Everyone has some kind of sense of what it would mean for them to live a more authentic everyday life, versus one that’s essentially more shallow and based on “playing a role” or catering to the perceptions and expectations of others.
Authenticity implies a way of living that puts you properly in alignment with your values and interests, and that lets you make it from day to day with your head held high. Authenticity is, therefore, something which is highly respected and sought after as a rule, and individuals will often go to great lengths to express themselves in ways that feel authentic, whether that means looking into purchasing customers’ DVLA Plates, dressing a certain way, or making a career change.
Ultimately, living in an authentic way has a lot to do with the attitude and approach you to bring to bear on each day. Here are just a few practical tips that you can apply in order to live a more authentic everyday life.
Aim to be more present and mindful
A lot of what often gets in the way of being properly authentic, is simple anxiety and concern about the way you are coming across to others, as well as concerns about how you are presenting yourself and living up to the “persona” that you are trying to represent.
The most authentic people out there are typically those who are able to do a good job of detaching and stepping back from this cycle to a significant degree, and who can therefore more reliably focus their attention on the present moment in a mindful manner.
In fact, according to some researchers, being more mindful and present in each moment can yield all sorts of tremendous benefits, ranging from things like making you more empathic and a better communicator in social settings, to helping you to do your best work and be as productive as possible, to dissolving anxiety and improving mood.
There are many mindfulness practises out there ranging from traditional cross-legged meditation to practises like Tai Chi, or even just simply reminding yourself at regular intervals to bring your attention back to the present moment and to focus on what you are doing, directly.
Whichever particular paths to mindfulness you take, aiming to be more present and mindful in everyday life can help you to let go of a lot of the mental clutter, hangups, and concerns that may prevent you from being the most authentic version of yourself you possibly can be in the moment.
Work on letting go of both your resentments, and your need to be liked by everyone
It’s essentially impossible to be authentic if you are highly caught up in either resentment of others, or a need to be liked by everyone. Among the many negative effects of falling into either of these extremes, is the fact that both tendencies mean that you are not being centred, but are living in a way that’s highly reactive.
Resentment and bitterness can make you jaded and embittered to life and the world as a whole, and can draw out the worst in you while suppressing the best. Maybe you’re got some hang up and some sense of bitterness over someone else who is in the kind of shape you want to be in — and so this sense of bitterness and resentment drives you belittle them behind their back, to mock fitness enthusiasts in general, and to put yourself in a frame of mind where it’s all but impossible you’ll actually end up making that kind of transformation yourself.
Needing to be liked by everyone naturally puts you in the position of an actor or performer — someone who is constantly, at every turn, shaping their actions around how they expect others will react to them, as opposed to doing what feels natural, right, fun and authentic.
The more you can let go of both resentment and the need to be liked by everyone, the easier you will find it to be authentic, in an open and positive manner.
Spend some time each day on a creative endeavour or project that feels meaningful to you
Creative endeavours are some of the best ways of engaging in self-expression and, simultaneously, of getting in touch with the deeper and more authentic parts of yourself — specifically, the parts of yourself that are the most positive and empowering to bring out and express.
Even if you only spend a relatively short amount of time each day doing something like working on a painting, or writing a novel, the time that you’ve spent on a creative endeavour may well leave you feeling much more energised, upbeat, balanced and confident for the rest of the day.
In particular, you should strive to spend some time each day on creative endeavours and projects that feel meaningful to you — things that you can be genuinely enthusiastic and excited by.
Find moments of calm and stillness to get to know yourself
In order to be truly authentic instead of just impulsive, you need to actually get in touch with the deeper parts of yourself, and with your perspectives and feelings that sit below the level of your more ego-driven concerns.
In order to connect to the deeper parts of yourself in this way, aim to find regular moments of calm and stillness — whether that’s time spent going for a long stroll outdoors, or even just doing house chores without checking social media or distracting yourself.
Aim to have fun and to not be too serious all the time
Authenticity is the kind of thing that tends to come forth the most when we are able to have fun and to adopt a more playful approach to everyday life.
There are many potential reasons for this, but one of the big ones may just be the fact that being too serious, and taking yourself too seriously, makes it difficult to act in a natural and flowing manner without second guessing everything you are doing.