It’s normal to feel the need for self-improvement. There are many things that can be inculcated yourself. You can foster self-kindness and self-compassion. Plus, doing good for others can give your life a deeper sense of meaning. It may even help to improve your physical and mental health.
Here’s a look at some ways to build self-improvement into your daily routine and let go of negative thoughts about yourself.
1. Cultivate Gratitude
For a thousand reasons, you can be grateful to yourself, others, and God. Research has shown that incorporating gratitude into your daily life can help ward off stress, improve sleep, and cultivate more positive social relationships. So, you can cultivate a habit of gratitude.
2. Greet Everyone
When you are nodding and greeting in a peasant way to your loved ones, colleagues, or strangers, it is an effort to acknowledge those around you when you see them, says psychologist Madeleine Mason Roantree.
3. Use Positive Self-talk
It’s easy to get caught up in being overly harsh and critical of your perceived failings. This negative, unproductive self-talk can lower our overall motivation, explains Hennings.
If you’re constantly telling yourself you aren’t a good person, for example, it’s hard to find the motivation to take steps toward self-improvement.
Constantly say: “I know this change is going to be challenging, but I’ve put a lot of meaningful thought into it and have considered all the options open to me [fact], so I feel confident I am doing the best I can at this moment [optimism].”
The hard part is catching yourself in the act of negative thinking and intentionally deciding to think differently. But with a bit of practice, this will get easier.
4. Practice random acts of kindness
Being kind to others can give you a sense of purpose and make you feel less isolated.
Try doing something nice for someone at random:
Pay a compliment to a stranger.
Buy lunch for your colleague.
Send a card to a friend.
Make a donation to someone in need.