This is a contributed post. If you find that you have frequent problems surrounding your mood and emotions, then the first thing to remember is that you are by no means alone. Everybody struggles with low mood from time to time, and it can be caused by a whole bunch of reasons - or sometimes for no apparent reason at all. But if you are finding that you have ongoing problems with trying to feel better and failing, then it might be time to take action. Notwithstanding the fact that you might want to see your doctor and just make sure you are not suffering from depression, there are other things you can do to radically improve your mood for good. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective, proven methods. Actively Improve Your Health One of the best things you can do in this situation is to take a stand and actively improve your health. This works for a number of reasons. For a start, the mind and body are inextricably linked. Really, they could be said to be two sides of the same coin. Whatever you are doing with regards to one, you can also see the effects on the other. It is also true that even by simply making the promise to yourself that you will try to live a healthier life, you are going to put yourself in a better mood, because you will be proud of yourself. And then there is the fact that certain specific steps which you take will actively help your mental health along too. Cutting out bad habits like smoking have been proven to improve your mood, and if you use a vape with various e juice flavors you should find that the withdrawal is manageable too. Make these little changes to your health, and your mind will respond in kind. The Gratitude Attitude You might have heard about this one - if not, it is surprisingly powerful. There is much debate as to how or why it really works, and nobody knows for sure, but when you express a great deal of gratitude, it tends to bring about more favorable circumstances in your life. This might sound strange, but it is worth trying if you are keen to permanently improve your mood. Even if you think you don’t have much to be grateful for, you should try sitting down and coming up with a list of things which you are grateful for. In fact, if you think there isn’t anything, then you could especially benefit from this exercise. Give More Than You Get
Speaking of seemingly magical acts, another one which is always bound to help your mood along is to make a conscious effort to give out more than you receive. When you give, it is an unconscious signal that you are in possession of more than you need. And because of this attitude, before long you will find things coming your way. Either way, it will practically help you to feel better about yourself in the long run, and that is what we are going for here.
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This is a contributed post. All the private jokes that the two of you shared, the bunches of flowers, the date nights, and love - everything; they’re all gone now, and you don’t know how to function anymore. You’re scared about what the future holds, you’re sad about what you’ve lost, and no matter how hard you try you can’t seem to get rid of that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach. It’s a like a bad dream that you can’t wake up from, no matter how hard you try to. You just wish, more than anything else in the world that things could go back to how they were before - when your life made sense. Coping with a breakup isn’t easy, it’s totally and completely heartbreaking. Right now it might feel as if you’ll never be happy again, but there is light at the end of the tunnel - that’s a promise. It will take time for you to heal and get back to being happy again, but with time, you will get there. Here are some things that you can do to help yourself heal and get back to feeling like yourself again.
Give yourself time Breaking up with someone or being broken up with warrants grief. When a relationship ends, it’s natural to grieve what you’ve lost, so don’t worry about feeling okay right away. It’s perfectly fine to take some time to grieve your loss - cry, scream, do whatever you have to, to make yourself feel better again. While it’s perfectly fine to let your emotions flow and do a lot of crying, it’s not okay to let your grief overwhelm you. Right now it might seem like the end of the world, but in time, as the wound heals you will start to feel better and will smile and laugh again. Focus on feeling good One of the best ways to start feeling happy again after a breakup is to focus on feeling good about yourself. Once you’ve passed the only-eating-ice-cream stage, focus on eating healthy foods and exercising on a regular basis. By focusing on yourself, you will feel happier and more in control of the situation, because you're not letting your grief overwhelm you. Studies have shown that after breakups, a lot of women lose their confidence, so it’s important to find ways to get it back. A great way to do so is to treat yourself to some new pieces of clothing, such as some new going out clothes, a new designer bag, or some new fancy Vanilla nightwear. It’s amazing how much more confident updating your wardrobe can make you feel after a breakup. Getting your hair done or treating yourself to a makeover could also be another way to give your self-esteem the boost it needs. It's funny how much happier a new hairstyle can make you. Stop blaming yourself Don’t dwell on what went wrong and what you could have done differently. Blaming yourself for the breakup will only make things worse. No matter what caused your relationship to break down, you need to realise that you’re not to blame, or at least, you're not the only one to blame - remember, it takes two. You can wallow in self-pity and blame yourself all you like, but it won’t change anything. Your relationship is over - as much as it hurts to hear that, it’s true. You need to try to move on so that you can start to get your life back on track. Break ups are hard; there’s no doubt about that. It can take time to heal and get back to feeling happy again. Hopefully, the tips and advice above will help to make recovering from a breakup that little bit easier for you. This is a contributed post. We all deserve to feel positive about ourselves and see our plans for the future become a success. However, we can’t do that while we’re bogged down by bad habits that have us constantly harried, harassed, and kept distracted by pressures that shouldn’t be there. So, it’s time to look at the habits that are getting in the way of the best you. Losing track of our resources Time, money, and effort. Those are three assets we all have to learn to manage. If we misuse our time and effort, we lose those days we