I have created this 30 Day Mental Wellness Challenge to help you. Are you interested in improving your mental health?
To help reduce anxiety and depression, and improve your overall confidence within yourself.
Improving your mental health takes some time. Your brain is like a muscle, so you basically have to work out that muscle just like you would any other muscle in your body.
And you know that you have to work out at least a few times a week to continue to build muscle. So let’s begin!
30-Day Mental Wellness Challenge
There are a lot of options out there to help improve your mental wellness. Medication and therapy help in ways other options can’t.
But, if you can’t afford them or just want to see what else is out there it is possible to improve your mental wellness without those.
Note: You can get an affordable, virtual therapist via the BetterHelp app.
Working on building up your mental strength requires that you focus on it daily. The good part is it doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of time on it.
And you can do it anywhere, you don’t need any special equipment.
To help you improve your mental wellness and reduce anxiety, doing a 30-day challenge can help keep you on track. You’ll also know exactly what to do each day, which makes it super easy!
You can start the challenge at any time. Some people find success at the beginning of the month, but you can start today as long as you just make a note of the day you started.
In addition to this mental wellness challenge, you may also like my Self-Love Guide, you can download that for free by clicking the image below:
Week 1
Welcome to the 30-Day Mental Wellness Challenge!
Day 1. Write down your goals for the next 30 days
What do you want to accomplish with this challenge? How do you want to feel when you’re done with this?
Where are you currently at with your mental health?
Tracking your progress throughout the whole challenge can help you notice a difference or not. Getting into the habit of journaling your thoughts daily can help improve your mindset as well!
Day 2. Wake up 30 minutes earlier to write in your journal about how you’re feeling
Today wake up 30 minutes earlier than you normally would so you have time to write down in your journal.
Here are some journaling prompts to help get your brain working first thing in the morning.
Day 3. Spend 20 minutes outside. Take in what you see and hear
Take some time to enjoy being outside, no matter what the weather! If it’s snowing, you don’t have to do it for the full 20 minutes.
Pay attention to what you see as you go on a walk. Being aware of your senses can keep you in the present and help reduce anxious thoughts.
Day 4. Drink enough water. A minimum of 8 glasses. Cleanse your body
Most people don’t drink enough water and instead replace it with other drinks.
Caffeinated beverages can increase anxiety levels and overall not make you feel your best.
Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water today, and avoid any other type of drink.
If you need a cup of coffee in the morning to get you going (like I do!), that’s fine. Just use the rest of the day to hydrate your organs and feel a little more refreshed.
Day 5. Ask to hang out with your closest friends
You might want to isolate yourself when you’re feeling anxious. Staying indoors away from people sometimes feels like the best solution.
But, isolation makes your anxious thoughts worse and can soon turn into depression.
Make it a point to reach out to your closest friends or family.
The people in your life who love to hear from you and want to support you. Set a date to hang out with them tonight.
Day 6. De-clutter
Cleaning out your closet might feel overwhelming, but it can seriously do wonders for your anxiety levels!
Look around your room or house and think about the things you can either clean or get rid of.
Clean up the space around you so you can clear your mind.
If It’s too overwhelming to tackle your whole house, just focus on one room at a time. Then reward yourself with a relaxing afternoon or your favorite dinner.
Day 7. Spend time alone. Practice self-care.
Today is your day. Time to be alone with your mind and body.
Practice some self-care:
Sleep in
Avoid any difficult chores
Read a good book
Take a bath
Give yourself some much-needed time to unwind and de-stress after a long week.
Week 2
Day 8. Eat healthy anxiety-reducing meals for the whole day
You can plan this out in advance or just work on making better food choices today.
Here is a list of the best anxiety-reducing foods and meals you can try today.
Starting the week off with a healthy mind and body gives you the energy to tackle the rest of the week.
Day 9. Take a social media break for 24 hours
It’s scary how much we rely on our phones to get us through the day.
That’s why it’s important to consciously take a break from it all for a day.
Turn off your social media notifications, log out of your accounts, or even delete the apps off your phone.
Do a social media detox for the whole day and log how you feel at the end. (If you don’t use social media, then you can do the same thing for emails, text messages, and phone calls. The only exception is if you need those things for work.)
