by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 10, 2019 | Happiness Tips, Self-Improvement
Here are 7 Amazing Mental Health Podcasts you can listen to for free today!
Do you love listening to podcasts as much as I do? Or are you a newbie that’s interested in what they’re all about?
Podcasts have become really popular within the last few years, and for good reason! They are amazing. Podcasts allow anybody to talk about specific topics and connect with listeners around the world.
They are also 100% free! And they can be a life-changer when it comes to mental health.
7+ Amazing Mental Health Podcasts
I’ve listened to podcasts when I was stuck at my old job, wishing for a better life but not knowing where to begin.
The idea of starting a podcast sounded so cool (and I plan on starting one, soon!) and it sparked some creativity within that I never knew existed.
I recommend to anyone who struggles with mental health to give podcasts a try.
And if you have a long commute, an isolated office job, or enjoy listening to something while you do homework, give these podcasts a listen.
You never know, these mental health podcasts could just change your life one day as they did for me!
1. Radical Transformation Project
Faith Mariah is one of my favorite bloggers/podcasters. When she talks it feels like she’s talking directly to you.
Last year when I was really struggling with my own mental health, I listened to her podcasts religiously to help pull me out of the slump I was in.
If you’re looking for a strong pep talk from someone who’s been there before, I recommend checking out her podcast.
Click here for The Radical Transfomation Project podcast!
2. The HerPaperRoute Podcast
Chelsea from HerPaperRoute hosts the HerPaperRoute Podcast. This is an uplifting show that will no doubt motivate you to get up and make something creative.
From mindset and goal-setting tips to personal wealth management and encouragement for building a profitable business as a do-it-all entrepreneur, this podcast reminds you just how much power you really do have. You can change your own life for the better.
Listen to this episode about overcoming anxiety and getting out of your comfort zone:
Click here for the HerpaperRoute Podcast!
3. Made Of Magic Podcast
Since my blog is mainly directed towards women (even though men are definitely welcome, too!), I thought it was appropriate to add this to the list.
The Made Of Magic podcast talks all about how to be more compassionate with yourself and develop inner peace. Something I think we all need more of.
Stephanie Dawn Elizabeth cares a lot about teaching you to accept yourself as you are right now, which will help improve your mental health quickly.
Click here for the Made Of Magic Podcast!
4. Anxiety Slayer With Shann and Anganga
If you deal with anxiety, I recommend Anxiety Slayer. It will teach you absolutely everything you need to know about managing anxiety.
Shann and Anganga hit on topics like panic attacks, guided meditations, obsessive thoughts, and even how to support other people with anxiety.
This is definitely one of those podcasts to have on any list for when you’re really going through something.
Click here for The Anxiety Slayer Podcast!
5. Let it Out by Katie Dalebout
I’ve been a fan of Katie Dalebout for years and even bought her book “Let it Out: A Journal Through Journaling”.
Her podcast is full of ways to start living your best life, and she exudes so much positivity that you can’t help but feel a little more hopeful in your own life.
I recommend checking her out, and also her book on journaling because it takes you through how to journal and create the life of your dreams.
Click here for The Let It Out Podcast!
6. The Wilder Podcast by Karsyn Dupree
Karsyn Dupree was the one who got me hooked on podcasts and blogging. I remember a time I felt so lost and confused with my life, and wasn’t sure there would ever be an answer.
At my old job, I would sit at my desk and listen to her talk, and after a while, I started to feel inspired and motivated. She made me feel like anything was possible. And she was the one that motivated me to start LovelyRefinement!
Her podcast is not only about mental health but also body image issues and other struggles she has gone through personally. And even despite all that, she’s a total badass who continues to spread positivity around.
Click here to listen to The Wilder Podcast!
7. Wellness Realness by Christina Rice
I like this podcast because it talks about all things wellness. There are 7 dimensions to wellness and this podcast hits on all of them.
When it comes to mental health it is also important to look at different aspects of your life, such as physical health, spiritual health, occupational health, and environmental health.
If you’re curious about how you can improve your overall wellness to improve your mental health, I recommend this podcast.
Click here to listen to the Wellness Realness Podcast!
8. The Savvy Psychologist
Dr. Ellen is a psychologist who talks about a variety of mental health topics. But, she breaks down each issue into bite-sized pieces that are easy to understand.
