By Vanessa B
Nina Simone’s 1965 classic song Feeling Good details everything that makes her, well, feel good, from birds flying high to the sun in the sky, it seems that Miss Simone was more focused on life’s simple pleasures, rather than chasing things to make her happy.
And perhaps that’s why so many people struggle with feeling good about the world and themselves right now. Who’s to blame them, though? There doesn’t even seem like there’s time to be grateful about the little things, especially with so many other issues going on in the world. However, unlocking the secret to feeling good about yourself is not as difficult as you might think, even if you don’t think you have any time at all.
Embrace Healthy Habits
Sure, sure; you’ve been told about the importance of healthy habits for as long as you can remember. You might even be sick of being reminded that healthy habits will equal a happy life. But, there’s a reason why this keeps coming up in the conversation.
Healthy habits don’t just mean separating yourself from the fun but ultimately damaging stuff, they can also boost your immunity, make it easier to sleep and therefore eliminate exhaustion, and also increase happiness. The idea of dropping bad habits and adopting healthy ones can be terrifying; you might think you can’t live without them. But health is always worth making any effort towards.
Try Something Different
Do you feel stuck in a rut? Does it seem like your days are the same, even down to the lunch you pick at for as long as possible so you don’t need to go back to work? Hey, it happens. Everyone goes through stages where they don’t feel like they are getting the most out of life.
But, rather than wait around for something that may or may not happen, it’s up to you to find something to make life more interesting. Doing something new can invigorate you and help you get out of your rut. Even if it’s not something you stick to, like a new hobby, you at least proved to yourself that you can try something different when you want to.
Cook At Home
Many people believe that they are not cooks, and any time spent in the kitchen is usually a recipe for disaster. However, you are more capable than you think you are when it comes to preparing meals. If you rely on takeaways or ready meals more often than not, it’s time to make a change.
Cooking at home doesn’t just boost your confidence in the kitchen, it also teaches you about different flavour combinations and techniques that can make your food taste better-than-restaurant-quality. On top of this, you’ll eat better and you’ll save yourself a lot of money along the way.
Do That Thing
Everyone has something that they have always wanted to do, but for whatever reason, they have been putting it off. This Thing varies from person to person. Sometimes it’s as simple as going for more walks. Other times, it’s training for and completing a marathon (or at least a half marathon, anyway).
Whatever it is, the only person holding you back is yourself. You can’t wait around for other people to encourage you to do it. You need to get out there yourself and give it a try. Just accomplishing something is usually enough to make you feel better about yourself.
Dress to Impress (Yourself)
Whether at the office or going on a night out, people always want to dress to impress. The problem is that you try to impress other people when, in reality, other people matter far less than you perceive.
Anyone who wants to feel good about themselves should try to impress themselves first and then worry about others. This could mean wearing a sharp suit that you know looks good, or wearing sexy stockings that only you are aware of. However you dress, you should dress to impress yourself. Once you get this down, you’ll never have problems impressing others again.
Face a Fear
We all have fears. Some of these fears are moderately rational (spiders, snakes, chainsaws), whereas others are not so rational. People can often become suffocated (which itself is another fear), by their phobias, and this holds them back in life.
Learning how to face these fears and deal with them will go a long way towards helping you feel good about yourself. You can look at strategies for overcoming your anxiety that will make you more confident, or you can expose yourself to your fear to prove that it’s not as bad as you thought.
Be More Organized
Excellent organizational skills are not something inherent in humanity. Instead, they are learned skills that can do wonders for your self-esteem. If you find you’re the one who’s always late or underprepared, it’s time to take a step back and think about how you can be better.
This will usually start with The Night Before. Preparing your lunch, outfit, and any important notes before you go to bed will make your morning easier. From here, you can start the day the right way and feel more confident in everything you do.
Learn About the World
No matter who you are, you’ve undoubtedly been in a conversation that flies over your head and your biggest worry is someone asking what you think about the ongoing crisis wherever. You’re worried about making a fool of yourself, so you opt for vague agreements.
This, however, is often worse than saying nothing at all. So, you can take steps to become more informed about anything. You spend enough time on your phone as it is, so why not use resources to educate yourself rather than scroll through an endless stream of reposts, arguments, and sob stories. You’ll feel much better for it.
Feelin’ Good
You might not realise it right now, but you too can be just like Nina Simone. Okay, perhaps you won’t have the same dulcet tones, but you can feel good by focusing more on what’s simple in life. You don’t need the latest gadgets. You don’t even need the highest salary (although you’d probably not say no to that.) All you need is a more significant focus on you.
©FM
