Mar 10, 20174 min read

11 Steps to Self-Improvement

*This is a collaborative guest post.

Taking care of yourself is a necessary part of life. Your physical health is just as important as mental health. It is sometimes easier to find ways to take care and improve our bodies. However, there are several different ways to improve yourself, in mind and even personality. You’ll find that some days, all you need is a small change to boost your mind and mood. Here are 11 ways to add positive changes & self-improvement to your life.

1. Really LOVE Yourself

It might sound almost too easy but this is a crucial step. You aren’t really defined by any one moment in your life. Things change and so do you. Consider all of your experiences but don’t dwell on the past. If you find little things that bother you, gradually make small changes over time to improve those flaws. NLP Training can help us get rid of limiting beliefs.

2. Write a Letter for the Future

This one is going to require some patience but it’s still simple to do. Write a letter containing where you want to be on that same day in one year (or even 5 years). Really evaluate what you want to change or develop by that time and lay it all out in a brief plan. However, there are two conditions: the letter must be addressed to yourself and you can’t open it before the time passes. You can consider it an outline of your goals.

3. Develop Healthier Coping Mechanisms

A coping mechanism is how we respond to any stress or life events, large or small. Unhealthy coping includes binge eating or excessive drinking to try to repair emotions. But there are several, healthier options. The Recovery Village offers a great page that discusses the differences. It also has a few suggestions for better coping mechanisms, like meditation or better eating habits.

4. Procrastinate Less

Those dishes piling up in the sink aren’t going to wash themselves. Sitting around and daydreaming about all the changes you want to make also won’t help them change any faster. You have to try to make more active decisions and complete the tasks you set out for yourself. Learn to budget your time and apply discipline to follow through.

5. Try a New Hobby

If you already have a list of things you like to do, you can always add to it. This new hobby can be practically anything from learning a new sport or even a different language. When you learn something new, you challenge yourself. You also stimulate growth in various areas of your life, ranging from emotional or physical. What’s great about this is that you’ll also be adding to your skill set and maybe even get to expand your social circles.

6. Change Your Comfort Zone

Part of what contributes to feeling like you’re in a rut is never doing anything different. It’s easy to get trapped in our comfort zones. While it’s nice to feel comfortable, we don’t grow from this. Do you follow the same schedule every day? Try adding or removing one task to vary your routines. You might find you have more time and energy to try new things.

7. Write in a Journal

If you really want to see what and how you’re thinking, start a journal. Doing this allows you to keep track of your thoughts. It also gives you a different perspective because you have to read the words and process them again. This is also a fantastic way to track how long something’s been bothering you. If you keep writing about the same thing, then it’s likely that it’s a problem that needs to be addressed. You can do this privately or publically, like having your own online blog.

8. Do a 30 Day Challenge

This is a great short-term way to boost your mood and better yourself. All you do is set a goal and give yourself a full 30 days to achieve it. It can be anything you want and you’ll have enough time to go from planning to action.

9. Read

Cuddling up with a good book is a nice way to improve yourself. Reading will give you access to how others view the world and possibly spark new ideas. Unlike short digital reading, books can go in-depth about their topics.

10. Be Patient in Your Relationships

Relationships can be tricky to navigate and sometimes affect our self-esteem more than we know. But all relationships, romantic or otherwise, take the time to build into something truly special. So take your time getting to know someone.

11. Take a Mental Health Break

It’s all too easy to get overwhelmed and lost in the stress of daily living. But sometimes, you just have to take a break. Go for a walk or simply sit at home with no social media distractions. Give yourself some alone time to relax and rejuvenate.