“Just like there’s no silver-bullet to improving our physical health, changing the way we think and feel about ourselves takes time and consistency.”

A little disclaimer before we get started. I’m going to start this blog by first stating that I am not a counsellor nor a psychologist. All of my tips come from personal experience. To be and to live a happy life, it is so much easier said than done, but there are strategies you can implement into your day that can help. If you suffer from depression then please seek professional help and always remember, you deserve happiness.

…

L O V E Yourself. We’ve heard this statement many times before and even though it’s absolutely true (i.e., that we should love and appreciate ourselves for who we are and beam happiness), a lot of us are still left with the big question… HOW can I love myself and lead a happier life?

Well, we can read all of the inspirational and self-loving quotes we want, but if we don’t get down to the nitty gritty, which is learning actionable strategies that will improve our self-dialogue, the way we look at ourselves in the mirror and ultimately our self-efficacy, then we’ll never get to feel the way we should ALL feel about ourselves ➡️ happy, confident, secure, beautiful, loved, valued and appreciated.

So how does one actually come to loving themselves and bursting with confidence? Well, just like there’s no silver-bullet to improving our physical health, changing the way we think and feel about ourselves takes time and consistency. So if you’re willing to put in the time and implement a strategy or two every day, then read on for my top strategies to unleashing your self-loving and happier self ✌️

1. Move Your Body Daily

There’s just no way around this one folks. It’s been shown in research time and time again that exercise can improve our mental health and almost immediately to. Researchers have found that it only takes 5–10 minutes of light to moderate exercise for our moods to be enhanced. In addition, exercise has been shown to be just as effective as antidepressant medications for treating low to moderate depression (and there’s no yucky side-effects!). If exercise isn’t your ‘thing’, then find something you enjoy doing that is physically active, such as going for walks, taking a zumba class, swimming, yoga etc… so you can reap those happy endorphin boosting effects from simply just moving your body! 

2. Practice Gratitude Every Day

How often do you stop to think about all of the things you have to be grateful for? All too often we get so caught up in all of the negativity that’s going on in the world and overtime our brains become hardwired to quickly find the negativity over the positivity. So try to remember…no matter how bad your situation may seem, there are hundreds, if not thousands of things to be grateful for. So grab a pen and paper and everynight before bed (or in the morning), write down 5 things you’re grateful for, whether it’s a person, a thing, an experience or something about yourself. Write it down and I can almost guarantee you’ll feel a tiny bit happier 🥰

3. You Create Your Happiness, Take Ownership

I’m not going to be fluffy around this one, but it’s your actions that dictate how happy you’ll be and nobody else! As soon as we can accept the fact that we are in control and responsible for our own happiness, then that’s when your life will dramatically improve. It’s all too easy to blame others, our situation, environments and every reason in the book but our very own self for our discontentment and the challenges we face. 

Remember, you have the ability to take action RIGHT NOW, and be the change you want to see.

4. Positive Affirmations

You are what you tell yourself and the dialogue in your mind will dictate your behaviours, the way you feel about yourself, your energy, mood and your happiness. Repeating positive affirmations to yourself daily, will create long-lasting change towards how you feel about yourself. With time and consistency, they will replace your unhelpful and negative thoughts with happy, self-lovin’ and less criticising ones…now who wouldn’t want that!? 

5. What Makes You Happy?

Write it down… seriously! I want you to make a ‘happy list’, which is a list of all the things that make you happy, such as your favourite song, food, hike, people, movie, sweater, hobbies…everything and anything! Have fun with it! Once you complete your list, stick it up on the fridge so you always see it. Then, your next step is to plug more of those happy things into your calendar and make it a non-negotiable. This list is also handy during times you feel blue - you can whip out your list, and use it as a simple reminder of all the things that do bring joy and happiness into your life.

So there you have it, five strategies that have the potential to improve your own self-narrative, boost confidence, increase happiness and turn you into one unstoppable force of nature! Will this be easy? For most people, probably not, but what I will say is anything worth having in your life, is worth the hard work and determination to get there. So which strategy calls to you? Which one are you going to start implementing today?