I really like listening to her because she knows what she’s talking about (since she’s a psychologist) and yet I don’t get totally lost in terms too big for my vocabulary.
She breaks the barrier from a professional therapist to a close listening friend with her tips on how to manage your mental health and I highly recommend listening to her podcast.
Click here for the Savvy Psychologist Podcast!
7+ Amazing Mental Health Podcasts – Conclusion
These are my top choices for mental health podcasts, but there are plenty of others out there.
This means I’ll probably be adding to this list really soon once I discover more!
Do you have a specific podcast you like to listen to for your mental health? Let me know in the comments below!
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 10, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Learn Why Mental Health is Just As Important as Physical Health!
I’m sure ever since you were a child you’ve learned how important physical health is. It’s why they have PE and recess in elementary school.
And in high school, people who played football or soccer were praised by their peers.
Physical health is society’s proof of how healthy you are. Because if you’re overweight and have high blood pressure, you’re at risk for a number of health issues.
But, if you have depression this can go unnoticed for years. If you’re OCD, this is often seen as a quirk to your personality.
Since we cannot physically see mental health, we do not take it as seriously.
Even though mental health affects every single one of us, and suicide is a leading cause of death. Just like having a heart attack.
Needless to say, mental health is just as important as your physical health.
And it’s time to start treating them equally so you can have a healthy body and mind.
Your mental health affects your physical health
If you’re depressed and unwilling to get out of bed, you definitely don’t have the motivation to go to the gym for a workout.
And you most likely don’t care too much about how healthy you’re eating.
This is one of the main reasons why taking care of your mental health is so important. It affects every other thing around you.
And if you don’t know how to manage your mental health this can cause a string of negative effects.
Being in good mental health improves your quality of life
When you know how to handle tough situations, can talk to a therapist about your struggles, and don’t view mental health as a waste of time, you will live a fuller life.
Because you know just how important your mental health is to your overall well-being. Stress, anxiety, and depression are serious things.
They keep you from doing things that you normally love doing. And once you learn how to manage these things you become more resilient to what life throws at you. Lowering your stress levels and bringing you to a much calmer state of mind.
Knowing the importance of mental health can help save someone else’s life
When you take mental health seriously, you know what to look out for in other people. If you have a friend who is struggling, you could save their life.
By listening and being there for them, instead of ignoring the symptoms out of fear or denial.
When we all learn how to take the stigma out of mental health we learn how to be better support systems to the people around us.
You become more understanding and it can help the people around you in more ways than you know.
Improving your mental health improves your self-love
When you decide to make your mental health a priority, you are practicing self-love. You are choosing to put yourself first and take care of yourself.
So many people struggle to love and fully accept themselves because a lot of us aren’t taught how to as we grow up.
And society doesn’t really support you loving yourself. It’s often seen as selfish and unnecessary.
But as you practice improving your mental health you will see that self-love is just one of the many benefits that comes with it.
Working on your mental health makes you stronger from the inside out
I think it’s beneficial to have a strong body and mind. When you have both, you can conquer the world. If you only have one, it’s difficult to live a healthy life that you’re proud of.
You can have a super and healthy body while still having a negative mindset. And that becomes self-destructive after a while.
As you work on building body strength, make sure to set aside time for your mind, too. Exercising is a great way to improve your mental health but you’ll want to do other things too, like:
- Practicing mindfulness
- Talking to a therapist
- Writing your thoughts in a journal
- Unplugging from social media
- Eating right
- Avoiding alcohol/drugs
- Listening to upbeat music
- Taking time for yourself
Just as you set aside an hour each day to work out, make time for these things, too.
Working out and eating healthy isn’t always enough
Because looking your best and eating healthy is seen as such a great thing in society, it can easily turn into something destructive.
Eating disorders are formed due to trying to look your absolute best. If you work out obsessively and always track what you eat, this is actually a sign of a mental health disorder.
And it’s just another form of proof that being physically healthy isn’t always the healthiest thing.
Moving Forward
Taking care of your mental health is so important. I will say this until I sound like a broken record.
I care about this so much because it matters. I’ve struggled before with my mental health because of not knowing these things.