could better use to accomplish our goals. If we misuse our money and get into bad financial habits, we can get into debt that is only going to distract us further from what we want to accomplish. Set goals and start getting organized. Don’t lose track of your time, making sure you make a small accomplishment every day. More important still is always keeping an eye on your money by creating a budget that means you don’t have to spend as much time thinking about it. An addiction to stress Some people believe that a healthy level of stress is important for pushing us to accomplish more. It can feel like a rush, getting mentally backed up against a wall. But we have to learn how to detach from it again. Find your key to relaxation. Otherwise, that occasional exhilaration can become an oppressive force that doesn’t go away. Self-sabotage More important than any other on this list is taking care of our body. We all develop habits that can cause serious long-term damage to ourselves. We need to climb back out of these habits. The path is never clear of painless, whether it’s withdrawing from cigarettes and caffeine or getting real help and treatment for substance use disorders. However, as long as we carry our self-sabotaging efforts with us, we are never thinking with our best interest at heart. Instead, those habits are an ever-present pressure exerting on us and pushing us to serve that one instinct. Missing the start of the day It might sound small, but appreciating the start of the day is important. It gives us time to think about our challenges and meditate on how to get over them and accomplish our goals. It also simply gives us more time to get ready, eat breakfast and relax. Too many of us wake up too late and rush out the gate, our tempo ever dictated by that late start. Being with the wrong people
We are influenced by the voices around us, whether we admit to it or not. Being open to criticism and other viewpoints is healthy. It helps us be more self-aware. But it’s important to know when you have a naysayer in your life or someone who constantly drags you down. We need to know when to prioritize ourselves and when to say ‘no’ to those who can’t understand that you have your own goals. The most important thing about fighting these habits are that you don’t need to go it alone. Talk to your doctor. Get some financial help. Look for new friends. Sometimes, the extra perspective, the accountability of it, can be just what you need. This is a contributed post. All too often we confuse our priorities. We believe that we are in competition with those around us; in competition for university places, job positions, promotions, everything. But this is wrong. We shouldn’t be in competition with others. We should be helping others, and the best way to do that is to be in competition with ourselves. Matty Mullins said it best when he said, “the only person we should try and be better than is the person we were yesterday.” By growing as a person we can help others grow, and that should be the goal of life. Not competition by collaboration. There is rarely anything in life as rewarding and meaningful as the pursuit of your own development, the pursuit of your own betterment, because through these improvements we are able to gain more from our lives; whatever more may mean to you. What’s more, the potential for this growth is limitless; we can always learn more and we can always improve who we are, and that means we can forever reap the rewards of such a journey. The question is, how do you become a better person than you were yesterday or a better person than you were this morning? There is no simple answer, nor and short-cuts or quick methods. It is a journey, a long journey, and one that requires you make a conscious effort. However, we have come up with an extensive list to help you in your pursuit for betterment and self-fulfillment. 1. Write A Letter This isn’t just any letter, though, nor is it for anyone to read. It is a letter to you, to your future self, one that details your concerns and your hopes, one that explains who you hope to be in three years from now, five years from now, 10 years from now. Notice that this is not about where you want to be, but about who you want to be. The other thing you could do is write several letters to yourself that almost plans your progress. Write one that details what sort of person you want to be a year from now, two years from now, and so on. Put them in sealed envelopes, date them, make a note in your calendar and open them on these dates. It will help you see your progress. 2. Stay Positive A positive outlook attracts a positive energy. The reason for this is because by adopting a positive mental attitude we are giving ourselves more power; we believe we have more control over our lives and our future. This is the basis for The Secret Law of Attraction teachers who encourage this idea of like attracts like, and that positivity can help you make huge accomplishments in a person’s self-development. Little good comes from negativity because it prevents us from striving for more, so try and remain as positive as you can for as long as you can. 3. Read Lots And Often Even with the rise of the internet, books remain one of the best sources of wisdom, so the more you read the more you can absorb, the more you expose yourself to, the wiser you become through osmosis. It could be non-fiction books that walk you through topics you’ve never been exposed to, like bereavement, mental health, spiritual healing. However, it could also be finding new ways of thinking and opinions through novels, those that explore human feelings, from love to regret, doubt to optimism. It could be poetry books, poetry collections, short verses; finding hope in the loss of others, finding kismet understanding in words and feeling your soul latch onto another's. The more you read the more you are exposing yourself to new ways of thinking and exploring new possibilities you didn’t know existed prior. 4. Learn A Language