Day 10. Spend 5 minutes meditating
There are some awesome apps out there that help you focus on meditating.
The cool thing is you only have to do it for 5 minutes today!
The best times to practice being mindful are either first thing or right before you go to bed.
Choose an app from below and pick a time of day that works best for you to practice being more mindful.
Avoid coming home and watching Netflix for the rest of the night.
Most of the time we turn to TV as just a distraction from our lives.
Tonight, do something you really enjoy. What hobbies do you like that you haven’t done in a while?
This can be something simple like cooking up a tasty dinner and baking dessert, reading a book, being around family, learning a new language, practicing an instrument, or building a skill of some sort.
Day 12. De-compress. Spend the evening watching your favorite movie and relaxing
You’ve worked hard, so it’s time to take a break!
Go easy tonight and do what makes you most comfortable.
Day 13. Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing, then spend today doing them
Make it a point to go after the things you want today.
Splurge a little and go do something fun. Maybe that’s calling up some friends and going to the museum, bowling or on a hike.
Really enjoy today and soak up every minute of it
Day 14. Dance around to your favorite playlist.
Let loose, throw on some headphones, and dance around to your favorite tunes.
This helps you release all of the built-up tension. Allow yourself to fully enjoy each song and let go of all your problems for a few minutes.
Week 3
Day 15. Start your morning with a bang. Wake up earlier, drink some water, write in your journal, and practice gratitude
Today’s challenge is setting up a strong morning routine.
Take some time to complete each thing and really focus on being present for each task.
You can see how you feel at the end of the day and if it helped your anxiety levels at all.
Day 16. Workout for 30 minutes
Yay, exercise! Well, the good part is you get to choose what it is.
Everyone has different preferences for working out. Some love running, others love yoga.
Choose an exercise that works best for you and do it for 30 minutes today.
Day 17. Do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone
Talk to your crush, ask your boss for a promotion, talk to a stranger, or travel to a different city.
These are just some things that will push you out of your comfort zone.
A good way to combat anxiety is by taking action and doing some of the things that really scare you. That way once you do them, you will see they aren’t as scary as you thought.
Choose one thing that would make you uncomfortable while also benefiting you. Preferably something you have really wanted to do but were too afraid to try.
Day 18. Give more to someone in need.
Today you can focus your attention on helping someone else.
Pay close attention to someone who may be in extra need of support today.
Day 19. Listen to Mental Health Podcasts
Fuel your mind today by listening to mental health podcasts that are relatable to what you’re going through.
Podcasts have become really popular lately and there are a lot of valuable series to listen to or save for later.
You can do this for every meal or just for one. Even if you barely know how to cook use it as a challenge to learn something new today.
Pick one of your favorite dishes and spend time cooking it up and enjoying the art of cooking.
Day 22. Practice breathing exercises
Having a few breathing techniques up your sleeve can quickly help you relieve anxiety.
Any time you’re feeling anxious today (or any time you want to), practice some breathing exercises.
Week 4
Day 23. Don’t complain at all today. Work on seeing the good
Complaining leads to feeling like the victim of your own life. Instead of blaming other things for going wrong today, practice letting go.
Each time you get annoyed or frustrated by things, turn your thinking to something good.
For example, if you get annoyed about waiting in traffic, turn on some music or a podcast and look around.
List 5 things you see, feel, and hear.
Then list 3 things you’re grateful for. And think about what you have to look forward to when you get home.
Day 24. Act like a kid for the day. Do things your inner child would love
Think back to what you liked to do as a kid, then make it a point to do some of those things today. Act like a kid for the day and let go of adult responsibilities (as best you can).
When you listen to what your inner child wants, you help connect with yourself on a deeper level. And life doesn’t feel so overwhelming when you work on taking care of the inner child in you.
Some ways you can act like a kid for the day are:
Color in a coloring book
Go for a bike ride
Eat your favorite cereal and watch some cartoons
Hang out with your friends or family’s children
Day 25. Set some boundaries. Practice saying no to doing the things you really don’t want to do
Today, focus on setting some boundaries. If you have agreed to make plans or do something you didn’t want to do, speak up and let the people know you can’t do them.
Setting boundaries helps you feel mentally stronger because you don’t put up with things you don’t want. And other people start to respect you because they know they can’t walk all over you.