I used to starve myself just so I looked good in skinny jeans. And I would ignore all of my thoughts and feelings, going for a run instead.
I ignored all of it until I couldn’t any longer and I became severely depressed. I was resentful towards everyone in my life who taught me that what you look like is more important than how you feel.
So now, I want to tell you that this just isn’t true. Your mental well-being is the most important, because once you learn how to take care of your mentality then you will want to work out.
You will feel motivated to take care of yourself because you learned how to love yourself and accept who you are.
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 10, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Finding Motivation, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Here’s a list of 50 Things to Do When You’re Feeling Down!
When you’re not feeling your best mentally, it can put a cloud over your whole day.
I’ve found that writing out lists really helps to activate different parts of your brain, and it takes your mind off what you’re struggling with.
Grab a journal and a pen and let your mind go. This can help inspire you once you see that you can think about positive things, even when you’re feeling down.
Choose which items below sound the most interesting and start writing!
- List all the things you’d do if you weren’t so afraid
- List the places you go in your mind when you want peace and quiet
- What the perfect day looks like to you
- All the reasons why you’re amazing
- What always makes you laugh
- All the qualities in yourself you like the most
- All the people who love you for who you are
- Things you’d get rid of to make the world better
- The best gifts you’ve ever been given
- The things you can’t live without
- All the ways you’ve changed for the better
- The things you must do before you die
- The moments in your life that taught you the biggest life lessons
- The biggest turning points in your life
- All the ways you sabotage yourself from having a great life
- How you’d like to change your life for the better
- The major losses you’ve survived in your life
- All of your favorite movies
- All the songs you know by heart
- Your favorite life quotes that inspire you
- The nicest thing anyone’s ever done for you
- The people you’d like to weed out of your life
- What values you need in your life to have a fulfilling life
- The things you will not tolerate no matter what
- The times you said yes when you wish you’d said no
- Any miracles you’ve seen happen
- The times that remind you of your connection to the “Big Picture”
- The most important turning points in your life
- All the things you can do with your eyes closed
- All the foods you’d eat if calories didn’t exist
- Your favorite parts about your body
- Your favorite ways to exercise
- The teachers that have changed your life
- The best stuff your parents taught you about life
- Suddenly you can recreate your childhood – list what you would change to improve your present life
- Your favorite animals
- What you would do right now to improve your mood, with zero limits
- All the things you still want to learn
- The traits you love in other people
- The things you always worry about and what you would do if they didn’t worry you anymore
- What you would do with 10 million dollars
- The top 10 places you want to travel to
- All the foods you’d love to always have in your fridge
- The books you want to read
- Your favorite scenes from TV/movies
- The things you would tell your younger self
- All the things included in your 5-year plan
- Everything you need to get done this week
- The times you’ve put your mind to something and succeeded
- Everything you’re grateful for in your life
Related: The Ultimate Mental Wellness Bundle
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 7, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Finding Motivation, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Most days you’re stuck in a daily routine that is slowly becoming very dull? And waking up to a new day doesn’t feel exciting, because it just means starting the cycle all over again.
It feels like a trap. You have to get up and get to work to pay the bills.
And the constant stress of trying to keep it all together is wearing on you.
If it feels like your life has come to a halt, and you aren’t sure if it’s ever going to get any better, you’ve come to the right place!
The truth is, you don’t have to live on a hamster wheel for the rest of your life.
There are things you can do every day to improve your life. And I’m not talking about things you think you “should” be doing, like being more successful or making more money.
I’m talking about the things you enjoy. Whether that’s reading a book, sitting out in the sun, or playing with puppies.
Doing more of the things that fill up your cup will drastically improve your life.
1. Write down everything you’ve ever wanted to do
Think about the things you’ve always wanted to try in your life.
Write those down, and then write down why they haven’t happened yet.
What is holding you back from trying these things today? Tomorrow? Is it fear, or a legit reason like lack of money?
It all starts with your own mindset on how you view your life.
Maybe you think that you need to stay at a job for a few years to get promoted, and make more money, then you can afford to travel more.
After it’s all out in front of you, think about how you can start doing these things on this list.
Once you determine your reason why, write down how you could actually make it happen this year.
If you want to travel more, you don’t need that much money to start.
