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10 Ways To Improve Your Mental Health Starting Today
With everything going on in the world, and how busy our lives can be, it is imperative that you constantly look for ways to improve your mental health.

Often when people hear about mental health, their first thought is depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other examples of mental illness. But in reality, mental health goes beyond just diagnosable mental illness.

According to the World Health Organization, “Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to her or his community.”

Improving your mental health is as essential as every other part of your well-being. People tend to treat physical illnesses like cancer, diabetes, etc. but ignore their mental health.

With the constant struggles of life and the crazy things going on in the world today, there is a high tendency that all this would take a toll on your mental health. Therefore, one of the best self-care practices you can do for yourself is to improve your mental health.

Improve your mental health

Mental health is a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Your mental health plays a significant role in how you think, feel, deal with situations, and take action.

It would be hard to live a healthy and fulfilling life if you don’t. Being mentally healthy is a crucial part of living a happy and well-rounded life. By making your mental health a priority, you will be able to live a better life.

Do everything you can to make your emotional, psychological, and social well-being a priority today,. Your mind and body will thank you for it.

Not having good mental health can lead to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic disorder personality disorder, eating disorder, substance abuse, and psychotic disorder.

Below are ten effective and practical ways to improve your mental health!

1. Make and maintain healthy relationships

Loneliness is a factor that can contribute to mental health issues such as depression. When you stay by yourself idly for too long, you may begin to entertain depressing thoughts and even form bad habits such as smoking. You must develop healthy interpersonal relationships with your family and friends.

When you are struggling, and you need someone to help you, don’t be ashamed to ask your family or friends. Asking doesn’t mean you are weak, and it is better than suffering in silence. Be open and honest with your family and loved ones.

Join a community of people that share your interests either online or offline and try to maintain a healthy relationship with people around you.

Create a sound support system of people that understand your struggle and help you feel less alone in it. You should also maintain healthy boundaries in your interpersonal relationships so that people will not take advantage of the relationship they have with you either consciously or subconsciously.

2. Constantly practice gratitude

It is okay to want to have more wealth and material things, but the fact that you wish for more should not make you lose sight of what you have already. Instead of complaining about what you don’t have, you should be grateful for what you already possess and then work towards getting better. Quit complaining.

You only get depressed, stressed, or anxious when you let negative thoughts cloud your mind. And thinking about all that you don’t have instead of focusing on what you already have will only leave you stressed and depressed.

One very effective way to practice gratitude is by keeping a journal and writing down all that you are grateful for daily. Spend at least five minutes writing down at least three things that you are thankful for, either big or small. Things such as the air you are breathing, the fact that you can use the parts of your body, etc.

The more you dwell on positivity, the more your mind adapts to it, and in the end, you will notice that you can think better and do better things for yourself.

3. Forgive and Don’t hold grudges

One way to improve your mental health is by forgiving someone who has wronged you and not holding grudges. You must learn to forgive and forget. You also need to forgive yourself for any mistake you may have made in the past and regret.
Don’t dwell on your past mistakes, instead learn from it, let go of it and live better in the now.

The truth is that no one is above making mistakes. Studies have shown that people who forgive have better mental health and are more satisfied with their lives. When you don’t hold grudges, your mind is free from any form of bitter or negative thoughts.

4. Maintain a healthy diet and sleeping routine

You need to maintain a healthy diet and sleeping routine if you really want to improve your mental health. Eating a healthy and balanced meal is an essential part of your general well-being. Anything you take into your body affects your mood and overall health.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drink enough water, avoid taking too much sugar and junk food.

Make sleep a priority. Try to incorporate going to bed at the same time every day. Create and follow your routine so that you can get quality sleep because it is crucial. Getting quality sleep isn’t only about the number of hours you spend sleeping; it is also about getting a restful sleep that will keep you energized for the day ahead.

If you are struggling with sleep, you can try out some practices like meditation to help clear your head and calm your mind. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet and resist doing anything except sleeping in your bedroom. But if any of these don’t work, you may need to seek out professional help.

5. Be optimistic every day and do the things you love

It is easy to think about the things that are not going well in your life, then declare that your life is doomed and quickly fall into depression and anxiety. You need to make a conscious effort to be optimistic and always look on the bright side of things.

Consistently practice having an optimistic and positive attitude towards life and moving from negative thoughts to positive ones.

Do the things you love, take up a new creative hobby that will help you feel fulfilled, explore new areas, smile often, laugh, go out and breathe in some fresh air, and just have fun.

Read self-development books, take yourself out on a sweet treat, listen to your favorite music playlist, do the things you love, and that make you happy.

Set goals for yourself and work towards achieving them. Pursue your dreams and make them come true. Go out of your comfort zone and try something new and exciting. Just live.

6. Relax and take a break when you need one

It is okay to relax and take a break when you need one; overworking yourself will only leave you stressed out, and stress isn’t good for you. Therefore you need to reassess your priorities and cut back on some work if possible.

Too much stress or poorly managed stress over a long period can have a detrimental effect on your social, emotional, and physical well-being.

7. Don’t compare yourself to others, stay away from negativity, and learn to say no

Comparing yourself to other people either via social media or in real life does more harm to your mental health than good. It is the actual devil. Remember that everyone is on their own journey. Regardless of whether you are the same age or if you do the same job, everyone has a different route.

Give yourself credit for going through life in your way, you’re doing the best you can.

Learn the difference between being inspired by someone else’s success and comparing yourself to them. The other person may have already gotten to the middle when you were just starting, so quit comparing yourself.

Stay away from harmful content and negative people because they will hurt you in the end.

You must also learn to say no when necessary. Learning to say no is power because it is impossible to say yes to everything and everyone. You will only be shooting yourself in the foot if you do. You will begin to feel overwhelmed and inadequate.

Learn to say no and don’t feel bad about it. Stop trying to please everyone because it is not possible. Quit being a perfectionist and feeling like you are not good enough. Love your flaws because they make you unique!

Don’t let other people’s opinions about you dictate your feelings. Always have a positive body image because it will help to improve your self-esteem. Wear clothes that make you feel good.

Also read my post on how to stop worrying what others think of you if you often let others’ opinions hold you back.

8. Quit unhealthy habits such as taking alcohol and smoking

If you want to improve your mental health and live a healthy life, you need to quit certain unhealthy habits. Alcohol has a significant effect on your overall well-being and health. It changes your brain chemistry and increases stress and anxiety.

Cutting down on or quitting smoking and drinking alcohol will serve you well.

9. Exercise regularly

The positive impact of physical exercise on your mental health cannot be overemphasized. It plays an essential role in helping you to battle with anxiety, depression, stress, and any related condition.

Exercising can improve your sleep, make you feel more relaxed, and increase your body’s production of endorphins, which can improve your mood. There are different ways you can exercise; it doesn’t have to be a high-intensity routine. It could be as simple as taking a walk or dancing!

Just look for the form of exercise that you genuinely enjoy so you’ll stick with it. You can also check out my post on ways to be more active without going to the gym for some tips.

10. Get help if you need to

Some symptoms that you may experience if you have a mental health condition include: Eating too much or too late, sleeping too much or too little, lack of energy, constant mood swings, constantly fighting with your loved ones, feeling confused, forgetful, angry, or on edge.

You need to take mindful note of your mind and body so that you can identify these symptoms, because you may be anxious, depressed, or stressed without even realizing it.

To figure things out, you can ask yourself questions like:
- Am I as interested in everything I used to be interested in?
- Do I feel more irritated, angry, or on edge than usual?
- Am I drinking alcohol more than I used to?
- Has the quality or quantity of my sleep diminished?
- Has my appetite or weight changed?
- Do I have less energy than I used to?
- Have my loved ones commented on any changes in my mood or behavior?
This is not to strictly ascertain that you have a mental health condition if you experience any of these symptoms, but if they persist, then you should seek professional help.

Final thoughts

On a final note, when trying to implement the tips mentioned above, you need to be patient with yourself and take things one step at a time. Change won’t happen overnight. But implementing some of the points from this list is an excellent way to start out on your journey to improving your mental health.

It may take a while to let go of those negative thoughts or completely conquer depression, but once you start out on the journey to being better and you keep at it, the rest will be history.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase; just take the first step.”

Learn to do things for yourself and not because someone else said you should. You may have a big life decision to make soon, and your friends and family might have different opinions on it.

Although it is okay to take their opinions into consideration because they are essential people in your life, you have to make the decision that is right for you, making you happy and improving your quality of life.

Any other decision apart from this is the wrong one and bad for your mental health because, in the end, your happiness and well-being matter the most.

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June 30, 2020
How To Stop Worrying What Others Think And Live Your Own Life
As humans, we are wired to always yearn for approval. We are designed to want to belong or integrate into society. That’s why we are regarded as social animals. Therefore, it’s natural if you always want to please people. But how right is it for you? Should you stop worrying what others think?

Remember, just because it is natural for humans to desire general acceptance doesn’t make it right for you. This is because the world today is a lot more advanced for you to always act based on natural instinct.

We are past the age of nature, hence, civilization makes it possible to curtail our animalistic tendencies; the tendency to behave like animals (tendency to always want to be part of a pack).

Although man’s evolution involved group survival, nowadays a man must not be generally loved or accepted for him to exist. You can be who you want to be no matter what others think about you, provided you don’t break any rule.

Yes, sometimes you might be vulnerable to what people think about you, it’s normal, sort of… However, if you really want to be free, you should try not to worry about other people’s thoughts concerning you. Remember, it’s their thoughts, they’re entitled to that.

Moreover, when you concentrate too much on people’s opinions, you will definitely forget who you really are… You end up living a false life.

You will live in lies! And that is not what true existence entails.

Stop Worrying What Others Think

One fact we always tend to forget is that no matter what we do, we can only change little or nothing about people’s perception of us.

Someone else’s opinion about you is subjective. It is personal to them. You shouldn’t be bothered.

For instance, people can simply hate you because you remind them of someone that hurt them in the past. Such people don’t even hate you because of who you are, but because of their past experience.

That is why you should not bother to be accepted. People’s perception of you has a lot to do with them than it has to do with you. It has a lot to do with their mindset and past experiences.

As a matter of fact, it becomes a lot more difficult to understand why someone has a certain opinion about you because you cannot have access to anybody’s head. You can only worry and assume. Now, why go through such stress?

