From cutting back on social media to helping others, these self-care ideas will help you find your happy place.
1. Cut back on Facebook
Since social-media platforms can bring approving attention from others, they can seem like good places to go for a pick-me-up, but they might actually bring you down. Most people portray themselves in a distortedly flattering way on these feeds, giving the impression they’re having more exciting lives than they truly are. This can lead to faulty comparisons and doubts about your own lifestyle, it can even contribute to the onset of depression or anxiety.
Social media can also tempt you to make decisions based on how you hope other people will perceive you.
In a 2018 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health survey, Ontarians who reported spending two or more hours on social media every day were significantly more likely to say their mental health was “poor” or “fair,” compared to people who spent less or no time on these platforms.
2. Do something you’re good at
You shouldn’t wait until you’re feeling confident to brush up your chess game, learn to build furniture or try out a new recipe. Quite the opposite: just applying yourself to pursuits you find both interesting and challenging could, on its own, help to improve your self-perception.
3. Embrace balanced thinking
People who are experiencing low self-esteem tend to be plagued by “hot thoughts” (distressingly negative ideas) about themselves. They spin things in a negative direction.
Move toward “balanced thinking,” which shouldn’t be confused with trying to put a blindly positive spin on everything—despite what some self-help books tend to promote. Instead, it’s about considering the evidence for and against your self-critical thoughts.
4. Accept compliments
People struggling with their self-image often have trouble believing positive feedback because it doesn’t jibe with how they see themselves. But even though it may feel uncomfortable, going through the motions of accepting a compliment is an easy place to start when setting out to improve your outlook on life.
“It’s straightforward: all you have to do is say thank you,”. Much like doing the things you’re good at, thanking instead of deflecting someone for a kind word triggers cognitive dissonance, which might ultimately change your attitude.
5. Respect your body
A lot of influences can leave us feeling down about our bodies, including the judgment of family members and peers and the narrow range of body types celebrated in media and advertising.
Care for your body. Do this in a way that’s not about fitting a particular appearance, but that’s instead about your physical health and your sense of connection to your body. This includes mindful eating (paying attention to bodily sensations such as hunger, fullness and the smells and flavors of foods) and mindful exercise (being attentive to the sensations of physical activity).
6. Get moving
There’s no such thing as a cure-all, but exercise is the closest thing we have. Not only is it good for stress management and general mental health, it also provides a sense of competence and accomplishment.
Over the years, dozens of studies have indicated that exercise has a significant impact on physical self-worth and other self-perceptions, such as body image.
The activity you choose matters less than enjoying it, sticking to it and being challenged.
Courtesy: Readers Digest