Circle the top 3 items on your list, and start focusing on how you can make these things a reality.
This will help you get off the hamster wheel, and pay attention to the things that actually bring you happiness.
2. Spend time finding authenticity
Do you know that one favorite song you keep coming back to?
The song that got you through breakups, shitty jobs, and the song that just gets you?
That’s authenticity.
It’s what makes you feel like you belong.
Or when you spend time with someone who you instantly click with and can spend hours talking to.
Now, let me ask you when was the last time you felt that way?
Does your daily life consist of basically doing things that you don’t fully believe in, but you do anyway because you have to?
Life can start to feel empty when you don’t experience those moments that tug at your heartstrings.
It can actually turn into a dark and gloomy world when you lose sight of what your purpose is.
So, start looking for authentic things that truly lift your spirits.
Where is it that you belong?
Some things that bring authenticity are:
- Friends and/or family
- Finding a new album
- A hobby
- Going back to your favorite place as a kid or anything else you can think of!
3. Practice Gratitude
It’s easier to be negative than it is to be grateful.
And to think “Once I get this, my life will be better”.
Chasing after materialistic things isn’t what will bring you happiness.
But, for some reason our society makes us believe that having a new car or a better job will get us closer to it.
Unfortunately, thinking this way will only leave you feeling confused and empty.
It’s why a lot of people have a mid-life crisis later on in life.
They spent 20 years working so hard for all of these “things”, but never took the time to understand what is real happiness.
The good news is you can start today practicing gratitude.
Look around at your life right now and think about all of the good you have in it.
I understand that life is not easy at times, and sometimes it’s very hard to see the good.
But, even if it’s just the bed you get to sleep in. Or your dog, or your best friend.
Write down all of the good things in your life, and think about these things daily.
Practicing gratitude is free and feeling good about what you have right now won’t make you feel like you have to go out and buy something to feel better.
4. Learn something new every day
Learning can improve your life because it teaches you more about life.
It gives you more confidence and challenges you to push your limits.
Learning something new also brings excitement to your day because you don’t know what to expect.
Some ways you can start learning more are:
- Practicing a new language
- Taking a class at a local community college
- Reading a non-fiction book about history
- Starting a new hobby like knitting or drawing
5. Change up your daily routine
Routines are good and bad for the same reason: they are mindless.
They don’t require much thought from your brain, so you can focus on other things while you do them.
Daily habits like waking up at the same time, brushing your teeth, or working out are great, and I would suggest keeping up with those to help improve your health.
But, things like your commute to work can change.
If your whole life has turned into one big routine, you might find it hard to find excitement in the day.
Instead, Google a different route you could take to work. Or, do you live close enough that you could ride your bike?
You have the most control over your day during the hours you’re at home.
Think about how you can change up those times.
Maybe you don’t have to spend an hour cooking every night.
You could get takeout and spend that time working on a new hobby.
Also, changing up your morning and evening routine can be enough to improve your life.
Whenever you find that your days are all becoming too similar, try changing up your routine.
6. Work on getting enough sleep every night
I get it, sleep is usually what goes out the window when you run out of time during the day.
Our lives are crazy busy at times, and it just makes sense to miss out on some sleep here and there.
But, sleep is so important for your health and quality of life.
Not sleeping enough can cause:
- Moodiness
- Depression
- Inability to focus
- Overeating
All of these things can ruin your mood.
If you aren’t getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night, try to work on making this a priority.
It can and will definitely improve your daily mood, which will help improve your overall life!
7. De-Clutter
Look around your home, and find the things that you haven’t touched in the last 2 years.
Clutter can impact your happiness, because it feels like you’re life is a mess.
Work on getting rid of the things that don’t provide much value in your life anymore.
That might be cleaning out your closet, or distancing yourself from toxic people.
Evaluate where your life is at right now, and think about the things you could get rid of that would help improve your life.
8. Practice being more kind
Kindness goes a looong way. For other people, as well as for you.
Helping others can actually make you feel much better about yourself.
Our world is turning into a place where looking at your phone while you walk is more acceptable than looking someone in the eye and smiling at them.
We are becoming anti-social, which is making it difficult to put more good out into the world.
I get that we all have places to be and limited time.
But, that isn’t really an excuse to be rude to other people.