Not only does learning a language encourage a new sense of self-fulfilment. It teaches you the invaluable skill of learning a new language, the methods in which you learn best, a new way of acquainting yourself with new languages and an encouraging exposure to new cultures, all of which are completely mind-opening experiences. But with the learning of a new language comes an endless chance for betterment as you meet and converse with more people, new people, people you had no way of communicating with or learning from before, and that will have a huge impact on your pursuit for personal development. 5. Improve Your Skill Base There has never been a better or easier time to learn new things than now. The internet offers a free education. It offers answers, lots of answers, a myriad of answers to any questions you may have; it is just a matter of going onto Google and asking. However, the internet has also brought about the chance to learn new skills, take online courses or find schools nearby that offer courses. It could be you spend a couple of years learning how to be a carpenter, or do a Masters in philosophy, or take an online creative writing course, or learn how to self-publish a book. The opportunities are endless, and that means your chance to grow is endless too. 6. Face Your Fears It is one of the most challenging things anyone can do, but also one of the most rewarding. Overcoming what was once impossible can make you feel invincible and set you off on a journey. Fears prevent us from growing, they hold us in one place, or steer us away from a part of life that we may enjoy, and excel in. So it is very important you try and overcome these fears, or separate the fear from the danger. A lot of the time, as with everything, it is just a matter of attitude, so why not start viewing your fears in a new light. Look at them simply as things you have yet to try or address, things that will see you grow in leaps and bounds. 7. Accept Your Faults No one is perfect, and that is part of the reason why you may be taking this journey to betterment, to help you get closer to this idea of perfection, or at least you idea of what perfection is. However, that is impossible without recognizing your flaws and accepting them. The best way to do this is to understand them and analyze them. Start to understand what sets them off and how you can address them so that they are no longer a negative part of your personality, your character, who you are. 8. Learn From Others. A great way to know who you want to be is looking for inspiration in other people. Make a note of the people who inspire you and make a note of exactly what it is about them that inspires you. It could be their determination, their kindness, their warmth, the humility; it could be anything. Alternatively, make a note of people that don’t inspire you, people that you don’t want to turn out like. And once again, make a note of the qualities that make them this way. It could be bitterness or jealousy or anything, but make a note and do your best to eradicate these traits from who you are. 9. Don’t Get Comfortable Nothing incredible ever came from someone’s comfort zone, and that’s because comfort zones contain us instead of pushing us. It is only when we step out of comfort zones that we challenge ourselves and our perceptions, and these challenges are what help us grow. It can be hard realizing you are stuck in your comfort zones, but a good way to address it is to shake things up, to try new things, to break your routine, and expose yourself to new things and new people. This will see you have to adapt to your new circumstances and surroundings, and that is a process of growth like no other. 10. Push Your Brain to Think Watching television is an activity that tends to numb us instead of growing us. Yes, it is a wonderful source of information when used properly, but why not reduce the time you spend watching television and spend your time pushing your mind instead. Take up chess, or backgammon; something that requires you to use your brain in a strategic and analytic way. It will exercise this part of your brain that will help you think differently in the real-world, and to act more strategically will only benefit you. 11. Meditate More Meditation is a fantastic way to take more control over your mind and your thoughts, and use them to channel a better energy around your body. It is a great way to deal with stress and learn how to be calmer and more conscious. It helps you declutter the swirling, whirling mess of thoughts that often clutter our thought process and prevent us from seeing clearly, which can be addressed with as little as ten minutes of meditation a day. It is a fantastic method to encourage betterment and growth. This is a contributed post. Healthy living is something we all strive towards. In a fast moving modern environment with so many commitments on your time, it may seem challenging to keep up a healthy lifestyle. However, healthy living doesn’t have to involve a huge amount of time and energy. A few tweaks to your lifestyle can make the world of difference when it comes to your health. Take a look at this advice for improving your health and wellbeing. Your Diet Many people try to go on crazy diets as a way of losing weight quickly. However, many of these only offer a short term fix and will not improve your health in the long run. Make sure your diet is balanced, with enough of all the basic food groups. Have three square meals a day, and remember that dinner doesn’t have to be the largest one of the day. Try to avoid heavy meals in the summer months. Also, avoid eating too close to bedtime. Reduce your intake of saturated fats and added sugars as much as possible. Control your portion sizes and try to avoid too much snacking throughout the day. When you do snack, go for fruit or nuts to satisfy your hunger. Your Fitness Build fitness regimes into your daily routine. If you do something on a regular basis, it will form a habit. Try to space your workouts throughout the week, rather than cramming everything into one session. Many health professionals are now recommending 30 active minutes per day. Regular exercise has been shown to help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. Exercise has also been shown to improve your mental wellbeing, as well as your physical strength and endurance. If you have not exercised in a long time, start small and build up over time. Your Body More information is available than ever before when it comes to keeping your body healthy. There are numerous types of healthcare app out there so if you start to become ill, you can identify your symptoms and be better placed to receive treatment. Make sure to consult your doctor if you notice any serious changes to your health, or if you find anything on your body that gives you cause for concern. Your Risks
We all know that tobacco usage contributes to a large number of deaths per year, and it has been linked to numerous other health risks. There are a number of techniques out there that will help you quit, so do plenty of research beforehand. Alcohol has also been linked to thousands of deaths and accidents per year as well, so try to cut back on your usage and you should find improvements to your physical and mental health. Avoid excessive sun exposure, and remember to use sunscreen when you are heading out on hot days. Also, avoid any high risk behaviour when you are driving or operating any other type of machinery that could cause harm. |