Tips for Daily Self-Improvement
Trying to become the person you want to be, whoever that may be, can sometimes be overwhelming. If you’re like me, you’re constantly looking for new things to incorporate into your life to improve yourself. Here are things I do on a daily basis that have made a huge difference in my life, bettering myself through increasing my happiness, motivation, productivity, and even creativity!
Meditation
The thought of meditating may strike you as being silly or too difficult, but trust me, it’s super easy! I personally like to meditate in the morning right when I wake up and in the evening before I bed, but it’s something you can do at any time. All you have to do is sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing as you relax and clear your mind. That’s it! When you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, meditation can be just as good of a pick-me-up as a cup of coffee.
Stretching
Stretching is also something that I like to do every morning and evening, but can be done at any time. We spend so much of time sitting down in uncomfortable chairs, and stretching is a great way to balance out this lack of movement. Stretching can be as simple as touching your toes, but there are a lot of other stretches out there that you can easily learn how to do. I highly recommend browsing the Internet and seeing what you can find! Some things to keep in mind while stretching:
-breathe (your muscles need the extra oxygen!)
-relax (allows you to deepen your stretch)
-even though you may not want to, hold your stretch for at a good ten seconds
Time management table
You’d be amazed by how much time is available to you in a day…and how much of it you waste. Time management tables are a great way to map out your day and increase your productivity, as well as your efficiency! Be on the lookout for an article on time management tables soon, where I’ll be going into more detail and sharing templates to help get you started!
Teach yourself a new language
This may sound like a daunting task, but it’s actually a lot of fun! I use the apps Duolingo and Memrise, but there are many others available. All you have to do is pick a language, and from there, the app has you go through a short lesson every day. You’ll be amazed at how your efforts add up over time.
Read poetry
Reading poetry every day is a great way to boost your creativity. I have an app on my phone called Poetry Daily that gives me a random poem every day, but feel free to look online, or even pick up a book of poetry from your local bookstore/library.
Write
It honestly doesn’t matter what you write, as long as you’re writing daily. A lot of people enjoy journaling, but if that’s not your thing why not give prose or poetry a shot? You may even try writing music! Even just attempting to describe what’s around you, or any place really, will do. Writing every day will make assignments and papers less daunting, give you a much greater appreciation for reading and what went into creating those works, and above all is extremely rewarding in what it can teach you about yourself.
Go outside
And no, walking to your classes doesn’t count! Sit out by the water, plop down on a bench, or find a nice patch of grass. A great time to do this is during your lunch break. The whole point is to slow down, breathe in the fresh air, and enjoy the sunshine or cool breeze to counteract all the time you spend inside in artificial light. To get the most out of this experience, stay off your phone while you do this. Instead, watch people or the local wildlife as they go about their business.
Exercise
Very few people enjoy this one, but it’s all in how you choose to go about it. Go for a walk with a friend, swim, or go out to the park and frisbee, there are so many options beyond just going to the gym and walking on the treadmill. Exercising is great for your metabolism, and will also help you sleep better at night!
Just as important as the tasks themselves, is making sure you do them EVERY day, even if you only spend a couple of minutes doing each one. As I mentioned before, you’ll be amazed at the benefits you’ll experience over time, and even just the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel at the end of each day. Don’t get discouraged, every day is an opportunity is day to start fresh and do even better than you did the day before!
Good luck!
Olivia