Being kind isn’t a sign of weakness, and if you can practice it every day, you will feel like a much nicer person.
9. Put yourself first
If you do relate to feeling stuck on a hamster wheel, then you aren’t putting yourself first enough.
It’s not a selfish thing to do, so get that thought out of your head!
Putting yourself first is actually one of the best ways you can be there for other people.
Once your cup is full, then you will have the patience and tolerance to be around people who need you most.
If you don’t, then you’re cup will be sucked dry and you’ll feel irritated and impatient with everyone.
This is also a great way to improve your life.
Listening to your body and doing the things you love will make your days a lot more exciting.
It will also give you much more control over how you truly want to live your life.
10. Let go of your excuses
Do you want to try new things, but think of every excuse in the book not to do it?
Coming up with excuses is very easy to do.
And once you get used to making excuses, there won’t be enough reasons to try out something new.
So, start by letting go of all the excuses that are holding you back.
If you want to try something new, like start a business, travel, or buy a house, take all of the excuses out of it.
Come up with a realistic way to make it happen for yourself.
If it’s what you truly want with your heart and soul there should be NO reason why it can’t happen for you.
Even if it feels like the craziest idea in the world, get rid of the thoughts that trick you into believing it will never happen.
Everything is worth trying out, even if it doesn’t end up being what you wanted.
It’s much better to test the waters than to never try in the first place. So just do it!
”
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 6, 2019 | Happiness Tips, Self-Improvement
If you ever doubt yourself and wonder if you’re doing enough in your life, chances are you struggle to see what you’re already doing right.
When we are constantly stressed and worried about other things, we tend to forget everything we’ve accomplished already.
The negative outweighs the positive sometimes. Society makes us believe we always have to have more, and be doing more.
If you’re feeling like everything you do just isn’t enough, I’m here to tell you that you’re doing better than you think!
12 Signs You’re Doing Better Than You Think You Are
The downside to always feeling the need to improve your life is you never learn to appreciate what you have. There’s always that next step to get to. Whether that’s in your job, your relationship, or your overall life.
We become too eager to jump into the next chapter of our lives, and we can easily lose track of what’s right in front of us. And it’s important to take a step back sometimes and think about everything you’ve already accomplished.
This can prevent feelings of stress and anxiety from taking over your life. You have to take a time-out every once in a while and evaluate your life for what it currently is.
Here are 12 Signs You’re Doing Better Than You Think You Are
1. You Enjoy the Little Things in Life
You know that buying more things won’t bring you much more happiness. Something as simple as seeing a person help another person, or going outside on a hike is enough to fill your cup.
Buying new things isn’t always a bad thing, but you know what truly brings you the most happiness. You don’t need much, and that’s what shows you’re doing better than you think!
2. You Don’t Give up After Failing
We all get knocked on our ass from time to time. It’s a part of life. What sets you apart is deciding to keep getting back up.
Even during the days when you really don’t want to. And if you struggle with anxiety or depression, you know just how hard it is to keep pushing sometimes.
Choosing to keep going shows that you’re doing just fine. Because life is not easy, and your not giving up proves you have resilience.
3. Everyone Around You Says You Are Doing Better Than You Think You Are
If you really can’t see that your life is better than you think, then ask a close friend. Hearing someone else tell you that your life is good is a great reminder that it is.
We can often see our life through foggy lenses, and sometimes you need someone else to pull you out of that. If you ask around and other people say you’re doing good, trust them and listen to that.
4. You Take Responsibility for Your Actions
Instead of playing the victim in your life, you choose to stand up and own it. Even when it’s really hard to do.
You don’t blame others for your mistakes and you work on overcoming the struggles in your life.
This is a huge sign that you’re doing way better than you think. Some people hate to believe they have any control over their lives. They would rather make up excuses for their life than work on fixing their problems.
5. You Surround Yourself with the Right People
You are picky about who you allow in your life. And anyone who is negative or wants to bring you down is not part of it.
Even if that means you have to be completely alone at certain times in your life. Instead of clinging to other people who may be unhealthy for you, you choose to only allow positive people into your life.
Those who support you no matter what and who are there for you when you need them.
6. You Can Take Care of Yourself
Whether you’re in a relationship, single, have lots of friends, or are introverted you can take care of yourself. You don’t rely too much on other people to get you through things.