If you have been trying to own up your life, but you still find yourself living a false life, and trying to impress others, then this article is what you need right now.

As you read on, you’ll find out the steps you should take to stop worrying what others think.

1. Emphasize On What Matters

If you really desire to own up your life and stop worrying what others think, then you must start by focusing on what matters most.

Fundamentally, the most important thing about your life is what you intend to achieve, that is, your end goal.
Now, before you consider people’s opinions, check if their opinion will help you in the long run. Will their opinions help you achieve your goals?

Focusing on the bigger picture instead of the present state of things will make you ignore what people think or say presently…and at the same time, it will give you the motivation you need to live and be your true self.

After all, it is your life and you know where you are headed, you know your destination. They simply don’t know.

2. Acknowledge Your Vulnerability

Don’t be scared to accept your vulnerability.

No matter the reason, always dare to step out of your comfort zone. Don’t fail to bear in mind that everyone has their weaknesses. Therefore, the person who is to criticize you also has his own fair share of insecurities.

When you shy away from your insecurities or vulnerabilities, you are simply giving room to live in fear of being you. You will always hide your true identity. You will live to impress, and finally, you will live a borrowed life, not yours.

By acknowledging your weaknesses, you won’t be scared to be yourself. You only need a little time to get better and better until you become the best version of yourself.

3. Always Remember That People Don’t Really Pay Attention

Before you kill yourself trying to please others, remember that they are not really paying attention to your life.
Most people have their lives, their problems, and demons they’re battling with. Typically, they have little or no time to scrutinize your life.

Most opinions people give about you might not really be what they had a deep thought about… It’s probably an instantaneous comment. They really don’t have too much time to think about you.

Now, why bother yourself? Why stress yourself to live in accordance with an opinion someone gave without thinking?

4. Locate Your Tribe

No matter how you always fall out with people, no matter how people play down or criticize your actions, no matter how they dislike you or your lifestyle, there are always people out there who still like you for who you are… Locate them.

If you intend to feel free and be yourself without holding back, then you should not waste time and energy trying to please people who will never feel pleased (neither will they accept you).

You will end up draining your body and your soul, yet you will achieve nothing. The longer you stay around them, the more you lose yourself, and your life too.

When you locate your tribe, you won’t only feel free to be yourself, but you’ll also grow in confidence. You will feel more fulfilled, and you will be far happier as a person.

5. Different People, Different Opinions

There is this popular mantra that “everyone is entitled to his or her opinion” and I can tell you boldly that it is true.

We all have our different perspectives, opinions, and beliefs, and most times, people’s opinion about you is based on their own perspective, not yours. What works for another man can fail you totally. The road someone else travels smoothly can tumble you a thousand times…

Be yourself from your own point of view, not from others’ and stop worrying what others think of your own view!

6. You Know Yourself More Than Anybody

If anybody should know you better, it is you.

Nobody else is breathing for you. You own your life and you are living it for you, not for someone else. Surely, people must have their perceptions or ideas about you, but your understanding of yourself supersedes any other person’s.

Therefore, you are free to live your life your way. You are also free to make mistakes, then learn from them and get better.

7. Focus Only On Yourself

The best way to be yourself is to neglect others and focus on yourself. I know this sounds selfish…and yes it is. Sometimes you’ve got to be selfish for your own peace of mind.

If you really intend to focus on yourself, start by minding your business… Worry only about your lapses and how to get better. By the time you are more occupied with yourself, you’ll hardly pay attention to other people’s opinions about you.

You will be more concerned about your own life and how to improve it.

8. Stop Seeking For Validation

As an adult individual, the only validation you need is the law of your society. Once you obey the law, you typically don’t need any extra validation from random people.

In order to stop worrying about what others think, you have to stop asking for their opinions about you. Some people are not even qualified to give you suggestions.

For instance, when you ask an unsuccessful man (that is angry about his situation) for what he thinks about you, there is a high tendency that his reply will be grossly negative. After all, their mindset is negative. They are not qualified to validate you!

9. Don’t Overthink It

Have you ever found yourself being too anxious, worrying that you did something wrong and got someone you value so unimpressed (probably your crush) — and when you finally met up with him again, you found out that he didn’t even consider what you did and he noticed nothing? That is a typical example of overthinking!

In that particular case, you got yourself worked up about something that really meant nothing. You started thinking that someone was judging you whereas, he had nothing like that in mind.

You really don’t need to worry yourself in that manner if you want to be yourself, or if you want to live a life void of pleasing people and displeasing yourself.

Moreover, unnecessarily mental stress is not good for your social and physical well-being.

10. Be Selective

Now, consider this important.

The truth is that no matter how you try to avoid people’s opinions, you will need someone’s feedback at some point in your life… Especially if you are continually working on your personal development. It is not wrong to seek feedback occasionally.
What is wrong is if you overly depend on such feedback, especially from any random person you see.

You have to be very selective when it comes to people whose suggestions you require. If not, you will get yourself back to being a people-pleaser.

There are few positive-minded people out there. Some are even professionals in the field of counselling. Those are the few kinds of people you can get constructive feedback from (when necessary).

11. Remember That Opinions Change From Time To Time

The earth is not static, it’s changing continuously, the same as everything that is inside of earth; including our thoughts, mindsets, and opinions.

Now, for the fact that people’s opinions always change, you don’t have to take it too seriously — you never know when it will change.

When you overly invest in people’s opinions, you might be left stranded when it changes. What a way to disappoint yourself.
Considering this constant change of opinions, do you really want to undergo the stress involved in buying everybody’s opinion and readjusting to the changes now and then?

12. It Mustn’t Be Perfect

One of the reasons you are so interested in what people think is because you are engrossed by the need to make things perfect.

You might be thinking that when you make it perfect, you’ll impress everyone. Unfortunately, that’s not correct.

It’s high time you accepted that no matter what you do, no matter how perfect you try to make it look, someone must be dissatisfied. Now, if that is the case, why waste your time striving for perfection?

Well, this is not to discourage you from giving your best when carrying out your duty. Of course, you have to do what you should do, but just don’t stress yourself trying to make it perfect in order to please imperfect people.

Besides, is there anything like perfection? Is it really obtainable?

Show me that perfect person and I will show you a person with so many secrets; a person who lives a fake life!

Always remember that ‘being the real you’ gives room for imperfection because it is the nature of humans to be imperfect…

13. Remember, Life Is Short

What is the essence of life if not to live happily?

It is a fact that we have limited time to be alive; why waste your time being unhappy? Why spend your limited lifetime worrying about what others think?

Life is too short to worry when you should simply be happy!

Life is too short to live in the shadow of yourself.

Life is too short to be unreal.

Life is too short to live another person’s life (to live to impress people)!

It really sucks to live trying to please people. Nothing can be overwhelming like living according to the dictates of another person.

The greatest freedom you can ever enjoy is the freedom of being the real you!

The greatest fulfillment in life is to live originally and authentically. That is what it means to live a fulfilled life!

Last thoughts

On a final note, you have to strive to live your life without worrying about what people think.

Although it might be a bit tasking to master the art of being yourself, with deliberate, conscious, and intentional effort, you can do it.

Just bear in mind that in life, some people will love and cherish you without you trying to please them… While others will hate and despise you no matter how hard you try to impress them.

Therefore, stop worrying what others think… Live your life!

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June 25, 2020
15 Tips On How To Change Your Life For The Better
Are you feeling a bit lost in life? Or maybe just feel like you’re not really where you want to be? That’s okay, everyone feels that way at some point or another. Today I’ll share some tips with you on how to change your life for the better when you feel like you need a change.

One fact we all must have acknowledged is that life is a mystery. This is because life has a lot of facets which make it totally unpredictable.

Many times, we make plans and we try as much as we can to organize each and every step we take. We try to speculate and be proactive in order to be one step ahead. We understand the contingencies associated with life, so we try as much as possible to create a plan B, C, and D.

However, many times, to our greatest dismay, life still comes up with something totally different which we never expected or even have a clue about, despite our plans and counter-plans! We then find ourselves in a position that can be best described as “shambles”!

This explains why a lot of people argue that a man can propose, but only life itself can dispose. That’s the position every human is in. We all have our fair share of life’s dynamism.

How to change your life

No doubt, you must have found yourself in one of those tight corners at some point. Presently, you might even be battling with one difficulty or another.

You might also see a lot of people who seem comfortable and happy (many of them are not even super-rich but they look like they’ve got no problems in life); now, you may start wondering if everyone is actually passing through issues or if your life is just different from others.

Well, just so you know, we all have our respective problems. Each and every one of us has different (peculiar) issues just as our faces are different.

Such is life.

But then, the difference between you and those who seem to be buoyant, happy, and comfortable, (even amidst adversities and hardship) is that they have mastered the art of transformation which helps them to constantly navigate and adapt to the fluxes of life.

Do you intend to master this art too? Do you want to learn how to change your life for the better?
Then you have to brace up because it requires constant practice. It might be a bit discomforting because there are adjustments that must be made.

But hey, let’s get started! Here are 15 tips to help you improve your life:

1. Readjust Your Mindset

There is this popular saying that if you want to change the world, you should change yourself first. This is because you are a part of the greater universe.

Now to change yourself, you have to start by changing your mind. This is because your attitude, character, decision, indecision, and actions are all products of your mind. Your individuality is forged by the kind of mindset you have.
If things are becoming unbearably discomforting and you want to know how to change your life for good, then start by readjusting your mindset.

Being a bit more positive-minded about life will go a long way to drag your life towards the positive end.
Although it can be a bit difficult to stay positive amidst the problems of life, it’s very possible.

But how?

Firstly, remove your doubts and be positive about who you want to be and how you want to live your life. Where you could have said “I can’t” learn how to say “I Can”. That’s an exemplary way of initiating the required change of mindset…

And It is only when you have this clear and positive mindset that you can commence your journey towards a better life.

2. Give Your Life A Meaning

A life of reason is a meaningful life.

At this point, you have to ask yourself what reason you live for. Because understanding the reason for your existence makes everything quite easier!

It is easier to wake up in the morning and step out of your home if you have something to live for. Now, are you in that situation where you’re no longer sure if you still have a reason to live? Then you can actually create one for yourself.

Whatever definition or meaning you give your life (whether creating more wealth, staying happy, or finding love) becomes a good reason for you to keep striving and believing. This will give you a deep sense of purpose. And with that, your steps will be directed towards a meaningful life.

