Every year, we all make resolutions to become the best version of ourselves possible. It is a wonderful ritual, and this year it’s time to focus on self-growth and improvement. Becoming an improved and better person is something we should strive for. And since our lives are so crazy all year round, it is important to build ourselves on a foundation that is stable and secure. These 5 tips are just a few of the ways to promote self-growth this upcoming year.
1. Surround yourself with positive people:
The people that we choose to surround ourselves with can make or break who we are. Instead of tolerating people who constantly bring us down us with negativity, it’s time for us to make friends that feel like sunshine. Find your people and love them hard. Having good friends is critical in this world. We all need our people that we can turn to in times of crisis, or when we need advice. As hard as it can be it’s time to tear the band-aid off, if there are toxic people that are in your life, cut them off in a civil but firm way. Your mental health and happiness are more important than having friends that tear you down.
2. Make Time for Yourself:
In this hectic world where all of us have a million things to do, we often time forget to take a step back for ourselves. This year we need to remember that self-love is important, and should not be neglected. Taking just an hour a week to do simple things that are purely for yourself can significantly reduce anxiety and ultimately boost your mood. Pick a day you know you will have the most down time to read a book, do a face mask, get your nails done, light a candle or put on a good movie. Whatever relaxes you, makes you feel put together, or leaves you at peace. Just make sure to take a wedge of time out of you jam-packed schedule for yourself and catch your breath.
3. Try New Things:
Everybody has made a bucket list at some point in their life of things that they dream to do. This year it’s time to check some of them off. It may not be traveling around the world, or backpacking through Europe, but make a list of new things you have seen on social media that have caught your eye, and schedule a time to do so. Spend a day in a bookstore, go to a restaurant you’ve been nervous about trying, dye your hair a new color, just try anything that has been sitting in the back of your mind for quite some time. Once you branch out and try new things it’s like a breath of fresh air and you feel more alive which is simply exhilarating.
4. Stop Procrastinating:
One of the biggest causes of anxiety for most college students, and people in general, is procrastination. The longer we put things off, the more anxiety builds up within us, and we feel like we are drowning. It is time to take control of our lives and get sh*t done. Make to do lists of all of the tasks you need to accomplish, and check them off as you go. By waking up early you will be more productive in your day-to-day lives. Thomas Jefferson once said, “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” It is time to seize the day and have absolute control of what you can control by ending the cycle of procrastination and start a habit of productivity.
So, this new upcoming year, let’s start on a fresh slate and take time for self growth and improvement to become the happiest, fullest, and best possible versions of ourselves possible.
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