Relying on others to help you isn’t bad, but knowing how to get through things on your own shows how strong you really are. We all need other people in our lives for support and love, but getting things done on your own proves you are a serious badass.
7. You Aren’t Afraid to Ask for Help
Reaching out when you need it isn’t always easy to do.
Sometimes we assume we are being a burden, or don’t want to look like we’re struggling. Asking for help is a huge sign of strength.
During the moments when you just can’t keep doing it by yourself, or you really need someone to talk to. Knowing when to ask for help and not being afraid to show that you are doing much better than you think.
Reach out to BetterHelp at any time, to talk or text with a therapist.
8. You Like to Improve Yourself
A part of what makes it so hard to see that you’re doing better than you think is wanting to always improve yourself.
But, it’s also what makes you much better off. Becoming complacent in life leads to issues because it makes people avoid change.
Change is the only consistent thing in life, and being open to improving yourself is important. You don’t always have to strive to be the best, but asking yourself “How can I do better?” is a healthy outlook to have on life.
There’s a good balance between the two so that you can look at your current life and still be comfortable with where you are at.
9. You Can Learn to Forgive
Forgiving is challenging, but holding grudges is pointless.
I’m not saying going out and forgiving everyone who did you wrong is the right thing to do. But, letting go of the past and accepting it for what it is will make you a stronger person.
Learning to forgive yourself and other people gives you a happier life because you don’t let those things determine who you are as a person.
10. You are Kind to Others
We are often wrapped up in our own lives- and our phones- to notice what is going on around us.
Basic manners are slowly phasing out in our world, and if someone doesn’t hold the door open for you, it can cause a chain reaction. We as humans do what others do.
But, you ignore that and still hold the door open for people, no matter if no one ever does it for you. You also say please and thank you. And care to be kind to everyone around you, no matter who they are.
Being kind is one of the biggest signs that you’re doing better than you think.
11. You go After Your Dreams
No matter what others say, you continue to go after what you want. It might make you feel alone at times (which can make you believe you aren’t doing something right), but you still make your dreams a priority.
Some people ignore what their heart wants just to fit in, or make it easy on themselves. Going against what others think and listening to yourself isn’t always easy.
That’s why you’re most likely even doing better than a lot of people around you.
12. You Take Care of Yourself
Even during those moments when you are totally unsure if you’re doing anything right, you care about yourself. You eat healthier to nourish your body, exercise frequently, and practice self-care.
You know that filling up your cup allows you to be there for others, so you make yourself a priority.
Taking care of yourself, even on the days when it’s really hard to even get out of bed, proves you are definitely doing way better than you think you are.
12 Signs You’re Doing Better Than You Think You Are – Conclusion
I know it’s challenging to sometimes see that your life is good. Especially when you want more out of life. But, remembering what makes you so great and what you’re doing right will give you peace of mind.
It will still allow you to strive for more in life, it just gives you a little more confidence that your life is actually pretty great!
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Apr 5, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Happiness Tips, Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
It doesn’t help when other people tell you to “just be more positive” or to “stop thinking so much”.
Repressing your thoughts actually does more harm than good. Eventually that negativity will rise to the surface.
For the longest time, I struggled with this cycle myself. I remember deciding to make the word “positive” my new favorite word. Because I got called negative way too often.
It felt like a flaw I needed to fix ASAP. I wanted a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset.
I wanted to be the fun and relaxed one that everyone wanted to hang out with. Not the negative Nancy people only tolerated.
And yet even when I tried so hard to think positively, those negative thoughts crept in time and time again. Leaving me wondering if it was even possible to change my mindset for the better.
What I learned was wishing your problems away doesn’t work, and using affirmations to fake a happy mindset doesn’t last.
You have to put in the effort to have a better mindset.
I chose to make a complete lifestyle change, which consisted of online therapy, going on anti-depressants, and opening up to the people around me.
It also meant filtering out all the unnecessary things that were holding me back. Like the unsupportive people who told me to just be positive but never stuck around to help me through that.
It took me deciding to improve for myself, not for anyone else. And it wasn’t easy at first because my mind was so stubborn. I was set in my ways of being negative and complaining all the time.
