Are you struggling to get the job you want? Maybe you’re having problems in your love life or friendships. It could be your confidence. If you have low confidence, you will find it much harder to stand out from the rest. You need to give it a little boost, and here are six ways to do just that.
Wear Something You Look Great In
Everyone has that one outfit that they look great in. It could be a dress, a top and jeans combo or even those short shorts. Pull the item out and put it on. When you know you look good, you feel it too. This will give you an instant confidence boost, because you’re not worrying about the way people think you look.
Dance Around Like No-One Cares
Put your favourite tracks on and start dancing around. Act like nobody cares, and let yourself have some fun. This works in two different ways. You’re having fun, so automatically feel better about yourself and your life. You’re also helping your brain release the happy chemicals around your body, so you quickly give yourself a confidence boost.
Have an Accomplishments Board
Put photos of all your accomplishments together. This could be on a traditional notice board at home, or you could decide to use Pinterest. Put it somewhere you’ll see it regularly, and check back when you have a dip in your confidence.
Remembering all the things you’ve managed to do will give you the courage and knowledge that you can do something new coming up.
Do Something Nice for Someone
Be nice to someone, even someone that you don’t know. This doesn’t need to cost you a fortune. Just holding the door open for a person and letting her past first is enough.
You’re putting a smile on someone else’s face, which should help put a smile on your face. You’ve just made someone happy, and forget about the terrible day they’ve been having.
Have a Goal and Reach It
Set a goal at the start of the week. It could be to get through all the laundry or make a start on your novel. Work on it throughout the week, and then reach it by the end.
You will feel great while you’re working towards it because you are actually working towards something. You will feel even better when you reach it. You’ve accomplished something you set at the start of the week. You can also do this on a daily basis if you need confidence throughout the day.
Point Out All the Good Things
Make a list of all the good things about you. Stay away from the negatives.
If they start creeping through, stop thinking about it and force yourself to move back to the good. Everyone has something they’re happy about. It could be the colour of your eyes, the shape of your legs or even your bubbly personality. If you’re really struggling, ask your friends to tell you what they love about you.
There are so many things that people put on their bucket list, but who says you need to do everything just before you die? It’s time you lived your life to the fullest right now. Here are six things you need to start doing on a regular basis to make the most of life and really feel like you enjoyed it.
Act Like a Big Kid
You don’t need to be professional and serious all the time. Think about the pranks that people love to play in the office and the way the military guys have fun while on operations during their downtime.
It’s time to act like a big kid now and then, while keeping it all within the law of course. Brush off all adult things for a day, and enjoy your time with friends and family members right now.
Appreciate Your Life
It’s really easy to get bogged down by all the bad things going on in your life. You forget to take time to appreciate the good things.
Take a minute on a daily basis and remember all the positives that happen. It could be how great your job is, how much you love your friends or how helpful your kids have been lately.
See the Good Things in the Bad
Everything looks dark and dreary. You have more bills to pay, and your financial situation is just a complete mess.
It’s time to take a step back from the bad and take a look at the good. There is always something good happening or that will happen from the outcome of the bad. Be an optimist and you will soon feel the stress leave you.
Explore the Beauty
Jump on your bike, hike the mountains or canoe down the river. All of these give you the chance to really explore the beauty in the world.
You could even find an activity that you never really knew you enjoyed. When you build up your stamina and capabilities, there are things to do across the globe to really see the beauty of the world around you.
Learn to Forgive
Holding grudges is not going to let you live life to the fullest. It’s time to get over the anger and really learn to forgive people for their mistakes.
That doesn’t mean you need to forget, since you all need to learn from those mistakes! When you forgive, you will be able to go back to enjoying friendships and certain activities instead of resenting others having fun without you.
Enjoy Your Favourite Foods
Everyone focuses so much on healthy foods that they automatically regret or hate loving the food that’s bad for you. Every now and then you can enjoy your favourite foods without all the guilty.
Have a chocolate bar, enjoy that donut, or eat a piece of cake when you’re out for dinner. You’ll be able to enjoy life more because nothing is restricted from your diet.
Goals are important. They give you the end point that you want to reach, which helps with motivation. They help you compete against yourself to keep you on track. However, there are times that you lose the motivation to keep going. While it’s important to set goals you can stick to, it’s also important to help yourself accomplish those goals. Here are six tips to make sure you stay on track and accomplish your goals.
Think About the Goals You Set
Think carefully about the goals that you’ve set. Are they SMART goals? That means specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and timely. If you’re trying to lose weight, there’s no point saying that you’ll lose 100lbs in a month.
That’s just not something you can do. But there’s also no point in saying you’ll lose 100lb without giving yourself a deadline. You’ll find it much harder to stick to.
Why Are You Doing It?