3. Build Your Future From This Moment

There is no way you can truly change your life for good if you keep dwelling on the sad events of the past! You need to recreate those sad yesterdays. And to do that, you have to learn from those mistakes and put them right this time around.

Funny enough, our brains can be tricked. Our brains are wired to be repetitive. That’s why many times, we don’t learn from our mistakes; we tend to take that wrong step over and over again…

However, there is no better moment to break that jinx than NOW.

Start building your future differently from this moment. That is typically an indicator that you’ve learned how to improve your life. It will only get better and better.

4. Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

This is where it gets crucial. This is a very necessary step to take if you really want to experience better days ahead. For your personal development, you have to acquire new experiences. However, often, the new experiences that are needed for your personal development are not pleasurable.

This is in line with a popular slogan that denotes that without pain, there won’t be gain. In other words, you will gain a lot (of knowledge, experience, or wealth) doing things that are really not comfortable for you.

Hence, if you yearn for a better tomorrow, you have to take a step out of that place that makes you too comfortable.

5. Embrace Self-love

Love yourself unconditionally because elsewhere, nobody really cares. Nobody enjoys being deserted by others, but it’s far more lonely if you desert yourself. Therefore, learn how to love yourself.

The best way to start practicing self-love is by professing positively to yourself. Just stare at the mirror and profess your love to the image before you… It feels great!

Another way to exhibit self-love is by taking good care of yourself, your health, your emotions, your thoughts.

Truly, if you can treat yourself a bit more nicely, your life will definitely change for the better.

6. Mind What You Eat And How You Eat It

Do you know that certain diets you live on are catastrophic to your health and entire life? Eating heavily before bed (especially carbohydrates) can make your sleep irregular. Consequently, you wake up weak and the entire day will be unproductive for you.

Also, excessive intake of fats can increase the level of cholesterol in your body which puts you at risk of developing heart problems. Moreover, depending so much on alcohol will never make your life better, instead, it does the opposite. It destroys your organs and over the years, it might result in life-threatening diseases.

In a nutshell, mind what you eat and how you eat it; good food can greatly improve the quality of your life.

7. Worry Less About What Others Think

Actually, it shouldn’t be your business what others think about how you’ve chosen to live your life. It’s impossible to control people’s thoughts or influence their opinions about you. It can only turn you into a people-pleaser.

Now, trying so hard to please people will simply drain you emotionally, psychologically, and physically. Besides, you will end up living for others and not for yourself.

Let me make this clear; to worry about what people think is a total waste of energy and time. For that reason, why not channel that energy and time towards improving yourself instead?

The moment you decide to live an authentic life (void of people’s unnecessary opinions), that’s when you make a breakthrough.

8. Adopt Productive Routines

If you intend to live a transformed life, you can start by adopting routines that drive you towards that direction. For instance, when you make “early sleep and early rise” a routine, your life will certainly improve in many different ways. You will not only get healthier, but more energized and productive.

Another productive routine you can adopt is regular exercise. Of course, you already know how important it is for your health and physical fitness.

Moreover, reading good books and listening to helpful podcasts can really sharpen your brain and make you versed in knowledge.

In fact, there are a whole lot of activities you can adopt to improve yourself as a person… And you can’t really say that you’ve realized how to change your life if you don’t routinize those activities.

9. Shun Unproductive Mindsets

Now, you don’t only have to adopt a productive lifestyle, you also have to shun those lifestyles or mindsets that don’t add to your life’s value.

For instance, there are 7 mindsets that won’t allow you to grow as a person. They are:
- Perfectionism
- Being judgmental
- Pessimism
- Self-doubt
- Anxiety
- Ingratitude, and
- Hypersensitivity.
All of the aforementioned can simply be referred to as killer mindsets (not a good thing). They don’t make you productive, rather, they reduce your capacity as a person. Eliminate them.

10. Learn To Commit To Others

Commitment is not necessarily easy. But when you finally get good at it, your self-confidence will receive a major boost. This is simply because you will be highly dependable.

Of course, you know that when people depend on you often, you feel more useful and responsible. Imagine the confidence that comes with that? Pretty great stuff.

11. Optimize Your Life Through The Use Of Constraints

There is no better way to live your desired life than to optimize your life. You can do this with the use of certain constraints. But first, write out all the things you WANT in life. Then assess them carefully to ascertain your actual NEEDS.

Naturally, we all tend to want more, but we fail to consider all we already have at our disposal. We fail to acknowledge the fact that our basic needs have been met already.

The moment you start living within the constraints of what you already have, then you’ll be content enough to stay happy and appreciative; even while chasing those bigger goals.

12. Focus

In this sense, focus means that you should concentrate on a few activities and master them, instead of taking up a lot of tasks and then dabbling in all!

Although you might be presented with lots of opportunities, just choose the right one for you and perfect it.

Focusing on that which matters most will not only give you mastery, but it will also reduce unnecessary worries or stress involved in multitasking. Then finally, you will achieve that which matters most in your life.

13. Set The Goal

One basic way to give your life a sense of purpose is by setting a goal that you intend to achieve. You don’t just have to dream and envision that transformed life that you want to live, you have to take action towards it.

You can only do this if you set out short-term, medium-term, and long term goals for yourself.

It will simply give you a clear direction towards a better life… Your dream life.

14. Let It Be One Goal At A Time

Make it a realistic goal. Take it one step at a time. You will more likely achieve that one goal (that you put in all your effort) than multiple goals.

Chasing a lot of goals is unnecessary if you are in a position where you are trying to put your life together.

Moreover, remember that your goal can always take a twist from time to time. Now, by concentrating on a single goal at a time, you can easily navigate and adapt immediately when such changes occur.

15. See Growth As A Lifetime Process

Once you start seeing growth as a continuous process, then you will be patient enough to withstand the difficulties you may encounter along the line.

Also, the perception that personal development is a life-long process will give you the zeal to seek for improvement always, for as long as you live.

What else do you need in order to transform your life if not to improve continually? Surely that’s how to change your life for good. It’s a perfect way to start living a fulfilled life!

Final thoughts

Finally, it’s quite understandable how stressful it can be to apply all the tips discussed above. But you can choose just as many as you can and START implementing them.

Remember, to change your life is a gradual and continuous process. Therefore, always take it one step at a time.

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June 22, 2020
How To Get Out Of A Rut In Life And Get Back On Track
As long as you are a human on earth, then you will relate to this. Virtually everyone has that moment of turbulence, that period of trials, that time when everything is seemingly in shambles. When you find yourself in such a situation, when you feel stuck in problems, how do you deal with it? Do you remain in self-doubt or do you find ways of shaking it off and bouncing back? We share our top tips on how to get out of a rut in life if you’re feeling stuck and how to get back on track.

How to get out of a rut in life

One fact is that life itself operates based on balance. At least if you observe closely, you’ll notice that. For every “A”, there is a “Z”. Also, for every rain, there is sunlight, for every darkness, there is light and for every beginning, there is an end.

You might have been dealing with some real-life issues; like when you have several pressing needs, yet your finances are not encouraging. You see yourself far from achieving your goals, your relationship is in shambles, or maybe you are nowhere near where you desire to be. Now, you feel too helpless because, despite all this chaos, you still have no clue about what to do next.

Always remember that those things are part of life. They happen from time to time. But they don’t last forever because life is a movement. Nothing is constant or permanent!

You just have to keep your head high and hang on until the better days arrive. That is the greatest way to dance to the different tunes of life. Also, that’s a good way to maintain the balance that is needed to keep surviving.

You might not necessarily put an abrupt end to those difficulties. You just have to learn how to gradually shake them off, or manage them whenever they come.

However, it is actually not so easy to find a way out of those difficulties. It’s often a challenge to get back on track. Yes, that’s understandable.

But the good news is that it is very possible to get out of a rut in life. And as a matter of fact, that is the aim of this article (who would’ve guessed?). Let’s get started!

1. Examine Your Life To Ascertain Where, Why And How You Are Stuck

Yes, this is very crucial in those trying times. When you feel low-spirited, you obviously need some quiet time for yourself. You need to examine your life and assess your thoughts. Therefore, you should create the best time for you to meditate and think about this.

This meditation is important because you have to find out where you are stuck and how. It’s probably the most important step to take if you want to move forward.

While you reflect, ask yourself some questions like:
- What do I need to fix?
- Which area of my life is pulling me down?
- What do I need to quit?
- What are those things that no longer serve me?
- Why exactly am I stuck?
- What is the way forward?
- What am I doing right and what am I not doing right?
- Do I own my choices or are my choices dependent on others?
- What are those things that distract me?
- Do I care enough for myself, and my well being?
- Is there light for me at the end of the tunnel?
These questions will obviously make you understand the situation better.

By meditating in this manner, you will find out WHERE and HOW you went wrong, and hence, you can easily know WHY you are stuck.

That is a fundamental step to take to get to a solution.

2. Find Out The Things You Can Control

It is certain that there are things that are beyond your control in life. Paying attention to such things and trying so hard to control those things will only be counterproductive.

It’s high time you focused on only those things you can control or change. It will save you a lot of energy to be more productive.

The best way to ensure that you stick to only what you can control is by seeking to understand;
- Your behavioral makeup,
- Who you really are,
- Your disposition, and finally,
- Your strengths and weaknesses.
When you become self-aware in this manner, you can easily know what you can control and what you can’t. Only then can you channel your energy towards the things you can control and get the results you’re looking for.

3. Find Out Your Abilities And Use Them Where They Are Required

Now, this is very important. Especially if you are yet to acknowledge your abilities.

If you are into any activity, be it a job or a business, and you feel sad or unfulfilled, that means you are in the wrong place. It simply means your abilities don’t lie there. In other words, that is not where you are meant to be.

You have to figure out where your skills lie and chase it. Make maximum use of your abilities and stop wasting them where you shouldn’t. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons you’re in that rut is because you are in a place where your skills or abilities are not appreciated.

Therefore, discover your abilities and utilize them where they are required. You will certainly get out of that situation and become happier and fulfilled.

4. Be Positive

Remember, most times when you are passing through hard times, your motivation drops. You become more pessimistic than ever. You doubt yourself to the core… That is exactly why you remain in that rut! Because you have this negative voice in your head telling you that you can’t step out.

