Take better care of yourself
Self-care may sound like a very abstract concept, but it is definitely a prerequisite and foundation for good psychological and emotional health for every individual. We live in a busy age where we have less and less time, and technological development has kicked into sixth gear. Modern wonders of technology that serve us to connect as easily as possible often create in people a feeling of even greater alienation from others and from themselves. With all these changes that are happening, one thing has remained unchanged – and that is that we are still human and that the advice I will offer you is a condition for good “self-care”.
Honesty with yourself as the first step to change
It sounds simple, but perhaps this is the most challenging, but certainly the most important thing we need to address. All the biggest changes in life begin the moment we are ready to face ourselves – to look in the mirror with all our flaws and virtues and decide to be honest with ourselves.
This task should be attractive enough for us to set out on a journey towards a happier and more fulfilling life, but it often happens that change only begins to happen when we reach a breaking point, when we realize that something has to change because the suffering has become too great.
Being honest with ourselves means acknowledging all our weaknesses, shortcomings, and areas of weakness, but at the same time remaining open and willing to accept the idea that we can grow, learn, and become better. It is a process of awareness, acceptance, and creating a positive intention for change.
Awareness, acceptance, and a conscious decision to change are a good foundation for a new beginning, because most often we ourselves are the biggest obstacle on the path to the life we want to live. When we stop running away from ourselves and start talking honestly to ourselves, that's when real change begins.
Love yourself as if your life depends on it, because it truly does.
- Anita Moorjani
Facing problems and taking responsibility
The tendency to run away from problems is common among many people, but we all know that problems are not solved that way and that running away, unfortunately, will not make them go away. What you need to be aware of is that the problem is not what defines you – it is how you react to it that defines you.
Try to look at each problem as rationally as possible. A question you can ask yourself to help yourself is: What is the worst that could happen? You may find that the answer is not as scary as it first seems.
There are many ways to help yourself cope with problems and stressful situations, but running away is definitely not one of them. Take responsibility and give yourself time to solve the problem, and learn to appreciate small steps, because every small step is actually a step closer to the solution. Be flexible in finding solutions, try different approaches, because then you have a better chance of successfully solving the problem.
Everything is either an opportunity for growth or an obstacle that prevents you from growing up. You can decide.
-Wayne Dyer.
Surround yourself with people who lift you up.
Try to become aware of the people in your environment who encourage you to make positive changes, who are happy to listen to you, appreciate and accept you for who you are, and who are ready to accompany you on your journey to becoming the person you want to be. Such people encourage you, give you support, and sometimes inspire you to a new way of thinking and looking at life.
Maintaining and nurturing such relationships will make you feel emotionally safe, accepted and supported when you need it most. On the other hand, it is important to learn to set boundaries with toxic relationships and people who drain your energy, spread negativity and do not contribute to your personal growth.
You can't change or control other people's behavior, but you can influence how you react to their behavior.
- Roy T. Bennett
Gratitude as a way of life
Gratitude is one of the most important feelings that brings a person to a good inner state from which it is possible to change our relationship with ourselves and the life we live. I believe that each of us can find at least one reason to be grateful. The mere fact that we woke up this morning is reason enough to be grateful.
When we allow ourselves to be grateful for all the little things that make up life, we slowly begin to find a way to make that life better, more peaceful, and more fulfilling. Gratitude brings us back to the present moment and reminds us of what we have, instead of what we lack.
If we find ourselves thinking that we would be happier if we had this or that, then we are actually living another life, not our own. Stop such thoughts in time and try to realize how blessed it is to be reading this text right now, to have the internet, access to electricity, or simply the ability to refresh yourself with a glass of drinking water. Isn't that enough reason to be grateful?
Live gratitude. Not as an occasional thought, but as a way of life.
Enjoy the little things. One day you'll look back and realize how big they were.
-Kurt Vonnegut
Dream, plan and act
Every big dream starts with a daydream, so allow yourself to dream. It is from dreams that ideas are born, and from ideas that plans are created. After daydreaming comes planning – a clear and thoughtful step towards what you want to achieve.
Always try to define your goals and make a plan that will guide you towards them. While doing so, be aware that achieving a goal depends not only on your desire, but also on your level of motivation, persistence, and willingness to step out of your comfort zone.
The most important step, however, is to take action. Without action, even the best plan remains just an idea. If you don't achieve your goal on the first try, don't see it as a defeat, but as an opportunity to learn something new. Every experience, even an unsuccessful one, can teach you something and help you reevaluate your steps and find a better path towards achieving your goal.
A real decision is measured by the fact that you have taken a new action. If there is no action, you have not truly decided - Tony Robbins
Forgive yourself and others.
Forgiving others can be difficult, but forgiving ourselves is often even harder. In some situations in life, we may have been weak, made the wrong decisions, or chosen paths that we now resent. But living trapped in guilt and resentment does not bring us or those around us any good.
The first step towards forgiving ourselves is to realize that the decisions we resent were made in a different time and in the circumstances we lived in. It is important to start seeing our mistakes as lessons – lessons that teach us how to live better, more maturely, and more consciously.
When it comes to forgiving others, it is important to understand that forgiveness does not mean forgetting that someone has hurt us. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation, reconnecting with that person, or absolving that person of responsibility for what they have done. Forgiveness means giving yourself the opportunity for a more peaceful and easier life, free from the burden of bad experiences and negative emotions.
To forgive means to take with us experience and knowledge, but not the burden of pain. It means to move on with an open heart. Forgiveness is, in the end, a cure – first and foremost for ourselves.
To err is human, to forgive divine. - Alexander Pope
Comments