Don’t forget to set your reasons for setting your goals. Everyone has their own reasons depending the type of goals they are.
You could set the before that you don’t want to go back to, or something that is pushing you that you want to get back to. It could be for health reasons, aesthetic reasons or because you have a financial goal in mind.
Commit to It
Think about how you can commit to your goals. For some, just saying that you’re doing it is not enough.
You need to get others to help you remain accountable. This could be a trusted friend or family member, or you may prefer to do an anonymous blog about it online. There are plenty of options to help you commit to your even most ambitious goals.
Keep the Goals Small
While you have one big goal, you need to break it down along the way. Even a realistic goal can look too ambitious if it’s a very big one.
Opting for the smaller goals along the way will give you something to strive for each month or so, which gives you something to celebrate. Feeling great about reaching smaller goals will give you the motivation to reach that bigger one.
Celebrate Along the Way
With the mention of celebrating, make sure you do celebrate as you reach your smaller milestones.
This doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. It could be making a lavish dinner on a budget, or you could decide to watch your favourite movie with a small glass of wine. It really depends on the type of goal.
Keep a Positive Mindset
Positivity is essential. As soon as you start to think negatively, you will just end up losing the motivation to succeed. Your goal gets further and further away, and harder to obtain.
It’s normal to start thinking negatively, so you need to catch yourself when you do it. Look at the positives of everything that happens, and remind yourself that you can do this.
Look on the Bright Side
The cars broken down or the boilers packed in again. It’s really easy to look at the negatives. In fact, it’s normal to look at the negatives. Instead of that, why not look at the positive side of things.
There is always a silver lining to that cloud. It could be getting more activity in your day, or a really good excuse to convince hubby it is time for that boiler upgrade.
Don’t Let Things Get to You
It can be hard, but you need to stop letting people’s comments get to you. It’s just going to put your mood on a downer. Practise ignoring them by starting with trolls or bullies, who only want to upset you for their fun.
You can then move onto the people who like to give you the honest truth even if it hurts, and then to those who hurt you by mistake. Constructive criticism is different. Use that to your advantage by making changes.
Stop Making Excuses
You’re late for work, and it has to be the train’s fault. You’ve not gotten the project done because there wasn’t enough research.
You know what all these are? Excuses, and it’s time to stop them. Take action by preventing the excuses being needed in the first place. When something does happen, own up to it and correct it. You may even be able to correct it long before someone finds out, and your boss will love you.
Stop Worrying About Things You Cannot Change
The trains are late, so you’re going to be late for work. If this is the first time its happened, your boss will understand. There’s nothing you can do about the trains.
If it’s the second time, then maybe you need to pre-empt the trains being late again. Change your own schedule, but stop worrying about the things out of your control!
Get More Fresh Air
The fresh air will do you wonders. You will get the vitamin D your body needs (yes, even with the clouds) and your body gets more oxygen.
It’s time to get outside as much as you can. Go out for lunch or take the kids to the park while the weather is mild.
Take a Break
This isn’t just about that 10 minute break at the office. You need time away from the stress of work, and time to spend with your family. You have vacation days for a reason, so use them!
You don’t need to go away, but it could be good just to get out of your home town. See the sights and remember there is a world out there.
]]>Be a Source of Encouragement for Others
Being a source of encouragement is important to show you’re a leader. This is a great way to offer the support and leading them without them often realising.
You could share your tips when someone struggles, or offer advice when they’re suffering. The next time they have an issue, you’ll be the first person they think of to see if you can help again.
Join in With Your Team
Good leaders only give instructions they’re willing to follow. That means you need to get stuck in there with your team. It’s a great way to boost morale, and get them to put their best effort in.
By getting stuck in, you’ll also build trust with your team members. This is a great quality to gain because they will listen to you next time. It also gains their respect since they see you are fair to them.
Remain Loyal
Remember that trust issue? Well, that also comes from being loyal. You need to stick with your team through the good and bad times.
Sometimes you need to take the hit when something goes wrong, instead of letting your team suffer. This is another way to gain their respect. Loyalty also means standing up for them when you know it isn’t something the team has done wrong.
Be a Professional at All Times
It can be hard to stick with this. Someone is belittling you or calling you out. You want to respond in a sarcastic manner or hit back at them. However, it makes you look petty and it’s not a quality of a good leader.
Sometimes you just need to wait for the criticism to end and then walk away. However, there are times you need to answer back; when you have a very good explanation and need to defend yourself or your team.
Stay Positive at All Times
You can’t be negative as a leader. Bad things will happen, and it’s up to your to find answers to the questions and solutions to the problems.
It’s up to you to remain that positive influence when your team’s morale drops. This isn’t always easy, but you will soon stand out from the rest when you continue with the encouragement.