Those same negative thoughts will give you a thousand excuses to remain in that dull, nasty situation.

Until you fight those negative thoughts, until you become more positive about yourself, and until you start believing you can change your situation, then you can’t get out of that dark place.

5. Make It Fresh!

Many times, when life gets too boring, we fail to discover why. Sometimes, this is because we search for the reasons or solutions far away. It may be unknown to us that our problem is just within our territory and that the solution is not far-fetched.

A good example that befits this situation is living in an old room and using the same furniture for decades. If you occupy such a room, then you should not be surprised when your life feels strangely boring.

The environment you stay in can go a long way to affect your mood and general feelings. A neat environment will always make you happier. Therefore, take action and act differently this time.

You can start by changing that old furniture and doing some de-cluttering. You can change the look of things in the house by repainting the walls. Also, consider new decorations, and so on.

The idea is to make a difference. You may not know, but those little things matter a lot.

6. Discover The Source Of Your Inspiration

When you are inspired, you will surely make a change. Your life will be transformed for good. Now, the best way to get out of a rut in life is to discover the source of your inspiration.

Some people get inspired by reading motivational books or listening to podcasts that tell motivational stories. Yours might be to travel to a new place or to visit a museum and see some lovely artefacts.

There are lots of things that can inspire you, even things you never expected. Just try and find out what those things are. Once you do, you’ll see how interesting life will get.

7. Try Out Something New

You’ve obviously been doing stuff, but all your actions only take you round and round the same spot. You’ve been repeating the same thing that doesn’t work for you, and hence, your life became so boring over time.

Now is the right time to effect a change. Try something new. Go out of your normal circle, try something outside the box! By trying something new, you will get exposed to greater opportunities. You will have other options to try out. Dare to step outside of your comfort zone, that is the only place where growth happens.

Moreover, there is no better route to self-discovery than trying out something new. Remember, there are thousands of capacities in you, it only takes you to keep delving into different things to discover those capacities.

8. Embrace The Law Of Attraction

The main idea behind this law is that we bring upon ourselves what we channel our minds and energy to.

Life is all about different auras, vibes, and energies. Also, it’s a fact that you get what you give… When you give out positive energy, you attract positive energy. However, the moment the energy you emit is negative, all you’ll get in return will be negative.

Always remember that what you perceive your reality to be is what it becomes. It is now left for you to perceive your reality from a positive angle.

To ensure this, you have to embrace the law of attraction. It will help you shift your mindset towards the positive end. Ultimately, this will drive you to achieve whatever you want.

9. Let Go Of Past Unpleasant Memories

Now, this is the best tip for you to bounce back from that uneasiness and get back on track.

When you keep considering those nasty episodes that’s already in the past, there is no way you can bounce back, and consequently, you will not move on… You’ll simply remain stuck!

You have to find a way to let go of those memories. Though it might be difficult, you just have to put an effort towards it.
One way to make it easier for yourself is to get something more fun to think about whenever you have such unpleasant flashbacks. Get a new routine and dedicate those dull times to your new routines. You will surely feel better and move on for good as time goes on.

10. Stay Motivated

Are you anxious and really confused that you question almost everything? Also, do you keep doubting yourself or your ability to make a difference or reach your full potential?

Most particularly, you basically lack the urgency and drive to take a step out!

Well, being in that kind of condition can really get you stuck. That is because your drive and enthusiasm are declining or probably because you are afraid to fail.

The one way to change this situation is to find a reason to keep pushing.

And how can you do that?

It’s simply by staying motivated. But how?

Of course, there are lots of reasons to get back up and put yourself together. That same reason you are afraid to fail is the same reason you should get up and face your doubts and fears. You can always make your doubts and fears become your greatest motivation. Don’t let those keep you down!

11. Love And Appreciate Yourself

There is no way you can get yourself in one piece in order to get out of a rut in life if you don’t appreciate yourself.
Although it is very difficult to really love and appreciate yourself in those hard times, if you must get out of that situation, you must learn to see the good in you and appreciate it.

You can start by looking at the mirror and telling yourself things like;
- I’m bright and so is my future,
- I am beautiful/handsome,
- I’m smart,
- I don’t give up,
- I always bounce back,
- I’m positive about life, etc.
- Yes this is hard, but I can do hard things,
- I might not be where I want to be, and that’s okay, I will get there in time.
Even if those lovely things you tell yourself sound unreal to you, don’t stop saying them every day. With time, it will definitely get into your mind and you will eventually start to believe and appreciate yourself for good.

One of the reasons self-love is important to you is because it will boost your self-confidence. When you have confidence in yourself, you become more positive about your personality, your life, and even the people around you. With this kind of positive mindset, you will start to believe that you can achieve anything.

Now, what else do you need to get out of a rut in life if not to always believe you can?

That is the power of a positive mindset that comes with self-love!

Final Thoughts

Always remember that no matter the problem, no matter the situation, no matter how complicated it is, you can always make it out!

That rut in your life is just a phase. You can always get out of it if you get your mindset right, take the right actions, believe in yourself a little more, and stay motivated!

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June 17, 2020
10 Things To Do Before Bed Every Night As Part Of Your Evening Routine
Having a good evening routine can ensure you get enough rest and set you up for success the next day. Today we’ll look at 10 things to do before bed that you should try and make part of your evening routine.

After having that long, stressful day at work, you probably can’t wait to get home and relax, reunite with your family and get ready for the next day.

On the other hand, it’s also possible that you are so occupied that you rarely think of going home or relaxing. You have lots of engagements, in fact, “sleep” is the last thing on your mind.

Well, do you know that among all the things that are required to keep living fine, you really need sleep? Funny enough, enjoying a good night’s rest seems to be one of the easiest activities you can freely engage in. However, getting a really good rest is often not as easy as it sounds.

You must have heard people complaining of having sleepless nights due to; 1) Some Psychological health conditions like insomnia and anxiety, 2) Situations like having too much workload or 3) Other issues and challenges of life.

It feels relieving though to acknowledge the fact that most of these conditions above can be resolved by adopting some simple strategies, routines and lifestyle changes.

There are quite a number of necessary things to do before bed each night if you want to get a good rest and ultimately live a good life.

1. Put your body in the best condition

The first step to always take in the evening before bed is to prepare your body and condition yourself to be in the best physical state before sleep. I’m sure the question you’d be asking right now is “How?”

Of course, there are numerous ways you can condition your body to enhance sleep. Some of the many ways are:

Firstly, engage in simple exercises like stretching and twisting in the form of or similar to yoga. This is important especially if you sit in front of a desktop at work for over 8 hours every day. Stretching out will definitely make you feel better and will also relieve you from the resulting body aches due to extended hours of sitting. You’ll be better conditioned to sleep afterwards.

After you have completed the exercise, bathing is another activity that sets your body in the mood for sleep. That soothing feeling you derive from drawing a warm bath can only make you relax and sleep with ease. Also, make it a routine to brush your teeth every night before bed. You will surely feel refreshed the next morning.

Another way to put your body in the best state for sleep is by dressing comfortably to bed. Ensure your nightwear is not too tight (yep, even if you need to look sexy when you go to bed, go for loose-fitting clothes). Preferably, the clothes should be made of cotton material. This will ensure you don’t feel too hot or too cold at night.

2. Put your mind in the best condition

You don’t only get your body ready for sleep but your mind too. One simple way to condition your mind for sleep is to clear it of all the problems, anxiety and mental stress you experienced during the day. In order to achieve this:
- Meditate and reflect on your daily activities.
- Write in a journal.
- Record your wins and losses.
- Map out ways you intend to recover from the losses.
- Take a deep breath and reassure yourself that you will get better.
If you are religiously inclined, another good way of reflecting and meditating is by saying silent prayers before bed. While praying, you will definitely think and remember your daily achievements and be thankful for them. Also, you’ll remember your losses and ask God to take control over the situation. Therefore, you can also pray before you sleep at night if it brings you comfort.

3. Put your sleeping environment in the best condition

Another thing to do before bed is to set a comfortable environment for sleep.
- Make your bed.
- Ensure your sheets are clean and smell nice.
- Switch off the lights or ensure the room is dimly lit.
- Tidy the room.
- Ensure the room is well ventilated.
- Make the temperature not too cold or hot.
- Limit noise to its barest minimum.
Conditioning your room in this manner will make sleeping more pleasurable. Also, adopting this as a lifestyle will make you peaceful, happier and healthier.

4. Watch your foods and beverages

The type and quantity of food we eat, as well as the type of beverages we drink before bed can go a long way to affect our sleep in one way or another.

Talking about foods, experts generally advise that you eat very little before bed. If you must eat a heavy meal, then make sure you do so earlier. Don’t consume too much carbohydrates/starch as they are too bulky. Note that it takes the body a lot of time and energy to digest bulky foods. Now, you don’t want to stress your body digesting bulky food while sleeping, it will definitely be counterproductive.

For beverages, you should avoid caffeinated drinks. Caffeine is known to stimulate the central nervous system. It keeps you highly alert. If you want to sleep appropriately, then you don’t need any drink that contains caffeine. According to Pharmacological findings, some of the adverse effects of caffeine include: dizziness, nervousness, insomnia, headaches, etc. I’m sure you don’t want any of those to interrupt your sleep!

5. Read

Reading is one ideal activity that befits evenings. Being an eclectic reader can help ease you from stress-related anxiety and nervousness.

Apart from the fact that it is a form of exercise to the brain which enhances memory and the brain’s capacity to: concentrate, coordinate and assimilate, reading also gives you a sort of relaxation that is only second to that of sleep. Have you ever wondered why you often feel sleepy whenever you pick up a book to read in the evening? That is because reading can actually give you the relaxation you need to fall asleep.

6. Put away your electronic gadgets

Whether you have been reading all evening with your phone or you’ve been socializing with friends on social media or you’ve been checking your emails, you should know when to shut down. Preferably, do it several minutes before bedtime; at least 15 minutes.

The lights from your phone, desktop or laptop do not aid your ability to fall asleep; especially when your eyes get exposed to such lights for a long period in the evening.

In recent times, many people complain of sore eyes or temporary impairment of vision after spending hours on digital gadgets. The reason for this is the blue light that these gadgets emit. Those lights also suppress hormones that enhance sleep. This is evident from a recent study which shows that people who read via electronic gadgets like phones or laptops find it more difficult to fall asleep than those who read (hardcover) books.

