by The Lovely Refinement Team | Oct 11, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Finding Motivation, Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
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.
Some great apps for mindfulness are:
Day 11. No TV Night
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.
Here is a list of highly-rated mental health podcasts.
Day 20. Cook up your favorite meal
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.
Day 29. Challenge your negative thoughts
You can honestly spend every day challenging your negative thoughts, but today it’ll be your main focus.
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?
Please pin this article!
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Oct 11, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Self-Improvement
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.
5. Ground Yourself
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!
As well, share the love by pinning it!
For more ways to improve your life, check out a Course in Gorgeous.
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.
“
“
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Sep 30, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Finding Motivation, Happiness Tips, Self-Improvement
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.
More Life Improvement Tips
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Sep 30, 2019 | Finding Motivation, Self-Improvement
Why strive to strengthen your inner drive? Momentum makes it easier to create change.
It’s much harder to find the first client than to find the 10th. If you have to lose 50 pounds, the second 10 are easier to lose than the first 10.
The other day I shared some tips for how you can strengthen your self-esteem. But let’s dig a bit deeper today.
It’s just hard to get started when you’re trying to change something in your life.
It’s easier to keep a boulder rolling than it is to get it started. So use these tips to help you start.
How To Strengthen Your Inner Drive
Try these ideas to strengthen your inner drive.
1. Do something worthwhile as early in the day as possible
Whatever your big goal in life happens to be, do something about it first thing each day.
It’s a great way to show yourself that you’re serious about being successful. It’s also a way to build a lot of momentum that can carry you through the day.
For example, if you need to drop a few pounds, get out of the door ASAP in the morning and go for a quick walk. If you want to write a novel, write one page before you even take a shower.
Take an online class at SkillShare, CreativeLive or HerPaperRoute. Or, learn a new language. Anything that gets your brain buzzing before you have your morning coffee.
2. A small accomplishment early in the day can motivate you to do even more, later in the day
A bad morning usually drains your motivation, so ensure you have a great morning.
3. Make your bed each day
It might seem like a trivial act, but it can make a big difference. You’ve barely woken up and you’ve already accomplished something.
You’ll also appreciate it when you go to bed. Try it for a week and notice how much better you feel about yourself.
4. Find a mentor that’s doing better than you are
Even the most successful people can use a good mentor. If you need to lose weight, find someone that’s lost 100+ lbs.
If you want to make 6-figures, find a mentor that’s making seven. A good mentor will push you to be more than you’re currently demonstrating. Here’s how to get a mentor for free.
5. Be consistent
It’s impossible to gain momentum without consistency. Each time you stop, it’s necessary to get started again. That’s the opposite of momentum. Get started and keep going. Consistent action is the key.
4. Perform a 30-day challenge
Pick a habit you’d like to create and force yourself to do it each day for the next month. This is a great way to build momentum.
When the 30 days are up, you should be able to continue. You’ve already been doing it for a month after all. What’s another month or decade? Easy.
Try our 30 Day Mental Wellness Challenge, it’s free!
5. Have a vision
A compelling vision for the future can be the motivation needed to get started and to continue until you experience success. Think about what you want to accomplish.
Who do you want to become? What type of life do you want to live? Create an attractive vision of a future that fills you with excitement.
Few people have a long-term plan for their life. Even fewer have a plan that excites them. Be one of the few.
6. Be action-oriented
Most of us do too much planning and spend too much time gathering more information.
The people that accomplish the most are those that take action quickly, consistently, and aggressively. Focus on the actions you can take and actually take them. Momentum is the result.
With momentum, it’s easy to believe that you can accomplish anything.
7. Without it, everything feels impossible
There’s no substitute for work ethic and perseverance, but there are plenty of things that can be done to create momentum.
If you’re feeling stuck, work on creating momentum and then fight to keep it going.
For More Tips On How To Strengthen Your Inner Drive
To view my wellness course Refine Your Life Purpose + Wellness and all other lessons, click here.