Day 26. Put yourself first today. Be kind and listen to what your gut tells you
There are many reasons to put yourself first, the main one being that you will have more patience for the people around you because your cup is filled.
Spend today putting yourself first. Set some boundaries and listen to what you truly want to do. Try to let go of the stress that other people may be causing you today and remember that you deserve to come first.
Day 27. Make a list of 10 things you love about yourself
Practice some self-love today and come up with 10 things you personally love about yourself. This can be anything.
From your personality to what you look like, list some things that you appreciate about who you are.
And if you can come up with more than 10 things, great! Throughout today try to come up with some things you like and then review them at the end of the day.
Day 28. Treat yourself. Buy that outfit or thing you’ve been wanting for a while
You’ve been working hard at improving your mental health! Take today and treat yourself to something special.
It’s always good to reward yourself every once in a while when you’re doing a challenge. This keeps you motivated to keep going.
Treat yourself to your favorite meal or buy that thing you’ve been thinking about for a while now.
Whenever you feel your inner critic take over, work on challenging those thoughts. And if you’re feeling particularly anxious work on digging a little deeper as to why you’re anxious.
Ask yourself “Why is this bothering me?”. You can even write down your thoughts to get them out of your head and into the open.
Day 30. Self-reflect on the month
What do you want to do differently next month? What worked this month? Did this challenge help your anxiety?
Reflect on how this month went and see if this challenge helped your mentality at all.
Did you accomplish the goals you wanted?
Which was your favorite and least favorite day?
What do you want to do next month to help with your mental health?
I know first hand how difficult it can be to stay positive around negative people. Negativity is kind of like a cold. It’s highly contagious, and if you’re around it long enough you’re bound to catch some form of it.
Consider this list of ways to stay positive around negative people article your negativity flu shot. Here are some tips to help you keep your cool around uncool people.
9 Powerful Ways to Stay Positive Around Negative People
Not too long ago I worked in an office with a toxic co-worker.
He was miserable in his own life, and needed to bring people down with him. Any time I came in with a happy mood or tried to make a joke, he would shut it right down.
And I am a quiet, reserved person. I try to be polite and keep a good attitude to avoid being a burden on people. I never tried to piss this guy off, but it just seemed like any hint of positivity was his kryptonite.
Eventually, going to work started to feel like I was going in to get my teeth pulled out every day.
After a while, I started to become negative. My boyfriend was scared to be around me. I was kind of a monster. I am also an empath, which is someone who tends to take on other people’s emotions.
Anyway, I started to realize that something needed to change. I could not keep working at this job if this was how it was going to be.
If you are constantly surrounded by negativity, here are some ways to stay positive during the tough times.
1. Pay Attention to Your Triggers
When someone or something is affecting you in a negative way, spend some time figuring out why it’s making you feel that way.
Different things bother different people.
Figuring out your own triggers is important because these are warning signs. You’ll want to know what you can and can’t handle.
This is how you can determine how serious the situation is for you.
Sometimes negative situations can bring feelings you had at other times in your life. Like if you were in a toxic relationship, and then a co-worker started treating you the same way.
If you come to find that the negative people are setting off too many triggers for you to handle, it’s probably best to distance yourself from them as best you can.
2. Make Sure to Speak Up
When I worked with that toxic co-worker, I made it a point to tell my boss and the right people so they were aware of what was going on.
If it’s affecting how you do your job or how you function daily, it’s time to speak up about it.
A negative environment is not the norm, and it can quickly turn toxic. That’s why it’s good to just let people know what is going on.
That might mean talking to a trusted friend who can give you a different perspective on it.
Just remember that if something is affecting you in a negative way, and it’s having a huge impact on your overall well-being, it is not complaining or wrong if you decide to say something about it.
3. Think About All of the Good Things in Your Life
A good way to fight off the negative thoughts is to think about the good things.
Remember the things that make you feel great. Maybe that’s your family, or your pets, or the comfort of your home.
These are the things that will bring you out of the negativity. So when you’re around a negative person who is nitpicking everything, think about 5 things you’re grateful for right now.
That could be something as simple as breathing. And you can even practice some breathing techniques to calm you down.
Negativity is way easier to give in to than positivity. Staying in a good mindset takes a little more effort, but it’s definitely not impossible.