Keep That End Goal in Mind
There’s an end goal for everything, and it’s so important to focus on that. Your team can focus on the right now, but it’s up to you to remain focused on the goal.
You need to stay one step ahead, and keep looking at what you need to do in the future.
]]>How to Appreciate Life
Sometimes it’s hard to look past the negatives. You can lose the beauty of the life around you. Therapists will help you look past the bad and see the good.
It is possible to start appreciating life around you, and feel grateful for everything that has happened; yes, even the bad. You’ll walk out of the office with a better view of the things happening to you.
See How Strong You Are
The bad things in life happen for a reason. They make you stronger, and help you deal with future negative things. You’ll also appreciate the good more.
This is something that a great therapist will help you with. Instead of getting over the bad, great therapists will help you use the negatives to your advantage. You’ll see the lessons learned and just how strong you really are.
Everything Needs to be Put Into Context
You think someone’s bad behaviour is because they hate you or want to hurt others. However, there may be something else deep down.
Therapists can help you understand that. They will help you put everything into context, and give you the tools to do that yourself after your sessions. It can really help you understand others a lot more.
Create Your Own Solutions
Everyone deals with situations differently. The solution for one person is not right for another, and not always right for you. A great therapist understands that.
He will suggest solutions to try, but will want you to create your own positive solutions to your problems. He’ll discuss your feelings and the outcomes from solutions that have worked for others, which will help you develop your own.
You Don’t Fail at Anything
Failure isn’t a bad thing. In fact, you don’t fail at anything; you just gain lessons that you learn from in the future.
Therapists encourage you to try. You may not quite succeed, but they then help you learn the lessons and implement solutions to the problems the next time you try. Great therapists make it clear that the only thing worse than not succeeding is not trying at all.
You Deserve Happiness
Everyone deserves to be happy in life, but it’s easy to forget all that. Great therapists will focus on that point, and help you on your path for happiness. When you stumble along the way, your therapist will hold your hand (metaphorically) and guide you back onto the path for happiness.
However, a great therapist will also focus on the fact that everyone deserves happiness, so will encourage you to find solutions and answers that don’t negatively affect those around you.
]]>Exercise doesn’t have to be hard work. Well, it should be hard work to actually want to do it. Sure, there are going to be days you don’t feel like it and it is going to make your muscles ache, but you shouldn’t get distressed at the thought of it each day. It’s time to make exercise much easier for you to do, and here are some quick tips for that.
Do Something You Enjoy
The number one rule is make sure you enjoy your exercise. If you don’t like going running, then don’t do it. Just because it’s going to burn calories doesn’t mean it’s the only thing for you.
The more you do something you hate or dislike, the more you start to resent exercise as a whole. You also won’t try very hard. When you do something you enjoy, you’ll hardly notice the effort you’re putting in.
Remain Positive
A positive mental attitude goes a long way when it comes to exercising.
When you think that you can do something, you find that the pain isn’t as bad and it seems much easier to continue until the end of the training session. Once the negative thoughts seep through, you start to get the voices telling you to give up.
Take Your Mind of It
Some people struggle with exercise because they’re thinking too much about it. It’s really important to take your mind off what you’re really doing.
Start thinking about that novel that is dying to come out or go through that math problem you’ve been trying to work out for hours. Do anything that takes your mind off the hard work you’re putting your body through.
Get Enough Sleep
Your body needs rest. If it doesn’t get that, then you’re not going to want to exercise.
In fact, your body is going to struggle to do everything you need it to. If you are genuinely tired, let your body have the rest it needs. Think about the amount of sleep that you’ve had to work out whether you are tired or not. You can also think about whether you’re recovering from an illness or coming down with something.
Have Inspiration or a Goal to Work Towards
Why not focus on something to work towards. Inspiration is often enough to keep you going, even when you don’t feel like it.
It could be a weight loss goal, a fitness goal or you may want to do a marathon for your favourite charity. No goal is too big or too small. It just needs to be personal to you to keep you going.
Get Support
Some people just don’t like exercising alone. You may be one of those, and there is nothing wrong with admitting it.
The best way to make exercise easier for you is to get a friend or personal trainer to work with you. You have someone to talk to, someone to push you and someone to support you every step of the way.
Here are some ways to stop putting yourself down ever again.
Focus on the Good Things About You
Make a list of all the good things about you. They are there. It’s really common to look at the bad but that’s not what people are looking at you for.
They’re complimenting your eyes, your hair or even the way your voice sounds when you speak. Look at yourself in the mirror and really focus on those positives and then you can highlight them in the future.
Look At Where You’ve Come
Think about the past and look at how far you have come.
Think about your education and how much you have learnt. Or focus on how your financial situation has grown. You could even look at your life on a whole and see all the positives that have happened over time. It’s really easy to look at where you want to be and start hating your life, but many forget to think about the progress they’ve made.
