I thought I’d share with you 10 ways to feel better about yourself, because it’s so easy to get stuck in unhelpful habits that leave us feeling shitty & tired. Then we often turn to food to feel better and it doesn’t help…
The way you talk to yourself & about yourself, can have a big impact on how you feel about yourself. The way you feel about yourself then affects how you look after yourself. How you treat yourself then has an impact on how you feel… it can be a vicious cycle!
I’ve been helping people with their health for over a decade now, firstly for NHS Health Improvement services, then with private clients. I’ve seen over & over again how much your physical & mental health are linked and how important it is to look after both.
Based on the work I’ve been doing with people over the past 11 years, here are 10 simple things that I think you can do to help you feel better about yourself:
1 – Focus on your strengths
Stop obsessing over your so-called flaws, instead why not make a list of at least 10 things that are great about you (ask the people who care about you to contribute if you’re struggling). Include physical features, aspects of your personality, challenges you’ve overcome and anything you’re proud of achieving. Learn your list off by heart and remind yourself of it daily!
2 – Accept compliments
Learn to say thank you and only thank you, when someone pays you a compliment. It won’t make you vain or big-headed. Try keeping a record of compliments people give you – add them to the list above! Use it to help you to remember the positives and drown out the negative feedback that we often focus on without realising.
3 – Avoid judgemental media
Ditch those bitchy gossip magazines – you know the ones! Where they slag off celebs for *gasp* having natural bodily functions or daring not to look ‘perfect’ 24/7! Turn off judgemental TV shows, especially where they focus on judging people’s appearances and stop buying those shitty tabloid papers. That last one would be good for the sake of humanity to be honest! All of these things encourage us to be negative about other people and if you’re criticising other people constantly it’s a sign you’re criticising yourself. Stop that!
4 – Try self-affirmations
Self-affirmations are like mantras – something inspiring or positive to repeat over & over to yourself. Choose to say to yourself “I can do it” rather than “I can’t do it”. Have a think about what your inner voice is saying and try switching it to be more constructive. Remember you can choose what you say to yourself, but it takes practice to break the habit of saying unhelpful things.
5 – Have breakfast
You might think, what’s this got to do with my self-esteem?! But give it a try. Having breakfast can really give you a boost in the morning. It gives you the energy to start the day and helps you concentrate. Start your day positively with something like a bowl of porridge or some wholegrain toast. When you fuel your body properly you fuel your mind properly and that helps you to feel good.
6 – Eat well
Try to eat regularly throughout the day and include something starchy at each meal/snack. This gives you a steady stream of energy, which can stabilise your mood and help you sleep better. It also helps you avoid reaching for sugary pick-me-up!
Focus on getting at least 5 handfuls of fruit & veg per day. The vitamins & minerals from fruit and vegetables help your body make the most of the energy you put into it. When you nourish your body with the nutrients it needs then you’re more likely to feel at your best.
7 – Learn a new hobby
Learning new things gives you a sense of achievement, which helps boost your sense of self-worth. Nurturing your interests and passions helps you feel fulfilled too. If it involves joining a club on or offline, it may help you to meet likeminded people and make new friends. That then gives you a sense of support and belonging, which all human beings need to feel good. If it’s a hobby where you can see your progress that can help you to feel proud of yourself too – more to add to your list of strengths above! Bonus points if your new pass-time is active; getting moving is another thing that helps us to feel good physically and mentally.
8 – Learn good sleep hygiene
Errr what?! OK hear me out on this one… Try to keep your bed just for sleeping (and sex!). That means no work or TVs/PCs etc in your bedroom! Make sure your room is dark, quiet, warm enough and your bed is clean & comfortable. De-clutter! This all affects how well you sleep.
When you sleep well, it has an impact on everything else doesn’t it?! Which brings me nicely onto…
9 – Have a bedtime routine
Avoid working or looking at screens like your TV, phone or tablet at bedtime. Also leave at least an hour or two after eating before going to bed. Try to do the same things each night to get your body & mind prepared for sleep. Prepare for the next day, do something to pamper yourself and unwind. If you struggle to get to sleep, try reading a book for half an hour or follow a guided relaxation or meditation. If you don’t fall to sleep within 20-30mins of turning out the light, get up and do something else for a while; avoid associating your bed with sleeplessness.
10 – Get musical
Turn on your favourite tunes, dance around the living room, give your life a soundtrack even if you’re just walking to the shops – choose things with inspirational lyrics to help give you a good mantra. Or how about learning a musical instrument? The sense of achievement can boost your self-esteem, not to mention the enjoyment you could be giving to others.
Which one do you think would be the best for you to start with?
Need help to ditch dieting forever? Want to eat normally again AND lose weight healthily ..? While still enjoying the cake & chocolate? Hell yes!
I can help you ditch dieting forever, either with my 1-2-1 support. Or if you prefer to work independently, you can learn all the skills I teach my 1-2-1 clients, on my ‘No More Diets’ online course.
My Weekly Round-up! AKA; what I’ve been up to recently…
- This week’s blog post has mostly been brought to you by Lady Grey tea – love the subtle orangey flavours, yum!
- I was almost sociable this week! Since the pandemic started I’ve really embraced the hermit-life, tbh lockdowns didn’t make that much of a difference for me… but I’ve recently started heading out more. Thought a bit of socialising would do me some good. So far I’ve been to two monthly meetings with some business buddies for a little masterminding and this month’s meeting was on Wednesday.
- Then we had plans for the weekend to visit friends for a small fancy dress party. I was all geared up, had my outfit all planned… then Genevieve puked… on our bed… All plans out the window, I ended up spending the weekend in my PJs making bookmarks out of embroidery threads & beads. That was still nice.
- So far I’ve kept up my aim to exercise at least 3x/week. I’m hoping to build things up so I can get back into doing a bit of kick-boxing on the punchbag… At the moment I’m sticking to walking and doing a little routine of stretches & Pilates exercises. I’ve actually found it sets me up for the day, so I’ve done it pretty much every school day after I’ve dropped Genevieve off at school these past couple of weeks.
- My post-school-run walks by the brook have been really good for seeing birds this week. I kept wishing I’d brought my binoculars (or pinocliars as we call them in our house!). Today I saw a load of tree-creepers in some massive old trees – they were so close to me, I did my best not to squeee! Yet again there’ve been massive flocks of long-tailed tits too, which definitely makes me squee; they’re so cute and fluffy. I watched them for ages each time I saw them. Not seen king-fishers in a while, but I’m sure I keep hearing them – either that or it’s someone blowing a dog-whistle, coz that’s what they sound like round here!