4. Set Boundaries
The thing with negative people is they feed off of nice people. Caring a lot about other people and their own happiness is what makes you a really good person.
But, people who don’t feel so great about their own lives will try to take the joy right out of yours.
If you’ve ever seen the movie Trolls, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. The Trolls are naturally happy and the Bergens want to eat them just so they can feel that happiness for a moment.
Setting boundaries is one of the best ways you can draw a line at what you won’t tolerate.
It’s hard at first, and if you’re dealing with a particularly difficult person it might seem impossible. But, putting up a boundary is the only way negative people will know how far they can go.
Otherwise, they will push and push until you completely lose it.
When you’re in the midst of negativity, work on staying grounded. Grounding yourself allows you to stay present and helps clear your mind.
If you find you take on other people’s emotions, and feel negativity strongly from others, grounding yourself will allow you to separate from it all.
Here’s how to ground yourself:
Close your eyes (if you can)
Plant your feet firmly on the ground
Take deep breaths
Think about what you hear
Think about what you smell
Breathe in good thoughts, and breathe out the bad ones.
6. Work on Being More Resilient
When it comes to dealing with negative people, Resilience is an invaluable tool to have.
It allows you to bounce back from anything, no matter how awful. But, it’s not always easy to be resilient, especially when you’re in the heat of the moment.
During the rough moments, resilience is about not giving up or giving in. Negativity can eat away at your soul if you allow it, but resilience is there to prevent that.
Being resilient is about having faith in yourself to push through anything. And the amount of mental strength to fight back the negative thoughts.
When you have tough moments that test you, work on staying strong. Tell yourself you will get through this, no matter what. And you won’t go down without a fight.
Telling yourself these things will help build up your resilience so you can bounce back quicker every time you’re faced with a difficult situation.
7. Don’t Give in to the Negative Talk
I know it’s usually a lot easier to just go along with what other people are saying, even if you don’t agree with them.
Speaking up and telling them they’re wrong isn’t always the best option.
It can cause uncomfortable conflict, and it’s hard to find that line between being a jerk and speaking your truth. But, once you start to let that person talk negatively to you, they will think it’s acceptable.
And sure, sometimes complaining about something unfair is acceptable. The moments when it’s not is when it happens often, and it’s getting under your skin.
Obviously, pick your battles. Just don’t give in to all of the negative talk. Sometimes all a negative person needs is someone to put them in their place or shine a light on their thinking.
It can actually be beneficial for them if they are willing to see it.
Avoiding giving into the negative talk will help with keeping your own thoughts positive because you refuse to allow them in.
8. Think About How You Can Grow From This Situation
Everything in life can be a learning opportunity, depending on how you look at it.
The situation you’re in right now won’t last. Time goes on and things morph into something else.
What is bugging the crap out of you today will be a distant memory 3 months from now.
So, with that in mind, think about how you can grow from this moment. What is this person teaching you?
Maybe that’s how to treat other people, or knowing how to be aware that your own comments can negatively affect other people.
Thinking of this situation as a learning curve can change your view on it, which can keep you staying positive throughout it.
9. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Out
If you really want to be able to stay positive around negative people, you need to take a stand. No one should have to tolerate a toxic environment. And trying to stay positive around people who are doing their best to bring you down isn’t always worth it.
At the end of the day, it comes down to your mental wellbeing. What a lot of people have to do is take themselves out of the equation.
It’s sometimes the only way to get your mindset right again. So, don’t think that you just have to endure the crappy people and that it has to be a part of your life.
It’s totally okay to realize this fight isn’t worth fighting anymore, and you have to put yourself first! Which means sometimes letting go of the things that are holding you back.
9 Ways To Stay Positive Around Negative People – Conclusion
I hope this list of ways to stay positive around negative people was helpful. If you enjoyed this article on how to improve your life or have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below!
A Course in Gorgeous is an all-inclusive, 12-part online course that teaches you how to tackle mental roadblocks that are preventing you from truly enjoying your life.
This course will not only help you feel confident and gorgeous in your own skin, but it teaches you how to put yourself first and go after the things you want in life.
If you are ready to make some changes and improve your life, this is where you should start.
A Course in Gorgeous teaches you exactly how to make the necessary changes in your life and start feeling confident almost immediately.