Think About the Friends You Have
Instead of comparing yourself to your friends, think about what you offer to the group. They want to be friends with you, and there are reasons for that. You may be the funny one or the caring one.
You could be that one they turn to when they need a realistic and honest opinion. There is something that you offer that the rest of the group can’t, so think about that.
Stop Comparing Yourself with Those Who Seem Successful
It’s really easy to compare your life with what you know. You think everyone has it better than you, especially those successful businessmen and women, the politicians and even the rich people in your area.
The truth is that they have something they hate; they just don’t show that. They could be thousands of dollars in debt just so they could give the impression that they have money.
Be More Productive In Life
Take on a productive attitude. The more you do things, the less time you have to think about anything.
You’ll also feel happier about yourself because you feel like you are doing things. It stops you feeling lazy and like you’re contributing something to your life or those around you.
Change the Things You Can
Are you putting yourself down over things you can’t change? There’s just no point in thinking about them right now. However, if they’re things you can change, take the steps to do that.
It could be putting a little extra into a savings account for that down payment or doing more exercise to lose weight.
]]>Soothingly Wake Her
Instead of having the alarm set, go into your child’s room and wake her up soothingly. You know how much that alarm can make you jump, especially if you’re in a deep sleep. It puts you off the rest of your day. Get up earlier than your children and go in to wake her up in a way that puts her in a better mood for the rest of the day.
Give Her Something to Look Forward To
The night before, give her something to look forward to the next morning. When she wakes up, she’ll remember what that thing is and will be excited for it.
It could be her favourite breakfast or you may be treating her to something after school. This doesn’t have to happen every day of the week, and if you do it too much she may get too used to it. Watch out!
Go Through the Good Things During the Day
While you’re waking her up, go through all the good things that will be happening today. Talk to her about her favourite lessons in school, the activities you have planned for the afternoon and whether you’re putting her favourite dinner together for the evening.
All of this will give her something to look forward to at different parts of the day.
Choose the Clothes the Night Before
Unless it’s a school uniform day, let her pick out the clothes she wants to wear. And do this the night before. When she wakes up, one of the first things to think about is what she will wear for the day. If the clothes have already been picked, she’ll be put in a better mood. It’s also easier for you because you know she has everything that she wants to wear—like those tights that she wanted washing but hid under the bed last week!
Choose Her Breakfast the Night Before
Like the clothes, let her choose her breakfast the night before. This is another great way to give her something to look forward to, while making your life a lot easier.
You can usually prepare things the night before, so her breakfast is waiting to be cooked. You may even make the breakfast before you go to wake her, so it’s all waiting for her.
Let Your Pet Wake Her
If you have a pet that likes to jump around, send him in to wake your child. Your son or daughter may pretend to hate it, but really she loves that unconditional love that comes from a dog or cat.
And the animal is more likely to do something funny that puts your child in a better mood for the rest of the day.
]]>Find a Positive Within the Negative
There is always a good within a bad. The trick is to finding that. It can be really hard to find this at first, and it will take practise. For example, the next time your car breaks down, think of the benefit that you will get for your health.
You will have to walk more places while the car is being fixed. If you break up with your boyfriend, think of the freedom that you have to do as you wish and the chance to find Mr. Right.
Force a Smile If You Need
Sometimes you need to fake the positivity. This can actually help you, though, as you start to make yourself feel good about a situation.
The next time you’re tired and think you can’t do it, try putting a smile on your face and see how you feel.
Express Your Gratitude to Others
Take the time to express how grateful you are to others. This is a great way to feel better, because you know you’re putting a smile on someone else’s face.
If you really struggle with this, have a jar that you put coins in for every time you think of being grateful for something.
It doesn’t have to be anything big. It could be a cup of tea from a friend, or help getting your backyard fence back up after a storm.
Think of the Benefits
There are a number of health benefits to being positive. If you ever find yourself struggling with it, just think about them. You may want to focus on the benefit to your immune system; it will be stronger so you will be ill less.
You may want to think about the lower risk of having a stroke. Do whatever works for you.
Get More Exercise
Exercise is a great way to boost your positivity and keep you that way. Not only is it good for your health, it releases the happy hormones.
It will also give you the chance to release energy and adrenaline. The next time you feel angry or sad, dance around the house or get out for a run. You will soon find your mood receives a boost.
Go Out for Fresh Air
The fresh air is another great trick to staying positive. The body needs oxygen. A lack of it will lead to tiredness and a slump in the mood. Get out more often and boost your positivity.
You don’t have to do exercise while doing this, although it is a good way to mix the two tips. You could just sit out on the grass in the middle of summer or enjoy a slow walk around the garden.
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