Many people wonder how to grow and improve themselves; most think this only happens if you suddenly drop ten pounds or achieve a major milestone.
Improving yourself means that in your own eyes you're becoming a better person. This can be mentally, physically, or spiritually.
You don’t need to make drastic changes to become a better version of yourself; in fact, here are 10 small daily changes that you can start for self-improvement.
Positive Affirmations
Start your day off with positive affirmations. These possess the power to boost your confidence or to prompt positive thoughts.
Spend a few minutes in your morning to write down or say aloud a few positive affirmations: “Today will be a good day,” or something along the lines of, “I will be in a good mood today.”
Speaking positively about yourself and your life fosters happiness and will force your brain to believe it.
Taking Daily Walks
I know what you're thinking... Why do I need to lose weight? Didn't you contradict this idea earlier? Yes, I believe weight-loss does not always coincide with a better life.
However, walking isn't targeted towards that; walking is not only a form of exercise. It causes endorphins that make you happy. Taking a quick walk around the block will not require you to wear your full gym gear, but rather encourage you to embrace your surroundings.
Whether you're strolling in your local park, or stepping into the sand, walking is a great way to improve both your mental and physical well-being!
Gratitude and Reflect
Take a few minutes at night to reflect on your day. Think of a few positives that made your day even slightly better and write them down; maybe it was a delicious iced-coffee or even seeing your friends or family.
While you're writing down some positive aspects, consider what you're grateful for and what it means to you. Reflecting and gratitude journaling come hand-in-hand and are both great skills to have when you need to look for the positives in life.
Stay Hydrated
I cannot stress enough how important drinking enough water is. You may think it’s a no-brainer to drink water, but not hydrating enough throughout a busy day can be detrimental to your physical health.
Failing to fulfill the adequate amount of water can be bad for your body and skin ...and no teenager wants to worsen their skin. If you struggle with remembering to drink enough water there are many methods to help: you can set up an app on your phone or invest in a marked water bottle that marks the times of the day when you need to drink a certain amount.
Perhaps you're a person who doesn’t want to drink plain water, so add in a lemon or lime! This makes it tastier as well as being rich in vitamin C.
Embrace the moment
Whether you're feeling stressed on a busy day, or even overwhelmed, it’s always good to embrace the moment you're in. Improving yourself isn’t all about looks or people's opinions about you. It’s also about how you feel within yourself.
Spend a few moments embracing where you are and the progress you're making. Breath in the fresh air and just watch the world for a little while. You could be in the most beautiful place and not realize it, or you could be in the most hectic place and forget that so many amazing things are happening all around you.
Online Detox
It’s easy to get sucked into the online world, especially social media. Remember to switch off the phone and take yourself offline to appreciate the world you have around you.
Gluing yourself to your phone all the time may help you connect with friends, but it’s also a wrecking ball to your mental health.
Try something new
You may be surprised as to how monotonous your daily routine is and your instinctive inability to deter from the norm. People find comfort in what they know and what is familiar to them, so why not push the boundaries a little? Do something different tomorrow!
Try taking a new way home or stop ordering your “usual” at your local coffee chain. Break the system of being regular and who knows what trying something new might offer you!
Self-care
Taking care of yourself is important, and I’m not saying you should live at the spa, but do something minor every day for yourself is crucial.
Self-care isn’t always about skincare and pampering either; if you're craving some ice cream, indulge into in a cone… or two.
Meditate
Some people swear by meditation and others loathe it; you never know until you try it! I don’t do mediation every single day, but I love to spend ten minutes doing a guided meditation when feeling overwhelmed.
It’s both calming and a great way to escape reality for a little while.
Be a nicer human
You may think, shouldn’t improving myself only affect me? The way you interact and form relationships with others is a reflection of who you are. If you want to improve yourself, you’ll have to improve how you treat others, including strangers.
Dish out compliments throughout your day; for instance, tell your classmate you like her shoelaces. Tell her! It’ll make her day as well as your own. Small acts of kindness can have a bigger impact than you can even imagine.
If you're looking to improve yourself, make sure you're doing it for yourself and not to feel validated by others. Every person grows and glows differently, so it’s important that you're on the right track when trying to better yourself. What changes will you add to your daily routine to improve yourself?