Having taken note of this, it is important for you to use your gadgets sparingly during evening hours to enable you to sleep optimally. In order to implement this, you can set an alarm that will notify you when to power down your electronics, including your television. Finally, obey the alarm and stick to the time. Shut down.

7. Conclude and complete your tasks for the day

Whatever has a beginning also has an end. As the day gradually draws to night, you should start rounding off your daily activities.

Start by closing from work just on time. This will enable you to get home earlier and start off preparations to go to bed earlier. Also, you will have enough allocation of time to spend with your family which is also very important for conditioning yourself for a good sleep.

Most importantly, it’s necessary to finish up your work for the day; including the tasks you might have carried home from your office. Surely, you don’t want to start the next day with the workload of the previous day.

As a matter of fact, you cannot sleep comfortably if you have some pressing tasks you’ve not attended to. And if you eventually keep carrying your tasks over to the next day, the workload might accumulate to the point that it becomes both physically and psychologically unhealthy for you.

The sense of accomplishment that you would derive from completing your daily tasks before bed will not only make your sleep more relaxing, but it will also make you a joyous person; you will always be in a great mood.

8. Plan for tomorrow

Among the things to do before bed, you as a person should envision tomorrow and plan ahead for it. By doing this, you’re getting ready for tomorrow and whatever comes with it.

Planning ahead will give you the confidence that tomorrow will not be overwhelming and that you are equal to the task. You will feel confident to say “I’ve got this” because you’re better prepared.

One good strategy of planning ahead is to set minor goals that you’d like to achieve the next day. These minor goals should be in line with the bigger/ultimate goal which you intend to achieve in the long run.

For instance, if you are a final year student whose ultimate goal is to graduate, your task (minor goal) for the next day might be to read up some topics in a particular course. Although those few topics you read will not qualify you to graduate, it’s a step in the right direction. It is a simple plan that will get you on the right track tomorrow.

In essence, when you plan for the next day before you retire to bed, your sleep will be more peaceful because you are already confident that tomorrow will be well handled.

9. Ensure your mind and household is at peace

You must be familiar with the notion that “you don’t sleep with bitterness in your heart”. As simple as this might sound, it’s worth considering.

Before you go to bed each night, ensure you are happy. Build positive energy within you. Forgive any offender and ask for forgiveness if you’re guilty. Be at peace with yourself and your household.

This is not about the religious preaching of love. Rather, it’s about generating and distributing positive energy within your household. By doing so, you will definitely be in the right frame of mind to sleep and you’ll wake up a happier person.

Making this your lifestyle will not only affect your sleep positively, but it will also affect your life and existence in a positive way.

10. Early to bed…

Benjamin Franklin once insinuated that when you retire early to bed, it results in you rising early, being healthy and getting wise. I agree with him on that (I mean, it’s Benjamin Franklin?).

The body needs at least 7 hours of sound sleep to be revitalized and to recover from the wear and tear resulting from the stress experienced during your daily activities.

When you sleep on time, you will likely enjoy the full revitalizing period and hence, you’ll wake up the next day stronger.

However, sometimes, sleeping early could get difficult. Especially if you are typically not used to that. In this case, you don’t have to stress it. All you have to do is ensure you do not consume any stimulant like caffeine. Also, ensure you adhere to the steps already discussed above. You can indulge further in those activities that condition the body and environment for you to sleep; like switching off the lights and doing away with noise. You’ll eventually fall asleep.

In situations where you can’t sleep due to health reasons, consult your doctor or psychologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Final thoughts

To conclude this article, I’ve got to emphasize on the importance of having a good night’s rest. For the fact that you work hard every day, you strive to survive and to be happy, and you pass through a lot of stress just to be alive, then, you should not forget to give your body what it deserves (sleep).

The electronic gadgets we use every day often need to be charged, remember? The same thing is applicable to you and I; we all need time to recharge and that’s exactly what sleep does to our bodies.

Above all, endeavor to familiarize yourself with the tips discussed above if you must learn the right things to do every night before bed.

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June 10, 2020
11 Tips On How To Invest In Yourself And Change Your Life
Life is meaningless if you don’t add value to it. A life without value is like living in a cold, dark room. Sunlight in this case is like the “value” needed to light-up such a life and bring warmth to it (yeah, yeah, I can be inspirational when I want to be). Today we’ll be looking at how to invest in yourself in the best possible way to improve your life.

When the word “value” is mentioned, it doesn’t necessarily mean money. Although people attach value to money, there are many other things that are of value; money is just one of them.

Anything that makes life desirable and worthwhile is valuable. People can pay a lot and sacrifice so much to acquire such value. This money they pay and the sacrifices they make in order to acquire value is known as investment.

As a valuable person, people will definitely seek you at all cost; they will be willing to pay you whatever it takes. But mind you, they only seek you because of the value you can offer. In other words, they only seek your value. Hence, such value that you possess will attract wealth, fame and success to you.

The question now is; how can you become valuable enough to be of high demand? The simple answer is By Investing In Yourself.

How To Invest In Yourself

Most people desire to be valuable. In fact, everybody wants to be sought after. The problem is that many don’t know how to go about it. But they’re unaware that it all begins with the commonest, simplest things which they can actually do.

On a broad scale, the two categories of people that exist in life are (A) People who live for the moment and (B) People who live for the future.

In most cases, the difference between these two categories of people is that the first are only concerned about the present, with no plans or key decisions to improve themselves and ensure a better tomorrow. While the others are focused on investing heavily in themselves to change their lives for good and make their future desirable. On this note, it is not wrong to argue that the difference between people who enjoy better lives and those who are struggling is decision making.

Want to know more? Read further to get 11 tips on how to invest in yourself and change your life!

1. Develop a mindset that only seeks for value

Because everything you do starts from your mind, the best way to invest in yourself is to develop a mindset that only craves for value.

Before you do anything, think first about what it can add to your life. If it adds nothing, then it’s not for you. If it doesn’t improve something about you, then it’s a NO for you.

Once you develop this mindset, you have simply invested in your thoughts, making them rich. Now, your rich thoughts will yield positive outcomes which will in turn become a good investment for your individuality. Every other thing will follow suit.

2. Be open to continuous learning

You learn everyday by gathering more and more information and knowledge. Sometimes, you learn because you want to, but other times, you learn even without being aware of it.

However, if you really want to add value to yourself through self-investment, then you have to make conscious efforts to avail yourself to new ideas. Doing this will help you add to your wealth of knowledge and information.

Always seek to know more and don’t ever assume you know enough already. Endeavor to learn from everything you do at any given time because no knowledge can ever be a waste.

There’s a mantra which says that “Knowledge is power”. And another quote has it that “Information is the key to success”. I totally agree with both quotes. Knowledge and information are like different sides of one coin as they work hand-in-hand. The more information you accumulate, the more knowledge you obtain.

In fact, any useful knowledge or information has the capacity to change your life positively.

3. Acquire a skill

Skill acquisition is arguably the most prominent self-development strategy you can think of. Especially in the 21st century. Like I implied earlier, people seek you only when you have value. Today, as it stands, one of the greatest values people can boast of is the skills they have.

We live in an age where human’s wants/needs are unlimited and life is all about the amount of human needs/wants you as an individual can satisfy. You are only valuable to the extent of the problems you can solve. It is therefore important to invest in yourself by acquiring a skill.

4. Improve your skills

So you have acquired a skill, that’s great. But another question to ask is; even with that skill, how skillful are you?

You can only think about improving your skills and taking it seriously if you understand the fact that you are not the only person with such skills. There are many people who offer the same skills as you.

You have to find a way to improve your value by standing out uniquely. Invest in yourself by going for professional courses related to your field, attend seminars and listen to higher professionals. By doing this, you are simply getting better and as a result, you’ll continue to master your art.

5. Read worthy books

It’s one thing to read, but it’s another thing to read something worthwhile. For the purpose of this post, something worthwhile is that which is valuable. You can say that value is subjective, because you can choose to attach value to anything you wish. But one thing is certain; what you decide to “value” can only either be positive or negative.

Therefore, if you must read books, read positive ones. Read books that will impact your life meaningfully.

It is disappointing though, that the digitization of our contemporary world now makes it harder for people to have an interest in reading. Many, if not most, simply value watching TV shows more than reading books. I am not saying that you can’t acquire knowledge from TV shows but the truth is that most times, such shows are strictly for entertainment.

However, a lot of hidden information that can change your life for good is not found in the entertainment industries but is contained in books. And only those who are geared towards reading quality books can have such information. Remember, readers they say, are leaders.

6. Use social media to your own advantage

The world has been reduced to a global village through the invention of social media. People across the globe easily connect with each other. This makes social media a place where you can associate with people as well as build relationships and bonds. Social Media is also a world of entertainment and fun.

However, lately, platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have gradually transformed into hubs of unrefined information and knowledge. In addition, your skills and businesses can easily be advertised on these platforms.

Therefore, for you to use social media to your advantage, it shouldn’t be for the purpose of creating bonds and relationships only. It should also be for the purpose of boosting your skills through exposure to useful information and advertising your business for greater visibility and outreach. What investment can be greater than that?

7. Stay out of debt

Staying out of debt is a very big investment. For most low and moderate income earners, it’s quite difficult to be debt-free. This is because many of us live from paycheck to paycheck. By the time we get our salary, we would have accumulated enough debt that leaves us with nothing after paying up. Instead, we end up owing.

If you are indebted to someone, you can’t fully assert that you are in charge of your life. Also, you can’t save, you can’t invest and you can’t guarantee a better life in the near future.

The best way to emancipate yourself from the shackles of indebtedness is to budget and spend according to your earnings. It might be difficult though, but very possible.

8. Save up and invest

By the time you have conquered the problem of indebtedness, your next focus should be on how to make meaningful savings and how to invest in yourself via your savings.

In order to save, simple economics will encourage you to budget and spend below your earnings. When you have gathered enough savings, don’t hesitate to invest. Remember, the greatest investment is the one you invest in yourself.

As a career person, you can use part of your savings to go for professional courses and certifications to improve your skills and marketability. Also, invest in a business; create a side hustle to enable you earn from multiple sources.

Yes, doing all this might not be all that easy, but by giving it a try and taking these measures, your life will definitely undergo a significant change.

