Regardless of how much you try to convince yourself otherwise, you can’t be at your best all the time. Whether it’s from stress or feeling burnt out, chances are you’ve hit a slump where you just don’t feel like yourself anymore. The following are five simple self-improvement tips that will allow you to live without regret and do what it takes to have a fulfilled and happy life.
Set Goals for Yourself
There are a lot of people who think self-improvement is a waste of time. They think it’s silly and pointless to do things like reading, exercise, or volunteering. And although those things might seem like fluff to some, they aren’t.
Those self-improvements lead to you becoming a better person; one that will set goals for yourself, chase your dreams, and fight for what you want in life. If you want your life back on track, you need to start thinking about self-improvement as more than just something that makes you feel good at first. It has value and it can give you precisely what you need to get your life back on track. Put in the work and you will reap the rewards.
It can be easy to get stuck in a rut, but it’s important that you take some time to look at your life and figure out where you want to go. The first step is setting goals for yourself—both short-term and long-term. Be realistic: If your goal is to run a marathon, make sure you train properly so that you have a fighting chance of actually finishing it. To learn how to create your own spiritual growth plan, click here.
Learn a New Activity or Skill
People who learn new skills—whether it’s a foreign language, coding, or painting—report feeling more focused and having more energy. It takes effort to learn something new; thus, learning a new skill forces you to do things that make you feel good in order to do it. Learning a new skill, hobby or activity is an effective way to break out of your comfort zone and increase your self-confidence. Interested in drawing? Take an art class. Want to learn another language? Enroll in a language course at a local community college.
Learning something new will not only expand your horizons but will also keep you motivated to work toward future goals. Don’t know where to start? Search online for local classes, organizations, and workshops that interest you and meet people who share similar interests. One study found that people who had just learned how to juggle reported feeling less stressed immediately after learning than they did before they started. Even if juggling isn’t your thing, try doing something similar (like taking up knitting) to reap these same benefits.
If you have time for only one tip, though, focus on one that will help you get outside of yourself: join a club, volunteer at an organization near and dear to your heart, and take up a hobby. Spending time helping others actually makes us happier than spending money on ourselves does according to a recent study from Harvard Business School. If we want to improve our happiness levels over time, we need to find ways of giving back
Eat Healthy and Hydrate Daily
You can’t take care of others if you aren’t taking care of yourself. When we’re healthy, we feel great and we have more energy to get through our busy days. Plus, being unhealthy means being less productive at work and more likely to get sick from a cold or flu bug going around. You’ll feel more energized if you drink plenty of water.
Make it a habit to drink enough water every day (64 ounces for women; 80 ounces for men). And if you need some healthy food inspiration, try some new fruits or vegetables that are in season in your area—you’ll be surprised by how delicious they are. You don’t have to eat five servings of fruit and veggies every day either. Just add them into your diet whenever possible, especially when you’re preparing lunch or dinner. Remember: Eating healthily doesn’t mean giving up all treats. Have an apple instead of cookies for dessert, or enjoy a glass of wine with dinner instead of beer.
Have Compassion for Yourself and Others
In tough times, it’s important to have compassion for yourself and others. It can be easy to feel like you’re alone in an unhealthy situation, but chances are there are others who are going through what you are. Acknowledging that can help keep you accountable and create a more positive outlook. Surrounding yourself with supportive people is also important—and having compassion for others is a surefire way to do so.
We often think we can fix others, but oftentimes people just need our love and acceptance to get back on track. To get your life back on track, focus on building compassion rather than fixing problems. The process of becoming compassionate will give you a better sense of self and others. The same idea applies to being accountable: if you’re not holding yourself accountable, no one else will either. When something goes wrong or you make a mistake, instead of pointing fingers or making excuses, accept responsibility for your actions.
Taking ownership shows courage and humility—two traits that make great leaders and even better people. You might mess up occasionally (we all do), but as long as you own up to it, your character will shine through every time.
Get Active
If you want to get your life back on track, it’s important to get moving. While you can go for a long walk or start going to a local gym, it’s even better if you find an activity that fits into your personal life. Take up yoga, join a hiking club or start playing frisbee golf (just kidding). Being active is more than just getting in shape – being active makes us happier. This is a great way to decrease back pain or other aches that you’re experiencing.
And there are countless studies proving that more active people tend to be healthier and happier than sedentary ones. Find something fun and interesting and your newly regained energy will make it easy to tackle other aspects of your life as well. It’s also important to realize that actively doesn’t have to mean running marathons.
It can mean walking a mile every day or taking part in some sort of physical activity. Just do what works for you! There’s no reason why you should feel like exercising is boring or hard when there are so many ways to be active that we often don’t think about. Go ahead and try something new. Contact us today to learn more about wellness center activities that you can participate in.