Keep Reading
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Sep 29, 2019 | Self-Esteem & Self-Love, Self-Improvement
Do you need help to boost self-esteem? Lack of confidence? You are not alone.
Low self-esteem is a common challenge regardless of your age, background, or socioeconomic status. We all know that high self-esteem is a good thing, but how does one go about developing it?
There are tons of programs and books designed to raise your self-esteem, but it’s still a challenge. Try these top 10 confidence-building tips to give your self-esteem the boost you seek.
10 Easy Ways To Strengthen And Boost Self-Esteem And Confidence
Increase your confidence and feel great about yourself with these strategies to boost your self-esteem.
1. Get support from your biggest fan.
You probably have a friend or family member who always finds a way to lift you up when you’re feeling down. Pay them a visit and let them know you’re struggling. Get their opinion on what you’re thinking about.
Sometimes we just need a reminder that we’re doing a lot better than we think we are.
2. Remember that self-esteem is a symptom of detrimental thinking habits.
Anything that was said or happened in the past is over. You can only keep those things alive with your thoughts. Your negative thoughts and inner critic will tear you down until there’s nothing left.
It’s your choice to allow that to happen or to work on it and become your best friend. This starts with changing your thoughts.
Uplift your thinking and your self-esteem will begin to rise as well.
3. Learn how to take a compliment.
Compliments are hard to take when your self-esteem is low. Ironically, that’s when you need them the most.
Smile and thank the other person for the compliment. Resist the urge to dismiss the compliments you receive.
4. You’re much more interesting than the person you pretend to be.
We develop the urge to conform when we are in elementary school. But you’re not like everyone else. You’re unique. You’ll make more friends and have more influence if you’re willing to be yourself.
We’re not made for everyone and the people who don’t accept you are most likely the wrong people for you. Stop trying to change for other people, and don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.
Once you learn to live a more authentic life you will drastically improve your self-esteem.
But you’re not like everyone else. You’re unique. You’ll make more friends and have more influence if you’re willing to be yourself.
5. You’ve already accomplished amazing things.
Two of the most challenging things anyone has ever accomplished are learning to walk and learning to talk.
Think about how long each takes to do well.
They both require years of constant practice. Anything else you want to do with your life pales by comparison.
6. You can learn social skills.
Many people with low self-esteem struggle with relationships or social situations. You’re not flawed; you’re just not aware of how to do it.
Many children learn these skills while others do not. It’s never too late.
7. Other people aren’t thinking about you.
It’s hard to believe, but people aren’t talking behind your back or thinking negative thoughts about you.
Everyone else is wondering what you’re thinking and saying.
8. Be willing to say “No.”
It’s natural to feel bad about yourself when you agree to do things you don’t want to do.
It’s disrespectful to yourself.
- Give yourself the respect you deserve and refuse requests when you genuinely don’t want to do them.
9. Beware of social media.
While social media can make it easy to stay in touch with others, understand that most of what you see is misleading.
Few people are presenting their lives honestly. It’s a place to showcase the high points of your life. Everyone has challenges, but you’ll rarely see them on social media.
10. Develop your strengths.
Are you a great dancer? Take a few dance classes. Are you a good writer? Take a writing course like this one, and develop your writing skills further.
11. Run with your strengths and find ways to leverage them.
Imagine what your life would look like if you consistently enjoyed high self-esteem.
Visualize how much more enjoyable life would be and how much more you could accomplish. The change in your life would be stunning.
10 Easy Ways To Strengthen And Boost Self-Esteem – Conclusion
Begin the journey of enhancing your opinion of yourself today. No one else will do it for you. You’ll be glad you did! And after some time practicing these tips to boost self-esteem, pretty soon you will feel it.
More Ways To Improve Your Life
Please pin this if you enjoyed reading my tips on ways to strengthen your self-esteem.
by The Lovely Refinement Team | Sep 29, 2019 | Dealing With Emotions, Self-Improvement
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.
5. Do something that takes your full attention.
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.