What is a bad mental health day? Well, do you ever have days that just feel impossible to get through?
Where your energy is low, nothing goes as planned, and every little thing irritates the hell out of you?
Here are some things you can do to get through a bad mental health day.
11 Ways To Get Through A Bad Mental Health Day
When you battle things like anxiety and/or depression on a daily basis, you will have days where you don’t mentally feel strong enough to fight them off.
Some days they will win and that’s OK.
I know for me, I’ll feel on top of the world one day and the next I’ll shut down and wonder what the heck is wrong with me. Nothing around me will actually be wrong, but my thoughts convince me otherwise.
I just don’t feel my best, no matter how much medication I take, how much mindfulness I practice, or how much I exercise.
That’s because some days, my depression just isn’t willing to see the good in things. It wants to keep me down, and that’s when I realize it’s a bad mental health day.
I like to relate it to having a broken arm. You can do all the right things, like physical therapy and resting. But, at the end of the day, your arm is still broken and it just takes time to heal on its own.
I’m not saying your brain is broken, but depression and anxiety are not always easy to manage. You will have times when you won’t feel so great. That doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you, though.
What I want you to know is when you choose to work on your mental health, you’re committing to it for the long haul.
11 Ways To Get Through A Bad Mental Health Day
There is no easy quick fix for anxiety or depression. Some days you will make huge strides in your journey, and others will feel like a setback.
Remember, there is a certified therapist standing by to talk or text you at all times here.
1. Practice Acceptance
When you start to realize today is just not your day, one thing you can do is practice accepting it.
Tell yourself “Obviously today isn’t going quite as I planned. My brain doesn’t want to work with me, and that’s OK. I can go easy on myself today and hope for a better day tomorrow.”
Acceptance helps you come to an agreement with your brain. You stop the resistance that is telling you that you should be happier than you are.
This is a way of practicing mindfulness in your everyday life. Mindfulness slows down your racing thoughts and allows you to be in the present moment. Accepting things you can’t change and reducing anxiety in the process.
Be sure to download your free mindfulness activities so you can quickly go back to having a better day!
2. Let go of Your Own Judgement
On a bad mental health day, you want to avoid making yourself feel worse than necessary.
It’s very frustrating when your mind doesn’t want to work with you, trust me I know. But, there’s also not much you can do in that situation.
Instead, you can stop telling yourself “I’m such a failure for not being able to control my anxiety/depression right now.”
Stop making yourself feel worse! Your self-talk on a bad mental health day is so important in helping you get back on track.
Stop the judgment. Don’t call yourself any names or get frustrated because you aren’t improving. Forgive yourself and be patient with the process.
3. Continue to Take Action and Try Not to Sulk
When I have a bad day or a bad week, I want to avoid everything on my day off. I shut the blinds and stayed in bed all day.
This is okay to do for a small portion of the day, but not the WHOLE day.
Whenever I do it for the whole day, I feel awful. Like I gave into my depression and gave it exactly what it wanted… isolation and negativity.
Don’t give into your current mindset. Work on taking action even if you aren’t feeling it.
Practice things that you know will help. I deep clean my home because when things are clean, I feel a lot better. Or blast some good music to release the tension.
4. Do a Quick 8-Minute Workout
There are a lot of quick workouts nowadays that you can do in less than 10 minutes.
The benefit of this is later in the day, you can tell yourself “I worked out today!”
Also, it improves your mood on a subconscious level. Remember, accept that today isn’t your best day. You don’t have to challenge yourself too much, and a quick workout still ensures that you’re practicing self-care even on your worst days.
5. Cook Your Favorite Meal
There’s a lot of peace that comes out of cooking. If you enjoy it, that is.
If it’s not something you enjoy doing, then you can skip this step. I personally don’t have a lot of energy to cook but when I do, I really like it.
The creativity that goes into it can help inspire you. And when you treat yourself to your favorite meal, it’s a great form of self-care.
Do you ever have bad mental days where it feels like nothing is going right in your life? Learn what to do during bad mental health days. These 11 tips will help you stay sane and positive during the toughest moments of your life.
6. Vent to a Close Friend
On your bad days, let your closest friend know what’s going on. Communicating how you’re feeling will definitely help you feel better. Suppressing how you’re feeling only makes it worse.
