who may experience severe mental illness. We provide emotional/wellbeing support and may signpost clients to relevant services depending on their needs.
Currently, I have a caseload of 21 clients. It is a lot of work; I have several meetings a week, I have a lot of work to do for clients, but I enjoy my role. It gives me a greater sense of responsibility. One thing that made me feel like I made it was getting my very own mobile and laptop. I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is for me.
My employers see value in me; they believe that I am responsible enough to do my job, manage my caseload and do my job effectively. My job has given me a confidence boost. There are seeds of doubt that we will all experience at times, but then I realise that they saw something in me; they believe that I can do an excellent job, so I need to think that I can do a good job. I do a great job!
Deep down, I am beyond proud of myself. Before starting my current job, I jumped from job to position to job. I found jobs that I thought I would stay in for a long time, but then things pop up or maybe I was in a rush to work and get money; I didn’t look at the bigger picture.
But now, I feel like the dust has settled, and I found the job that makes sense for me; I have control over what I do (somewhat), I can have me time on the weekend, I have established a work/life balance, I like my colleagues, this makes absolute sense for my career progression, and I’m getting paid accordingly. Halleluiah!
Trials and tribulations have led me to this point, and I am beyond grateful. My job has helped me. I was going through some things; my aunt passed early this year, my job was stressing me out, I got into a car accident, a man I loved broke my heart, and I was down bad.
I was in a dark place, but somehow and in some way, I managed to pull myself out of the darkness, and I realised that I could not let this overcome me. I will sit in pain, see it for what it is but use it to propel me forward, and I did just that. I identified my strengths, and I told myself that it’s a tie to do me.
So, I put myself first as I was so used to putting myself last. I got out of a job that didn’t serve me and pulled everything from me, and I found one that suited me. I am a simple person who wants a simple life.
My job makes me feel content; my friendship group makes me content; I make me feel content, just my personality alone. I enjoy myself. I enjoy spending time alone. I want this process of doing me, putting me first. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, so perhaps. I needed my heart broken by someone else to gather the pieces myself and put them back together.
Now I am going to talk about 5 ways to feel content
Self-care
I am big on self-care. We need to nourish and protect ourselves, mind, body and spirit; this means doing things that make you happy and that make you feel good. If you would like some self-care ideas, click below.
4 Simple Steps To Practice Self-Care When You Feel Low
Get comfortable with discomfort.
When I first started my job, I was anxious about the thought of calling clients, meeting clients and doing things that were way out of my comfort zone. But the more times I did it, the more comfortable and confident with the person I was becoming. I am grateful for my job as it pushed me, and I am learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Practice mindfulness
Quieting the mind and turning in is so important. I start my day by meditating, and I end my day with journaling. When I write in my journal, I endure that I end m entry by writing, ‘today, I am grateful____’ no matter if the day went well or not, there is always something to be grateful for.
Focus on your goals and match them with your values
One of my goals is to ensure that my happiness does not depend solely on anyone or anything. I want to be happy with who I am as a person. I am getting there with the help of self-reflecting, affirmations, counselling…just to name a few.
Look at where you are and how far you have come
I am blessed to continue to work on myself. I have come a long way, I used to struggle with my confidence and self-esteem, but I am getting better over time. I am speaking to myself better. It’s not easy, but I am a work in progress.
Take away
I like to say to myself that life could be a whole of a lot worse. I am happy with where I am and where I am going. I am content, but I am not trying to confuse it with being comfortable. Life is about progression, but I aim to be content with where I am at each stage of this life’s journey.
