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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CNU chapter.

Everyone wants to improve themselves. Whether it’s getting out of an old habit or starting a new one, there is always something that people want to change. However, changing oneself is a hard and scary journey, often forcing people to face the parts of themselves that they aren’t necessarily proud of. Still, self-improvement doesn’t have to be a drastic life-altering change, but can be little things that you can incorporate into your life to help you to improve it. 

Read Something New Every Day

This can mean reading anything from a new book to a news article, but it is important to keep your mind interested and stimulated, especially if you find yourself reading the same kinds of things for class or work. It also helps to incorporate your personal interests and passions into your daily life, as well as exposes you to new things that might interest you. 

Take Morning Walks

Skip the coffee and replace it with exercise and fresh air. Your mind and body will start to feel more refreshed and rejuvenated because of it. If you live somewhere where you have access to greenery, take advantage of that as well, since exposing yourself to nature has been clinically proven to improve your mental and physical health. 

Start a Gratitude Journal

Incorporating gratitude into your daily life is a great way to create a more positive headspace for yourself that can also affect other parts of your life. It can start small by just writing down three things that happened during the day that you’re grateful for before you go to bed each night. As you continue your journal, you might find that you want to write more as you start to look for the positive things in your day and learn to appreciate them more. 

Call a Friend of Family Member Every Day 

It is important to stay in touch with the people who are important to you, and including them in your daily routine will leave you feeling more connected and happier.

Meditate

This one might sound a little cliche, but meditating is a great way to reflect on your day and to unwind. It can be the standard form of meditating, clearing your mind and focusing on your breathing, or you can look up some more non-traditional meditation techniques that fit your interests and life-style better. You can even meditate by reflecting during those morning walks and kill two birds with one stone!

Self improvement doesn’t have to be hard! There are so many small things to incorporate into your daily life that can vastly improve them in the long run. Just start small and stick to it, and soon you’ll start to see the difference! 

Caroline Ernst is a senior at Christopher Newport University studying English with a writing concentration and classical studies and literature as minors. She studied abroad in Rome fall semester of her junior year, where she spent her time exploring the city, Italy, and many other European cities. On campus, she works as her university's Italian tutor in their tutoring center, where she also work as a the Foreign Language Lead Tutor. In addition, she works in the writing center on campus as a writing consultant, helping students with their essays and other writings. She is a proud member of CNU's chapter of Her Campus, where she writes for their writing team and this year will take on the responsibility as Senior Editor.