When you don’t let it out, you may even start to believe that you’re overreacting or what you’re feeling doesn’t matter. If you don’t have someone available at the moment you need them, another good option is to write out your thoughts in a journal.
This helps you get to a spot where your thoughts don’t feel so overwhelming all in your head and they start to make more sense once you get it out on paper.
7. Take a Hot Bath Before You go to Bed
I always used to think that people telling you to take a bath was an easy fix. Like, “Just take a bath and all your problems will go away!”.
Just so you know, that won’t happen. However, it will help relax you and is a great way to put yourself first.
Hot baths are a go-to at 8 p.m. on a Friday night for me. Paired with some candles and peaceful music, I seriously feel like I’m being pampered.
If you’re a highly sensitive person like me, then taking a hot bath can help release a lot of built-up overload.
Turn the lights off and keep the music calm and quiet. Make sure the other people in your house are occupied with other things and use that time to reset yourself.
Again, this isn’t something that I’m saying just for the heck of it. This works for me, and I believe it can work for you.
I have two dogs, so I have to get out for a long walk at least once a day for their sake. When I miss a walk, I know it. It actually can be the cause of my bad mental health day. Not only do I feel guilty for not walking my dogs, but I also don’t feel as energized.
Taking a walk out in nature is so beneficial for anyone who has mental health struggles. The sounds that you hear, and the sun on your skin are just what your body needs on a daily basis. When your body is happy, your mind becomes happy too.
Do some research on good places to take a hike near where you live. I don’t like walking near busy roads because they’re noisy and stress me out.
Figure out your personal preferences for a walk, and start doing it for just 10 minutes a day. After you do that, write down how it makes you feel. You can even use a daily mood tracker to see if it’s working for you.
Being prepared for the worst can help in a lot of ways. When you’re upset and unmotivated, it’s hard to think rationally and remember the good things in your life.
That’s why creating a mental health toolbox is perfect to have for a bad mental health day. This is something you can create today using ideas from this post, and here is a list of other things you can add to it:
When you’re stressed out you go into survival mode. That means doing the bare minimum to get by. That consists of eating and sleeping and the things you’re required to do, like work and school.
There isn’t enough space in your life to enjoy things when you’re in survival mode. But, when you’re having a bad mental health day, it’s good to just take a break and focus on finding inspiration again.
Take a step back and think about what things excite you. What motivates you to get up in the morning? If you can’t think of anything at the moment, then work on taking the afternoon off and coming up with something.
Think about the things you like doing in your free time, or what you used to do when you didn’t feel so anxious. Maybe that was taking a bike ride or going to a pottery class.
Whatever it is, start doing some research and try to organize your schedule to figure out how to add more of the inspiring stuff to your life.
When you’re inspired you start to light that spark inside you. The spark that needs constant attention or else it will burn out.
Anytime your spark goes out, you lose motivation and wonder what your purpose in life is. It’s essential for your mental health to keep inspiring yourself to move forward.
11. Talk To A Professional
It’s always good to talk to a professional if you can’t seem to shake the feelings of anxiety and depression.
This is a guide for people who are able to manage their mental health for the most part, they just have certain days where they need a little help.
If you’re at a point where your anxious or depressed thoughts are taking over your life, talking to a professional can help you get back on track and feel better.
11 Ways To Get Through A Bad Mental Health Day – Conclusion
I hope these things can help you in the future for any bad mental health days that you have. Everyone is different in how they handle stress and bad days, that’s why I wanted to give you a variety of options.
Are you living an authentic life? Authenticity is to be true to one’s personality and character. It means you’re willing to show the world who you really are.
You’re willing to live the life that you were meant to live. Authenticity is the ability to show your uniqueness to the world.
There are very few authentic people in the world, but you know them when you see them.
We’re naturally drawn to authentic people. We feel comfortable with those who are willing to be themselves.
9 Proven Methods For Living An Authentic Life
Use these strategies to start living an authentic life and show the world the real you
1. Know your values
What’s important to you? Make a list of every quality you think is important for a person to have. Now, put that list in order.
What are your five top values? When you know your values, the authentic choice in any situation is more obvious than when you don’t know your values.