9. Don’t procrastinate

One of the worst things that have robbed a lot of people of the opportunity to make it big in life is procrastination. As a matter of fact, most people that struggle today definitely had a time they could have invested in themselves, but for some reason, they opted not to. They saw reasons to procrastinate…

If you must learn how to invest in yourself, then you must do away with whatever wastes your time. And, actually, nothing wastes your time more than procrastination.

Discipline yourself and avoid distractions. Learn to be tactical and swift in making decisions. One good standard you should maintain when deciding on anything is to consider if the decision will add value to your individuality or not. Once you decide it will be incremental to your quality, then don’t hesitate. Go for it!

10. Make your health a priority

I’m sure you’re familiar with the 2-word mantra: “Health First”. Basically, it means that health comes before any other thing. You have to be healthy before you can take further steps to invest in yourself. Besides, there is no better way to invest in yourself than to stay healthy. That is undoubtedly the greatest self-investment one can embark on.

Taking care of yourself doesn’t stop at consuming medicine when you are sick. It starts from the proactive measures you take to avoid falling sick. It involves adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as: exercising frequently, observing good domestic and personal hygiene, eating a healthy balanced diet, going for regular medical checkups, avoiding self-medication, taking a break at intervals to avoid accumulated stress… and so many other things.

Remember, it’s only when you are healthy today that you can live to invest for tomorrow.

11. Surround yourself with people of value and substance

Do you know that the people you surround yourself with can go a long way in determining your fate in life?

There are people whose presence in your life can only yield positive outcomes. People who are like your partners in ideology and business, not just friends for the sake of it. They are the kinds of friends whose intelligence is infectious. Being around them alone sharpens your brain.

Such friends give priceless advice, and they motivate you to become a better version of yourself. They are empathetic enough to grieve with you and be merry with you when the situation calls for it. They are people who are always there during both sunny and rainy days.

Do what it takes to maintain such relationships. Invest in such friendships as much as you can because it’s just as important as investing in yourself.

Final thoughts

Having digested the tips above, I’m sure you now realize how important it is to invest in yourself. It is a prerequisite to change your life for good.

Now, ask yourself this question: If people can invest in businesses and obtain profits, if governments can invest in the economy/infrastructure and obtain high economic and infrastructural development, then, why can’t you invest in yourself?

Learning how to invest in yourself has a lot to do with decision making. Now, your first decision after reading this article should be to implement the tips discussed above. That, my friend, is a wise decision.

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June 5, 2020
How To Have An Abundance Mindset: 10 Habits To Cultivate
Your mindset is a determinant of how your life is and will eventually be. Today we’ll look at how you can start to have an abundance mindset instead of a scarcity mindset.

According to Steve Maraboli, “Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.”

What does this tell us? It simply means that if you want to live an abundant life, then you need to adopt an abundance mindset. If you want to be rich, then you’ve got to think rich. If you want to be sexy, then you’ve got to have a sexy mindset (for some reason, that sounds really sexy).

Stephen Covey defined the term abundance mindset or abundance mentality in his book, The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People. He said it is “A concept in which a person believes there are enough resources and successes to share with others.”

He also mentioned the opposite of abundance mentality which is scarcity mentality: “People with a scarcity mentality tend to see everything in terms of win-lose. There is only so much; and if someone else has it, that means there will be less for me. The more principle-centered we become, the more we develop an abundance mentality, and the more we are genuinely happy for the successes, well-being, achievements, recognition and good fortune of other people. We believe their success adds to, rather than detracts from our lives.”

Scarcity mentality makes a person believe that opportunities are few and that another has to lose for him or her to win, without considering the possibility that all parties could win, which eventually leads them to having complacency, doubt and indifference and in turn leads to failure.

How to have an abundance mindset

In order to live a successful life, you need to be constant and intentional about developing your emotional and spiritual life. Having an abundance mindset allows you to take full advantage of any opportunity that comes your way, get your creative juices flowing, and live a happy and satisfying life.

It is true that you can’t just wish things into existence or reality, but when you wish for things, you must take certain steps towards making your wish a reality. Some of these steps include being positive, practicing gratitude, welcoming open mindedness and the likes. In one word, it means having an abundant lifestyle.

On your journey to learning how to have an abundance mindset, you must understand that abundance isn’t about having an excess of resources at your disposal, instead it is about having a deep level of satisfaction in your mind, soul and heart. You must be willing to care for yourself and others around you. You must be ready to believe and accept that you deserve the best and you have the power to get it.

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Rhonda Byrne said, “People who have drawn wealth into their lives used The Secret, whether consciously or unconsciously. They think thoughts of abundance and wealth, and they do not allow any contradictory thoughts to take root in their minds.”

If you truly want to learn how to have an abundance mindset, here are 10 efficient and practical tips that will help you:

1. Focus on Positivity

As humans, we tend to be more aware of the bad things that are happening in our lives than the good. We worry so much about not having a car or a lot of money (or a rich boyfriend or husband) that we forget about the gift of life and health. In order to cultivate an abundance mindset, you need to be optimistic and focus on the positive things that are going on in your life.

When you are faced with a difficulty, look at it as a puzzle that you need to find a solution to instead of seeing it as an obstacle that won’t allow you to reach your goals. Adopt a win-win mentality. Someone else doesn’t necessarily have to lose for you to win; look for collaborations instead of competitions.

The moment you begin to focus on the good things that are going on in your life, your mind will be opened to the possibility of better things to come. For example, if you don’t have a job, don’t focus on the fact that you don’t have one, instead focus and think about the abundance of possibilities in the world to get a job or create a job for yourself. You will be surprised at how ideas and opportunities will begin to present themselves to you out of the blue.

Don’t hesitate to spread positivity to others also. Zig Ziglar said, “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”

2. Always practice gratitude

Constantly practicing gratitude is a very powerful tool that most people tend to ignore. When you learn to be grateful for the food you have to eat, the shelter you have over your head and the air you breathe, this easily turns your bad mood into a good one and helps you focus on more positive things.

Make it a habit to appreciate something you have in your life everyday when you wake up. If possible, get a journal and write down at least 10 things you are grateful for everyday, no matter how little. Just as Eileen Caddy said, “Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.”

3. Be open minded

A very important habit that you must cultivate on your path to learning how to have an abundance mindset, is having an open mind to things. If you close your mind to just one thing or one line of thought, you are hindering yourself from seeing and exploring other possibilities.

To have an abundance mindset, you need to be willing to see things from a different point of view and be open to change. According to A.J Darkhor, “Always hear others out and remain open-minded; the day you think you know everything is the day you have the most yet to learn.”

4. Be organized

One of the best ways to achieve and maintain an abundance mindset is to be organized. Take control of your schedule and prioritize your important activities. Clean your environment and declutter your workspace. When you are organized, your workflow will go smoothly and you are ultimately welcoming an abundance mindset.

5. Don’t compare yourself to others

It’s okay to admire what other people have and to wish for better things and work towards acquiring them, but one thing that will hinder you from having an abundance mindset is comparing yourself to others.

It might be difficult not to, especially if these people are constantly flaunting their achievements and possessions in your face, but you need to realize that we were all created differently and our lives are set at a different pace. People only post their “best life” on social media, they hardly ever post the ugly, so don’t let what you see on social media make you feel like you are not doing enough.

If you feel yourself constantly scrolling through social media and comparing yourself to one person or the other, then it’s high time you take a break and feed your mind with more positive content.

In the words of Suzy Kassem, “Whatever your passion is, keep doing it. Don’t waste time chasing after success or comparing yourself to others. Every flower blooms at a different pace. Excel at doing what your passion is and only focus on perfecting it. Eventually people will see what you are great at doing, and if you are truly great, success will come chasing after you.”

Desist from comparing yourself to others and welcome an abundance mindset into your life.

6. Be Generous

To cultivate an abundance mindset, you need to learn to give. There is a sense of achievement that comes with being able to help a person in need, how much more the joy you would bring to their heart through the simple act of giving.

It’s not only money or material things that you can give out, but you can also give your time, energy, positivity, advice, knowledge, volunteering, e.t.c.

By having abundance, it means you have enough to yourself and more than enough to give out, so don’t hesitate to be generous with what you have. If you want to attract greater things to yourself, then you need to open your hands and heart towards giving to others.

7. Be growth oriented

In order to have an abundance mindset, you must be constantly ready to up your game and be on top of your game in anything you do. You must be willing to learn new things and widen your horizons.

You must also believe that your basic abilities can be developed into greater things through hard work, dedication, and persistence, supported with your brains and talent. When you are growth oriented, you are directly aiming for an abundance mindset.

8. Surround yourself with people that have an abundance mindset

In order to have an abundance mindset, you need to constantly walk and surround yourself with people who already have that mindset. Be selective of whose company you keep.

By surrounding yourself with people who have an abundance mindset, you are also attracting it to yourself and the positivity, creativity, generosity and organized attitude of these people will rub off on you.

You know that saying, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are?” Well, it’s not just something parents say to their kids to sound wise. It’s legit. Nonetheless, do feel free to say it to your kids so you sound wise! We won’t judge you.

9. Don’t waste your time

If you want to live an abundant life, then you must learn to always put your time to good use. Time is precious and it waits for no one. The earlier you realize that and you begin to work in line with it, the better for you.

Use your time to do important things that will contribute to your all round development. Avoid anything or anyone that would serve as a time waster to you. Do the difficult tasks first, and watch the smaller ones fall into place. Invest your time in doing the things that make you happy. And yes, have some fun and enjoy yourself.

Make sure that you make the most of every minute you have. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in life is to waste your time.

10. Give yourself a constant reminder

When you have an abundance mindset, in order to keep up with it and not slip back into your former way of life, you need to constantly remind yourself of it and why you adopted it in the first place.

Read books, watch videos and listen to podcasts that will constantly help you to keep up with your abundance mindset. Stay away from anything or anyone that would pollute your thoughts.

You can also create affirmations to serve as a constant reminder for yourself. In the words of Bryant McGill, “You can become instantly successful with a simple thought, but long-lasting and pronounced success comes to those who renew their commitment to a mindset of abundance every minute of every hour of every day.”

Finally, you must look out for any scarcity mindset you have and work on replacing it with an abundance mindset. Now, you may not even know that you have a scarcity mindset. Make a habit of listening to your thoughts and really feeling your feelings.

