by Lauren Short
It's been a rough couple of years and many of us have had complete life shake ups. A common wellness message that is preached is that it's important to take time for yourself daily. This normally is used to promote working out to help demonstrate that it doesn't take much to feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. Though fitness is absolutely a wonderful way to honor yourself, this may not connect with everyone as an easy activity. Changing how you feel and view yourself is possible to do with small changes in your daily behavior. Here are a few best practices for boosting your self-esteem:
- Use positive language - saying affirmations and complimenting yourself in the mirror each morning is a wonderful way to instantly feel better about yourself. Speak to your reflection like you would to your soul mate, and remind yourself how beautiful and wonderful you are! When talking with other people, steer away from entertaining gossip or criticism of another person. Participating in this is giving energy to negative and puts illwill into the universe. What goes around comes back around, and focusing on what you love rather than what you don't keeps a more positive mindset. When describing something, try to not use words that carry "bad" energy. Phrases like "that's bomb," "you're killing it," and "sick" may be meant to be encouragement but are actually adjectives or descriptions of death, illness, and other low vibration activities. Being mindful to use positive based words and phrases will result in more love and happiness projected out to and from others.
- Drink more water - hydration is important and often overlooked. Our bodies are mostly made up of water and we need it in order to replenish and operate at our best. It is one of the best defenses for keeping your immune system at it peak, as well as helping you recover from any illnesses. Proper hydration helps you stay level headed, as having a healthy body leads to a happy mind. When properly hydrated, you will not feel as much as though you are in "survival mode." Symptoms such as anxiety and panicking will lessen, because the body is not feeling stressed due to the lack of resources it needs. Get in the habit of taking water to bed with you and drink some as soon as you wake up. Take water bottles with you to work and drink it throughout the day. Downloading apps that help remind you about water intake are great tools to assist with this!
- Breathe - emotions like anger and sadness inadvertently worsen due to the lack of oxygen entering the body. The next time you are feeling stressed, make sure to stop and take a deep breath. Do this a few times and really focus on inhaling and exhaling for the same amount of time. A great trick used in some meditation practices is to inhale for four second, hold for four seconds, and exhale for four seconds. Repeat this for a minute or longer, and you will notice a drastic improvement in your overall mood.
- Stretch - pain and tension carried in the body can often be stress stored in the muscles. Unclench your jaw, unfist your hands, and stop carrying the emotional discomfort. Stress often can be stored in the hips, neck, and shoulders, and taking a few minutes in the morning to stretch out can really make you feel better. Doing this at the end of the day can be a great way to unwind and get blood circulating throughout the body.
- Journal about gratitude - get a notebook and set it next to your bed. When you wake up, spend a few minutes every day writing about one thing/person/place you are grateful for. Use a few sentences to explain why you appreciate having this thing in your life and how it makes you feel. Think of something new each day to express these feelings for, and you'll notice how many gifts you truly have in your life. Sometimes we we get stuck in negative mindset ruts, we only think and focus on the negative. Showing appreciation for what you have helps shift your energy to what is positive in your life and assists in helping you see things in a different light.
- Go outside - as previously mentioned, the lack of oxygen to the body can really bring your mood down. Our society has become very dependent on technology and has disconnected from our true natural roots. As human beings, we are meant to be outside and are able to heal by being in nature. Going hiking and camping isn't accessible for everyone, but there are still many ways you can connect with the earth. Set timers on your phone and get in the habit of taking a quick walk around the block a few times a day. The change in temperature and feeling the weather on your skin can waken you up and allow your body to re-calibrate. Close your eyes and allow you face to soak in the sun for minute. Take your shoes off and try to stand barefoot in the grass or soil at least once a day. Stand underneath trees and imagine the air you're breathing to be pure and exactly what your body needs. Make a point to go outside at least once a day.
What do you like to do to boost your mood? If you have any best practices for raising your self-esteem, please share in the comments below!
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