Today, I want to share some of my tips on how to improve your mindset and reduce anxiety.
Challenge Your Negative Thoughts and Replace Them With Positive Ones
When your brain starts going down the spiral of negative thoughts, take a step back.
Think about what is causing you to feel bad at that very moment.
Saying “I feel anxious” or “I’m just stressed” isn’t enough to understand what’s actually going on.
It helps instead to dig deeper and identify why you feel anxious. Is it because you’re nervous about a presentation at work? Or being around large groups of people?
Once you identify the specific problem, think about the facts.
If you tend to be negative towards yourself and say things like “I’m not good enough to present to all these people.”, replace that thought with a fact. Like “I’m nervous to get in front of everyone but I’ve practiced enough times to know I will do a good job.”
This is how you can become neutral in your thinking.
You even out the bad thoughts with the good ones.
And this is a quick way to start to calm yourself down.
Think About What Makes You Happy
Do you know what sucks about having a negative mindset? It’s that most of the time, depression tags along with it.
So, seeing the good in things becomes very difficult.
Even the things you normally love don’t seem as important when you feel depressed.
Our anxious and depressed thoughts feed off of each other.
When you are feeling this way, you have to pull yourself out of it.
Even if you hate every second of it.
Think about the things that usually make you happy.
Like your dog or going to the park or watching a movie.
Do those things. But, don’t focus on the fact that they might not bring you the happiness you’re expecting.
These things will help you, and what’s most important is to keep doing those things, no matter how you feel.
Take care of your soul during these times. Don’t give up on the things that connect with your heart.
Eventually, your mind will catch up and remind you that you really do enjoy all of those things.
And they will start to make you feel happy again.
Stop Complaining
I am the queen of complaining.
It’s something I’ve had to work on for a while now. It’s hard.
Complaining is such an easy thing to do. It gives me something to talk about when I can’t think of anything else.
Try to be more conscious of the times when you hear yourself complaining about something happening in your life.
Complaining is giving complete power to the negative things that occur in your life.
Laugh More
I personally hate it when people say “smile more”.
When I’m in a shitty mood, the last thing I want to do is smile for no reason.
But, I have found that laughing at something instantly boosts my mood.
Look into funny YouTube videos, or watch a funny TV show that you know always makes you laugh.
Laughing stops you from taking everything so damn seriously.
It breaks down negative thoughts and allows you to feel good no matter what moment.
Smiling is a challenge for me. But, laughing at something that truly gets what I’m all about makes me feel not so alone in the world.
Find the Right People to Hang Out With
I say this often, negativity breeds negativity.
If your group of friends all sit around and talk crap about one another, they aren’t the best people to be around.
We are the average of the top 5 people we hang out with most.
Think about who you are around most often, including co-workers.
Then evaluate who you might need to reduce seeing to improve your mindset.
There isn’t really a point in being around someone who is constantly bringing you and everyone else down.
The ones who just can never see the good in anything.
Sometimes, venting about issues is ok. Like if you just need to talk to your best friend about a situation that happened that made you feel like crap.
You need that. To let it all out.
When it gets bad, it’s the majority of what you and the other people talk about.
Focus on the good things in life.
Do the stuff you love doing, with the people you love being around!
Don’t waste your time around people who just like to suck the life out of everything.
Stop Being so Hard on Yourself
Anxiety ruins self-confidence.
When you don’t think you’re capable of having a good life and overcoming these tough mental roadblocks, it’s impossible to keep a positive outlook on things.
If things don’t go exactly as you planned, who cares? It is not a reflection of who you are as a person.
Stop holding yourself to such high standards.
Trying to be perfect and always do the “right” thing will leave you feeling burnt-out and hyper-aware of everything.
It’s no way to live your life.
When it comes to improving yourself and your mindset, you have to learn how to forgive yourself.
Always be on your side, no matter what.
If you aren’t there right now, work on it. Make that your #1 priority.
We often beat ourselves up over things that are out of our control.
It’s not fair to you, and it ruins how you see yourself.
You can live a great life feeling as though you deserve it.
Relieved of the pressure to be a certain way or to do a certain thing.
So just let go. Go easy on yourself, and go after the things you want in life.
It’s the best way to have a fulfilling life and a healthy mindset.