Some common examples of scarcity mindsets include:
- Always feeling like the victim
- Constantly feeling angry, unhappy, impatient and powerless
- Having a narrow mind and always being confused
Once you are able to identify these scarcity mindsets, replace them with the abundance mindset and then top it off with the other tips on how to have an abundance mindset explained above.

I assure you, there will be something entirely different about the way you relate to people and situations. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when people start asking you what your secret is.

You might also want to check out:
Don’t forget to pin these 10 tips on how to have an abundance mindset for later!

Now, don’t keep it to yourself! Be sure to share—that’s the point of having an abundance mindset!

You can pin it to your abundance or manifestation board on Pinterest or share it to your favorite social media platform. Thank you!

Note: This post originally appeared as 10 Tips On How To Have An Abundance Mindset on MindHerWay.com.
June 1, 2020
10 Cute and Easy DIY Nail Art Ideas

There are so many cute, unique and easy DIY nail art ideas out there that can be formed by the most basic of shapes such as dots and lines. Here I’ve compiled a list of nail art ideas that you can easily do at home, mix and match the colors to your liking to form your own designs.

Neon Polka Dot Nails

Found from Girlterest, this is a really cute way to brighten up black nails, these neon dots stand out on the dark base color.

Negative Space Stripes

With the use of some striping tape, you can create some really cool and unique designs. Just love this clean and minimal design from Lulus.

Black and Gold Nails

Again with the use of some thin tape as well as a sponge, this tutorial by BeautifulShoes shows how you can create a fashionable black and gold combination for your nails.

Fizzy Fun Nails

Super adorable nail art using only dots of varying sizes, this Fizzy Fun tutorial is brought to you by TheBeautyDepartment. Mix and match the colors and size of the dots to match your own unique style.

Fashionable Quilted Nails

Using a simple dotting technique, you can easily recreate this quilted nails look from Lulus. Easy to do and it looks super stylish!

Adorable Lady Bugs

Found from CasadePolish, who wouldn’t love this cute lady bug design. It’s fresh, fun and super adorable and showcases your playful side.

Newsworthy Nails

Creating your very own newspaper nail art is easier than you think! Cutepolish shows how you can use some newspaper clippings and rubbing alcohol to achieve this lovely look!

Fan Brushed Nails

If you’ve got an old fan brush lying around, why not use it to create this unique striped look from iCreativeIdeas? Using as many colors as you like, you can create your own unique look.

Flower Power

Found from Trend2Wear, this is another really cute and feminine design you can easily recreate using dots of varying sizes. They use a stud for the center of the flower, but you can just as easily use a dot of gold nail polish.

Cat-tastic Nails

Just love this adorable black cat nail design from LuLus! It may look intimidating, but they give some really simple steps to easily recreate this cat-tastic look.

Hey, don’t forget to pin & share these easy DIY nail art designs!

May 29, 2020
12 Signs You Are On The Wrong Path In Life And Should Change Direction
Your instincts are one of the major similarities you share with animals. Because of your developed brain, they warn you about a lot of things that do not pertain to your environment. In other words, any immediate danger. Sometimes they take warnings a step further, into the mental world. Like giving you signs you are on the wrong path in life and it’s time to change direction.

Your brain can warn you about the unsatisfactory nature of things that you haven’t started. It can warn you when you are making a commitment that will go bad—very bad. You will feel very uncomfortable when you are doing something you don’t like at all, something that gives you no joy whatsoever, and especially, when you are on the wrong path in life.

Often, you assume that these signs you get will pass so you ignore them and actively seek to repress them. And yes, they do pass sometimes, the signs can fade after a while. But, signs that we ignore always have a trigger, some event, even just a word will light the ignition and the signs will be active once again.

In order to avoid this, first, you need to seek to be one with your instincts. Don’t ever try to suppress what you feel. It never pays off in the long run.

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Signs you might be on the wrong path in life

In this article, you will see what signs your senses give and how to identify them! Let’s get on with it, shall we?

1. Lack of interest

When you are doing things that bring you no joy, that is a clear sign you are on the wrong path in life. You feel zero drive to do these tasks, no inspiration and you really do not even care about them. If it’s work, you just want to get the day over with and leave the premises as soon as the clock strikes 5.

This lack of interest is usually the first sign you will get, but many times, it is the most ignored. Why? Perhaps it’s because of the pay involved and this is what keeps you giving your all. Or it could be due to expectations of the family that make you stay on a job since you do not want to let your family down. So you take the job even if you have no interest in it.

Sadly, this is the reality of many of us in the world of today—this lack of interest. Now, what are the repercussions? Firstly, there is no peace when you work. Secondly, others who cannot read minds to see that you are not interested in what you are doing, will blindly judge you as being lazy and this will have a terrible impact on your reputation.

Therefore, the best thing to do is to not take a job you hate in the first place. But what if it’s too late? There’s still hope, if your occupation will not let you leave, there are ways to add what actually brings you joy to your daily activities. Even if it is for an hour before bed, it will go a long way to making you happy.

In the long run, this happiness you feel will seep into the activity you didn’t feel interested in, and you will find yourself giving it your all just so you can go back to that which brings you peace.

It might take a while to come to terms with the fact that you are perhaps on the wrong path but when it hits, and you work on it, you are slowly coming off the wrong path.

2. The need to escape your life

You may fall into a state of sadness over decisions taken and those ignored. The realization that you are on the wrong path can be absolutely overwhelming. It can force you to turn to substances or escape mechanisms (for example overeating or over-Netflixing) that will relieve you of the crushing reality you face. But sadly this is only temporary.

That’s the thing with escape mechanisms, no matter how many times they are used, the effects do not last. And when we come back to reality, we find that the problems we tried running from are still here. But that is why addiction sets in—the need to always escape.

This indicates that you are on the wrong path in life, but fortunately, this can also be corrected. Mind you, the use of these substances may seem normal but once it starts impeding your daily activities, it becomes a problem that must be solved. How can you go about this? If this is the case for you, you have already begun, the very realization that you can be better is the first step and requires the most courage. Congratulations.

Now, the next step will be slightly harder but you have taken the first step, you’ve got this. The next step is a slow detachment from the things that seem like they have a hold over you. Start small, an hour, several hours, then move to one day, then several days. Psychology says that if we can stay away from something for 17-27 days we have fully conquered it.
Nonetheless, I believe everyone is different and we deal with different types of addiction at different paces. So don’t feel pressured or downcast if you don’t feel relieved from your specific escape mechanism after 27 days of abstinence! Keep pushing.

One thing I know for sure is, if you’re not happy with your life, the solution isn’t to find temporary relief by escaping your life, but rather to create a life you won’t need or want to escape from.

3. You get angry at almost everything

Another telling sign that you are on the wrong path is that every day, the slightest and most especially the most negligible of things annoy you. Someone stepping on you in a crowded park can set you off instantly. Someone making a harmless joke about you can blow off a fuse.

These signs are normal for when we are not comfortable with our current environment and they can be controlled. The best way to see it is that getting angry at the problem never really solves it.

4. You feel unexplainable fatigue

When you are doing something that doesn’t make you happy, getting up at dawn itself can be a herculean task. You feel so tired when doing even the slightest of tasks, and you question why it has to be this way.

That is a very scary point in life to be in but I am of the opinion that there is no situation that cannot be improved. So at this point, you can still find that reason you need to get up and move forward. Once you can do little things and that fatigue isn’t there, you have won.

5. You seek change

When you feel no motivation toward the things you do, you are normally inclined to seek change but many times this change is not easily obtainable. This can be frustrating on its own and can push us to the wall. It becomes worse when you feel like you are on the wrong path; your soul will constantly scream for change.

This is an early indicator and you should try your best to pay heed to it. Change begins when you decide to do the things that will bring you peace. Seek out what will bring your mind rest and cling to it.

6. You feel envious of others

You may often catch yourself wishing to be another person. What could that person have that you so covert? Many times, especially when we are on the wrong path in life, the answer is simple, it’s freedom. You envy their simple lives and how they can just do whatever they want.

It’s natural to be envious when you look at certain people but you should also remember that we all lead lives and they are more than they seem when viewed from other perspectives that aren’t our own. All humans have their own troubles and no one is free of them.

7. You often feel pain

When you are not doing things that make you happy there is this pain that is always attached. Incessant headaches occur from just thinking about it, restlessness ensues and sleepless nights are more frequent. These signs simply indicate that you are not on the right path.

People who feel like this are way better when they break free from the confines that placed them in such positions. The best way is to stop whatever it is that brings you this pain. However, it is never as simple as ABC. I recommend a slow approach, just in case you cannot seem to identify what brings the pain. Time always reveals all faults.

8. Sour relationships

When you are not happy with your current state, it is only a matter of time before it reflects in your relationships with others. You are no longer the pleasant friend everyone enjoyed being with. Now your gloom seems to have pushed everyone away.

It is a very terrible thing when others have to become casualties of our inner wars. If you have hurt people because of the positions you were in, it is highly advisable to reach out and set things straight. That is what a good human being who is trying his or her best to become a better person will do. And that is what you are.

9. You always hunt for approval

When you aren’t happy, you often seek pleasure by looking towards others. You want to do everything to please them. This is very destructive in itself since you ignore what you need and you ignore yourself just because you want others to be happy. But keep in mind that human beings are insatiable creatures and as such, nothing will absolutely please them. You can set yourself on fire and people will complain that you aren’t bright enough.

Constantly seeking to please others never goes well in the long run. It is very important that sometimes you put yourself first. Yes, learn to be selfish sometimes, there is nothing wrong with that.

10. You see no need to celebrate yourself

So, perhaps you see your achievements as meager and nothing special. Well, dear friend, this doesn’t signify humility. This does not even mean you want to blow what you have achieved out of proportion. In this case, when you are unhappy, you tend to look down on yourself so even if your victories seem well deserved, you often think that what you have achieved could have been better off with someone else.

This type of mentality stems from the lack of happiness with what you are doing and is an indicator that you are on the wrong path. It is very advisable that you take a step back and reassess yourself.

11. You cannot recognize yourself anymore

Many times you do not know who you are. You are lost in this void that bothers you, this sense of helplessness assails you and you do not recognize the being in the mirror.

This is a common indicator of a path that is not favourable for you. It can be overwhelming but you can break free from it and come out stronger than ever! What you need to realise is that you are unique and there can never be another you. Take things slowly and do not overexert yourself when it seems like you cannot figure things out. Everything will eventually align.