2. Stop doing things you don’t want to do
You still need to pay your bills and take out the trash. However, you don’t have to play on the church softball team, drive your neighbor to the airport, or take care of your cousin’s cat. If something is too disagreeable for you, just say, “No.”
3. Do what you want to do
You can spend your time how you please. You don’t need a grand excuse or proof that you’re doing something noble on a cosmic level.
The fact that you want to do it is a good enough reason. It’s important not to hurt anyone, including yourself, but feel free to play the harmonica, dance in your front yard, or wear white after Labor Day.
4. Keep an open mind
When your thinking is very rigid, you limit yourself and prevent your true self from shining through. Preconceived notions are prisons that block you from being authentic. Learn how to experience the world from a variety of perspectives and an open mind.
5. Trust your intuition
When you ignore your hunches, you feel out-of-sorts. Trust your instincts. They’ll let you know when you’re not being genuine.
6. Be self-aware
You can’t be authentic if you lack self-awareness. Notice how you feel. Ask yourself, “What do I need at this moment? How can I meet that need?” If you ignore your emotions, you can’t be self-aware.
7. Practice boldness
The biggest reason for a lack of authenticity is timidity. We want to say and do certain things, but we’re uncomfortable with standing out in any way.
We feel vulnerable and exposed. A little discomfort never killed anyone, and there’s so much to be gained by being bold. Give it a try.
8. Openly share your opinion
Tell others what you think or how you feel about something. Of course, you’ll want to be tactful so you remain considerate of the feelings of those around you. Are you hesitant to share your thoughts on a topic? Ask yourself why that is.
9. Avoid perfectionism
Trying to be perfect is a huge limitation on your natural personality and expression. Avoiding mistakes and imperfection at all costs is a recipe for inauthenticity.
Life is short! It doesn’t make a lot of sense to pretend to be someone else.
9 Proven Methods For Living An Authentic Life – Conclusion
I hope these tips for living an authentic life encourage you to put your best self out into the world.
Authenticity requires courage and dealing with discomfort. But if you want to live your life to the fullest, authenticity is required.
Show the world the unique person you are, and celebrate your newfound freedom.
We’ve all heard that we should breathe deeply, go to therapy, and use medication when we’re feeling anxious, but there are other, less obvious ways to deal with anxiety. In this post, I’ll share some anxiety solutions you may have never considered.
As a person who struggles with anxiety on a daily basis, I enjoy learning about new possibilities of how to get rid of it.
I enjoy distractions like reading, or playing a game on my phone. Focusing my attention completely on something else helps me feel more in control of my mind.
While yes, some of these you may have heard before, they are all proven ways to reduce anxiety.
8 Less Obvious Ways To Deal With Anxiety
I also have a post “10 Things to Stop Doing if You Have Anxiety“, and I just want to remind anyone reading my blog that YOU are unique. What works for you might not work for someone else.
Same thing for you. If you see something in my posts that you think would give you anxiety, that’s OK! Move past it and find something that does work for you.
The last thing I want to do is make you think the answers below are the only things that will resolve your anxiety. I want to give you as many ideas and options as possible so that you can choose which ones work best for you.
Also, if you have found something that really works for you feel free to leave a comment below and let other people know about it!
Try these ideas to deal with anxiety in a way that works for you:
1. Kickboxing
You know when you’re anxious and you feel all jittery like you’ve just had two cups of coffee? If you have a lot of nervous energy building up inside, try out some kickboxing.
You can even do this at home, just look up a video on YouTube. But, if you want to take a class even better!
Allowing yourself to get all that pent-up energy (and maybe even anger) out onto a punching bag can relieve a lot of anxiety. Sometimes your mind and body just need something to do, and this is a quick way to get in a good workout while de-cluttering your thoughts.
2. Drink Some Warm Water
I know, this is oddly simple and maybe even obvious. But, hear me out.
I try to be religious about drinking water throughout the day, but when I’m anxious I tend to not care as much about being hydrated.
A couple of days ago I decided to heat up some water and sit outside, and it really helped to calm me down. The warmth felt like a cozy blanket and added a lot of comfort to my anxious mind.
3. Pretend you’re someone who handles stress and anxiety with ease.
Even if this is just for the next 5 minutes.
Use this as a mental exercise, where you act like a totally different person. Someone who feels anxiety, but doesn’t allow it to completely control them.
