It’s true. Far too many of us are not living the lives we could be. Bills, work, relationship woes, money troubles and not enough leisure time have given us all a bad case of the First World Blues.

Yes, things are much worse for a lot of others on many different parts of the planet, and yes, the lifestyles we feel trapped in are, in reality, the very model many others would count themselves lucky to be living in, but this still does not change the reality as it stands for us.

We may be able to make ourselves feel temporarily (and selfishly) better through comparison, and through realizing that we live, by much of the world’s standards, in the lap of absolute luxury, but at the end of the day, we remain over-stressed and over-worked.

While the rest of the world strives for our ‘ideal’ lifestyle — things like bigger homes, cars instead of bicycles and full-time work — we are actually living it, and finding out that it is not everything it’s cracked up to be. Things could be worse, yes, but they could also be one heck of a lot better.

So what does this mean? How can we make life better for ourselves, and in turn re-invigorate our sense of being with the fulfilled, positive energy it takes to actually make a difference in the lives of others?

Traditionally it has meant making enough money to retire early, or acquiring more things, or making our way up the corporate or academic ladder to a position of authority, where we then have the power and tools to make a difference. Yet a new idea is beginning to emerge. One that has far more to do with less stuff, and more time. This is the secret: time. Time infused with love.

Believe it or not, this is not new news. It is, I believe, something all of us inherently know, but that we’ve been trained out of. We’ve been led to believe that time is only attainable through the acquisition of power and possessions. It isn’t.

It’s time now to realize this and take action (as certain European countries have done in recent years), and demonstrate to the world — and ourselves — that the ‘perfect’ model of life as we’ve been living it in the west is a fallacy, and that it’s necessary for us now to begin relaxing again, celebrating again, and being human again, and that doing so is possible through the reclamation of a few simple, ordinary and very human ‘guilty pleasures’ that we’ve all been falsely led to believe are undesirable.

Here are six of the most fundamental.

1) Sleep

Very little is still known about sleep, even in this age of accelerating scientific knowledge, but one thing is certain: sleep heals.

This is something that has always been known. Along with fasting, ancient cultures used sleep as a primary method of treating a great number of ailments, both physical and psychological, some even considering the dream-state and the happenings there to be the property of the tribe as a whole, sharing the experiences they had the night before with the rest of the community every morning.

In present times, much of that ancient reverence has been lost. Continuing to push at things without the proper sleep required for freshness of mind and body is unfortunately endemic to first world society.

While the specific amount needed per night varies from person to person, we adhere to the idea that 2 shorter chunks of quality sleep in a 24hr period, as opposed to cramming 8 to 10 hours into one long stretch in the night, is optimal.

Learning to listen to our bodies in this regard and making sleep a priority again is integral for good health. We should not feel guilty about consistently prioritizing sleep above other obligations, no matter how offended others may be by this. Besides, our level of effectiveness is at its highest when we are properly rested. Regardless of how much we may have going on, sometimes the most productive thing we can do is sleep.

Integrating a healthy respect for this precious resource back into our daily lives will assuredly find our time in the waking world being far more productive, focused and pleasurable.

2) Play

The importance of play is something that has been expounded upon by many of the greatest minds throughout history. Albert Einstein, Alan Watts, Aldous Huxley, even Nietszche, all realized that some of the most profound insights into life are more apt to arrive through the important portal of play than anywhere else.

When we play, even as adults — when we are engaged in an activity that makes time disappear because it is so fun and engrossing — our creative faculties are at their peak.

This type of elemental activity, which is something that all animals naturally engage in, but most humans have talked themselves out of by a certain age, has been shown to lead to accelerated learning, heightened levels of contentment and happiness, and important growth in societal and familial relationships.

3) Rest

Not to be confused with sleep, rest can be defined as the natural aftermath of play. If play is the cresting of the wave of creative energies, rest is the breaking of it.

Rest is settling back into a relaxed and contemplative state of mind, in which one begins to integrate the lessons learned over the course of one’s days and nights.

More than this, however, rest also possesses its own rhythms, ones that, as with all the others on this list, must be intuitively listened to as much as possible. Sometimes long periods of leisure, during which one satisfies their natural urges to simply relax, read, watch movies, couple and cuddle, or whatever else comes up organically, can be incredibly restorative and invigorating.

4) Sex

While the data is still accruing, the many overall health benefits of sex (that many of us already suspected) have begun to crystallize, mostly through The Kinsey Institute, over the last decade and-a-half.

From lowering your blood pressure to possibly slowing the aging process, the list of physical and psychological advantages that come from maintaining a regular, healthy and exciting sex life are seemingly endless.

It has been shown to increase self-esteem and a personal sense of well-being; it induces oxytocin, which is the body’s own love drug, and it can greatly alter one’s outlook on the world. (Everyone knows how a good, long night of hot sex can plant the sun right inside our chests the following day, regardless of the weather outside.)

And, while sex can definitely have detrimental effects when things such as guilt or shame enter the picture, or when one partner feels pressured or unsure, or it is used in any type of divisive or controlling manner, it is important to stress here that any sexual activity between two honest and loving partners, in which their whole hearts are participating, simply cannot be detrimental. How could it be?

Even if no one else is involved (or if it is an asexual romance), as with masturbation, if there is a high level of self-appreciation, connection, gratitude and play, the benefits of this free, natural activity, enjoyed often, are most likely plenty. Even consenting casual sex, when engaged in responsibly and maturely, can be downright invigorating. No judgement, no shaming! You do you — just don’t be a dumbass! Used rightly, passionate sexual energy can transform lives.

5) Travel