12. You do not feel peace

When you are faced with situations that bring no happiness, it is only natural that you are no longer at peace with yourself. Your mental state may also be on the decline in situations like these.

Your peace should be prioritized above everything else. I am in full support that you walk away from anything and everything that seems to threaten your inner peace. Walking away might be hard but in the end, it is usually the best decision you could have ever made. Give yourself that gift.

In conclusion, I hope that you see that not all masterpieces are easily understood so it is very normal if you do not understand yourself sometimes. Don’t feel disturbed because all stars align for those who look into the sky long enough. Give yourself time and start taking slow, deliberate action towards changing your life.

You might also want to read about:
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May 28, 2020
How To Boost Self-Confidence: 15 Tips To Start Implementing Today
If you often feel that you’re not confident enough and are looking to change it, there are some steps you can take in order to do so. Today we’ll explore 15 tips on how to boost self-confidence that you can start implementing in your life starting today.

Sometimes, people underestimate what they can achieve. They feel like they are incapable of achieving particular things. This is similar to that feeling you get when you lose faith or belief in yourself. You become pessimistic where you can choose to be optimistic, you find reasons to withdraw where you can simply try…

If the above descriptions are similar to what you have experienced or are currently experiencing, then keep calm because you are not alone.

Having low or high self-confidence doesn’t just happen. Certain things must occur for one’s confidence to either grow or diminish.

How To Boost Self-Confidence

It is worth considering that some people grew up to be highly confident while others grew up to be relatively low in confidence. More often than not, such cases are as a result of their early socialization.

When growing up as a kid, if you were surrounded by people who exhibited high self-confidence, who created an enabling environment for your confidence to grow, and who believed in you and your abilities, you would likely adopt their strategies. You would exhibit high self-confidence even at a tender age and such confidence would continue till adulthood.

On the other hand, if you grew up among people who withdrew themselves from the society as a result of low self-esteem, people who didn’t believe in themselves or in you, you would most likely have low self-confidence even as an adult.

However, when trying out something new, I mean something you have little or no prior experience in, usually, you’ll be excited because you don’t know if you will succeed or fail. That first-time excitement is not necessarily because of low self-confidence, but simply a product of uncertainty.

Meanwhile, when your first attempt results in failure and you give up and conclude that you are simply not good enough, that is when low self-confidence comes into play!

That is to say, inasmuch as failure can be a contributing factor to low self-confidence, the greatest factor remains lack of perseverance. The more you persevere, the more likely it is for you to win and the more you win, the greater your confidence.

If you are a person who either grew up to be negatively influenced into having low self-confidence or yours is as a result of failure and lack of perseverance, then this article is for you.

We’ll be looking at 15 tips on how to boost self-confidence. Because even though people believe that self-confidence is something you are born with, on the contrary, it can be learnt and improved!

Don’t settle for the myth that you can’t do anything about it. Say it with me “Yes I can!”. Let’s dive right in.

1. Understand that it is not bad to try

One of the first steps to take if you want to boost your self-confidence is to consider the fact that trying is not bad. For the fact that there are two different, possible and inevitable outcomes anyway (either to succeed or fail), you have to give it a try. And even if you fail, you shouldn’t just give up.

As long as you see nothing bad in trying, failing once should not stop you from trying again and again. Once you develop this “always try again” mindset, your confidence will continue to rise with each success you eventually record.

I actually like the idea that there is no such thing as failure, there’s only gaining experience. So if you try something and it doesn’t work out, you haven’t failed, you only gained experience in knowing what doesn’t work. So now you can move forward and try something new.

2. Embrace optimism

Optimism plays a vital role in the development of self-confidence. Its importance can never be overrated. In order for you to believe in yourself to achieve anything (self-confidence), you have to first of all expect the best out of anything you want to attempt (aka optimism).

Moreover, being optimistic motivates you to get started because when you fully expect the best outcome, you will definitely be pushed to at least make an attempt.

As an optimist, you will always say “it’s possible” when others are saying “it’s impossible”. And by the time all you see is possibility, your confidence level will rise astronomically.

3. Embrace perseverance

Indeed, most confident people didn’t just gain self-confidence all of a sudden (I repeat, there is no such thing as being born with self-confidence). It took a lot of failures but persistence. They simply never gave up.

Even amidst failures, someone who doesn’t give up and who still finds reasons to keep pushing, is more likely to develop higher confidence with the progression of time. This is because their consistency will yield better results and those better results will improve their confidence.

In other words, although multiple failures can bring about low self-confidence, the greatest attitude that counteracts whatever failure brings to the table is perseverance.

4. Stay clean from the inside (embrace personal hygiene)

As little as it is, hygiene can play a big role in boosting self-confidence.

For example, one who practices poor oral hygiene might not be confident enough to stay close and hold a conversation because he may be uncomfortable with the resulting bad breath. The same is applicable to someone who does not bath regularly. A simple hug might become a big deal.

Moreover, regular household hygiene will give you enough confidence to welcome your friends whenever they feel like visiting.

Staying neat from the inside gives you confidence from within which will enhance your social life. In fact, if you can achieve something as little as cleanliness, then you can build on that to achieve even greater things.

5. Wear what makes you comfortable

There is a popular saying that the way you dress is the way you are addressed. Don’t just dress for the sake of it. Rather, dress in those clothes that make you feel great. Acknowledge what suits you and embrace it.

Note, I’m not saying you should dress to impress people, but rather, dress to satisfy yourself. It’s when you are satisfied with yourself as a result of your appearance that you’ll carry yourself in confidence, knowing fully well that you look good.

6. Love and appreciate yourself

Learn to appreciate your individuality. Love yourself and learn not to be too hard on yourself. As much as you are to accept your errors, don’t be your own worst critic if you really want to learn how to boost self-confidence. Criticizing yourself too much will only result in self-hate.

Now, remember the fact that no one believes in what he or she doesn’t love or appreciate. In other words, for you to be confident in yourself, you have to love and appreciate yourself first.

7. Learn to give to/help people

When you give to others or when you render help to people and end up solving their problem, thereafter, there is this sense of fulfillment that comes with it. The sense of fulfillment that you derive from solving people’s problems will definitely boost the confidence you have in yourself.

Plus, people often appreciate you when you render help to them. Most times, these appreciations come in form of the positive things they say about you. And there is a tendency that when people always say positive things in appreciation for the help you rendered, your self-confidence will be boosted.

8. Let your opinion be heard

Low self-confidence can actually make you shy away from saying a lot of things which ordinarily, you would prefer to talk about. Well, you need to learn not to hesitate to voice them out. You can start by giving little compliments, by telling others the good things you noticed about them. At the end, you will be pleased with yourself that you were able to give them your opinion.

If you can compliment others successfully, you can actually build on that to voice out your opinion even when the situation becomes more complex. With that, your confidence will grow enough for you to start saying things you never had the guts to say before.

9. Be content… Avoid comparisons

One of the simplest ways to kill your self-confidence is by comparing yourself to others! Remember, nobody portrays his or her bad sides. People are more likely to show you their successes and will always hide their failures. Simply put, they will reveal their strengths and hide their weaknesses.

When you start comparing yourself to others who only portray their best, you’ll think the world is a bed of roses for them (which is so not true). Consequently, you feel very bad about your little achievements, and you start wishing to be in their shoes. If only you knew all about them, but alas, you don’t….

As a matter of fact, comparison is an easy way to self-discontentment and you are more likely to hate yourself if you are dissatisfied with yourself.

Shun comparisons totally if you truly want to boost your self-confidence.

10. Learn to acknowledge your worth

When you acknowledge your worth, you add more value to yourself. Knowing your worth and valuing yourself more will certainly make you never settle for less. Resultantly, people will treat you with high regard and your self-esteem will grow. And guess what? Your self-confidence will too.

11. See the positives in others

It is worthy of note that you can only see the good in others when you feel good about yourself. Hence, a popular saying has it that “No one gives what he doesn’t have”.

When you only see the positives in others, you will develop a lasting positive mindset that will make you start seeing only positives about yourself and about life in general. Adopting such a positive mindset will do a lot to put you on track to boosting self-confidence.

12. Always be ready

Readiness is one key that leads to self-assurance. When you are ready, the tension associated with uncertainty or unforeseen circumstances will be curtailed. Being ready will make you expectant. Now, because you are expectant, you will plan ahead and be in the right shape to tackle any eventuality.

For example, getting prepared before presenting a speech will go a long way to reduce stage fright. You will as a result, deliver the speech with increased confidence.

In essence, the readier and more prepared you are, the more confident you will be at any given time.

13. Know your strengths and accept your weaknesses

When you find out your strengths and weaknesses, accept them. Then, you can embrace your strengths, maximize them, put them into good use and become productive. Also, you will work on yourself and improve on your weaknesses.

The more you maximize your strengths and improve on your weaknesses, the more your confidence will reach extra heights.

14. Let your insecurities be best known to you

It is expected that your weaknesses are things you are definitely not proud of. Some of your weaknesses are probably your biggest insecurities.

Although you accept those weaknesses, they still make you insecure. Therefore, while you work on yourself to get better, you don’t necessarily have to tell them to everyone you come across. You don’t want to be an object of mockery because most people will use your insecurities against you.

If you really want to talk to someone about your insecurities or weaknesses, you can meet a counselor or close friend.

15. Mind the people you keep around you

The people you mingle with can go a long way to either boost your confidence or bring it down to its lowest. Some people you call friends might harbor negative energy. They are the ones who only exist to torment you.

Sit down, take a glass of water and relax. Think of the friends you keep… Are they the type that always make fun of you and lay emphasis on your weaknesses and insecurities? Are they the type that never compliment or have any positive thing to say about you? Do they always criticize you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have to shun their company. They will destroy your ego and self-esteem before you can say pop-a-doodle-doo (I don’t know if that’s a real word, but you get the point). In fact, your self-confidence is in danger of imminent damage if you keep such friends.

In conclusion, it is highly recommended to tap from the idea in one of Socrates’ popular quotes which says; “Man, know yourself.”

Everything about self-confidence starts from within. It starts from knowing yourself, your worth, strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, etc. Knowing these essentials about your individuality will give you major clues on how to boost your self-confidence, one step at a time.

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May 22, 2020