Do something that may even scare you a little bit, like talking to a stranger at the grocery store. Step out of your comfort zone for just a few minutes and get a different perspective on your anxiety.
4. Take a nap
You might be thinking “How can I take a nap when I have anxiety??”
The truth is: that having anxiety exhausts your mind. Constantly worrying and stressing about things that may or may not even be real begins to take a toll on your brain.
Some people have different views on naps – either it means you’re lazy or it’s a refreshing part of your day.
Allow yourself to rest for 30 minutes, and you can even do this every day. Sometimes we don’t realize how tired we are until we lay down and break away from all those worrying thoughts.
Whether it’s doing a crossword puzzle, playing chess, or climbing monkey bars at a nearby playground. You can really think of anything that will help take your mind off of… well, your mind.
Maybe that’s even hanging out with younger children like a niece or cousin of yours. Children have a way of distracting us from the serious stuff, and they allow us to break free from our own thoughts for a while.
6. Schedule worry time.
Instead of worrying throughout the day, why not schedule some worry time?
You can worry all you want for 30 minutes, but you can’t worry the other 23.5 hours of the day. Just knowing that you can worry later will ease your mind and allow you to accomplish more.
How much time do you need to worry? Do you think that worrying for an hour would accomplish more than 30 minutes? Maybe 15 minutes is enough.
7. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier.
Going to bed earlier will allow you to get more sleep. Getting up earlier will allow you to start your day with less rushing around.
Try going to bed an hour earlier and get up 15 minutes earlier.
The extra 45 minutes of sleep will do your mind and body some good. The extra 15 minutes of the morning will make your morning more relaxing.
8. Go camping.
Or just get out of town. Sleeping on the ground or in a different bed in new surroundings can do a lot to change your perspective and alter your mood.
If you need a change of pace, give yourself one. A weekend can do wonders.
Where could you spend a weekend that would be a drastic change from your normal environment?
8 Less Obvious Ways To Deal With Anxiety – Conclusion
Anxiety can take all the joy out of life. When you’re worrying all of the time, it’s challenging to find any enjoyment.
Just as creating a feeling of anxiety is a skill, you can also develop the skill of calming yourself. Consider anxiety-reducing ideas that might seem a little unusual.
There’s no telling what will work for you until you try.
Can you reprogram your thoughts? It takes practice, but yes. Our thoughts are tricky things to control.
Our beliefs and habits are often hidden from us, but these are two of the things that have great influence over our thoughts. Your thoughts influence your actions.
If you want to change your behavior and results, it’s important to gain control over your thoughts.
5 Ways To Reprogram Your Thoughts For More Success & Happiness
This has been a battle for thousands of years and continues to be a great challenge.
Fortunately, psychology has grown considerably over the last 20 years on this important topic.
Now, you can learn to reprogram your thoughts if you’re motivated to do so. Use these techniques to gain control of your actions by reprogramming your thoughts:
1. Use Mantras
Mantras are helpful reminders of what new thoughts you want to have. You can listen to them, read them silently, or read them aloud. Mantras require a lot of repetition and emotional involvement, but they can be highly effective.
Here’s how to make mantras work for you:
Create mantras that support the pursuit and achievement of your goals.
Use mantras that also address your weaknesses.
Create a schedule for exposing yourself to your affirmations.
Be patient. Expect that it might be several weeks before you begin to see results.
Pinterest is a great place to find mantras that you can print out and put in parts of your house that you spend a lot of time in.
2. Open Your Mind
Increasing or altering your knowledge in many areas can have a huge impact on your well-being.
If you view yourself or the world differently, your thoughts will change.
Take a brief look at Stoic and Buddhist philosophy, for example.
These viewpoints are vastly different than how most people view the world. Become a student of philosophy and you’ll learn a lot.
There’s a lot most of us could learn about success.
Goal setting, willpower, perseverance, and communication are just a few topics.
Learning more about these types of topics will change the way you view success, and your thoughts will change, too.
Asking yourself questions like, “What’s good about this situation?” or “What are my greatest strengths?” or “What should I be working on right now?” will change your thinking.
Use questions to redirect your attention and thoughts.
This is one of the easiest ways to change. Develop the habit of asking the right questions.
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