How To Feel Better About Yourself

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Loving yourself should be a constant priority you have. If you don’t love yourself, you will not be able to achieve all the things you want to achieve in life. You will not be the person you want to be for those around you and you will struggle to have healthy relationships.

This guide will support you in your journey of loving yourself unconditionally and independently from other people. Because you should be your main responsibility and no other person or relation in your life has the right to validate who you are or how worthy you are!

Tips to start loving yourself no matter what

In order to love yourself more and in all circumstances, certain changes might need to be made. Some of these changes will be directed towards your life, while others will regard you and your outlook on your life.

Watch the way you criticize yourself

It is good to criticize yourself at times as long as you don’t overdo it. Being aware of your shortcomings will help you address them and fix them when you need to perform better at different tasks. Stay in touch with your true self without putting yourself down while you are doing that.

If you fall into the trap of criticizing yourself too much, you will find yourself desperate and unhappy. This type of attitude will point out to all your wrongs and make it harder for you to evolve. Even if, on the surface, it might seem like the opposite, as a matter of fact you will be working against yourself as you do that. Choose your self criticizing moments carefully and don’t do it unless it is something that truly matters. Accepting yourself just the way you are is better than criticizing yourself.

Forgive your mistakes

We all do mistakes of different levels and the soon you accept this to be part of your human nature the better it will be for yourself. You should try to be aware of your mistakes and learn to forgive yourself for them. Sure, it is good to hold yourself accountable for those moments of error but never stretch that to an extreme you are not comfortable with.

Blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong in your life will only increase your level of negativity and take away from the way enjoy life. You will not only love yourself less but you will respect yourself less. Actually, if you think about it, not everything is your fault. And even if it is, you will not be perfect all the time simply because perfection doesn’t exist. Since you are at forgiving yourself step you might as well start forgiving those around you who did you wrong. Holding grudges will never work in your favor.

Dive into journaling

Journaling can be a life saver if you are planning to start loving yourself more. If you never tried this before, you might find it a bit difficult to lay your thoughts on paper. But it is worth to do so nevertheless. Start simple as all you need will be a notebook and a pen. You can always upgrade your journaling as you will get more comfortable with it. You might even want to add some decorations in your journal to make it more attractive to read whenever you need.

When you are journaling go for the positive aspects in your life. Focus on your qualities, your blessings and all those things that you are grateful for. You can start writing about your successes and the progress you made in one direction or another. All types of progress should be acknowledged and cherished. Use your journal to lay down all the good things about yourself so it will boost your confidence every time you go through it.

Stay away from toxic relationships

You might not realize just how bad toxic relationships can affect you. They don’t just drain your energy and take valuable time off your day but they also alter the image you have about yourself.

If you are to stay away from toxic relationships in your life, you will also want to get rid of certain people that cause those relationships in the first place. As soon as you start looking at your relationships and people in your life, you might be surprised of how many of them are toxic to you. The important thing is to understand that no matter what type of relationship you have as toxic in your life you should either fix it or end it.

Surround yourself with people that truly love you

Since we are at relationships, you should also welcome in your life those people who truly care for you and appreciate you. This type of people will offer you the positive vibe you need to see yourself with the qualities they see in you. They will support your decisions and learn to offer you the shoulder to cry on when you need.

Having people who love and cherish you is essential for your self love process. Try to keep in touch with such individual often and invest in your relationships with them, being them family, friends or partners. The more positive things you hear about yourself, the easier you will find to love yourself in an unconditional way.

Chase your goals

Setting up goals could be a certain path towards loving yourself no matter what. If you have objectives that you are working towards you will want to keep applying yourself until you reach them. This will make it easier to look at your qualities and learn how to develop them in order to serve you best.

When you are motivated, you learn to stay focused on the positive parts of you that can help you fulfill and materialize your motivation through different means. You will build your confidence stronger as you are chasing your goals for a better future. Having a good set of goals will also generate a good attitude. And the best thing to do in order to love yourself is to have the right attitude!

Have a positive attitude

Having the right attitude leads us to building a positive attitude regarding your life. Staying positive will help you look at the world in a better light but also look at yourself better and appreciating who you are more. If you maintain a positive vibe you will learn to cherish your good side and work on your downfalls in order to evolve as an individual.

But first, you will have to be aware of your positive aspects. You have plenty of qualities and you should be proud of them at all times. You are an unique person with an unique beauty. Celebrate that positive side of you and focus mostly on it without allowing any negative aspects to take away from it.

Indulge in self care

If you don’t have a self care routine by now, it is time to implement one. Love yourself enough to take care of yourself. You are a complex being and you should indulge in taking care of all those aspects. You have a spiritual side and a material side, and you should take care of both of them. Cherish your mind, heart and body with the same importance.

Self care includes different steps for each one of us. But generally, you should mind the type of information you want to access for instance the books or movies you enjoy, you should spoil yourself every now and then as well as offer yourself time to relax. While these are common aspects of self care, feel free to find your own self care routine that works for you.

Take a long bath every other day with your favorite scented candles. Or purchase that dress or shirt you always wanted to have. Or maybe you want to go eat at a new restaurant that opened in your town. Either way, self care is about enjoying your time with yourself and pampering yourself every once in a while.

Have a good time

No matter what your day is filled with, the type of activities you have to do or want to do, you should always make a point out of having a good time. Enjoying yourself through life will help you love yourself more in a variety of circumstances. You will be able to appreciate yourself from different angles and you will learn your true value.

Do things that bring you joy throughout your day in order to lighten up the mood and take the pressure off yourself. Take breaks to read something that will make you laugh or watch an interesting movie. Whatever you choose to do will work miracles as long as you have a good time and learn to relax even if it is for just a few moments.

Self educate when you have the time

If you still struggle to love yourself no matter what, you should take your journey a step further and check out some self books on this matter. There are many people who struggle with self love and you are never alone in this process. This is why authors from all over the world put together complex guides to help readers just like you.

Self education is important in all areas of your life but even more so when it comes to yourself. You will go through many events and situations in your life and you might need help to cope with them. Self education books are there to support you and offer you some if not all the answers you need to be successful not only at what you are doing but also at loving yourself.

Be your biggest cheerleader

Celebrate your successes and learn to encourage yourself when you need to. There will be many moments when you will find yourself questioning your path and in these times you will also question yourself. In these times you should be your main cheerleader and keep yourself going in the direction that you want. Be aware of your worth and trust in yourself. You have to believe that you can do everything you set your mind to do without thinking of your limitations.

Encouraging yourself to move forward when it seems like nothing works in your favor is a significant skill you have to develop. Use motivational quotes and affirmations and understand that sometimes there will be setbacks. But none of these setbacks is permanent and you shouldn’t worry about your potential at all.

Conclusion

Learn to understand yourself and appreciate yourself at the same time. You will discover who you are your entire life and you will constantly have to adjust to the new version of you and love yourself for it. This might come natural to some extent but it can’t hurt to invest in it a bit in order to keep yourself on track. The moment you let yourself go, you will notice many areas of your life will be affected. And the more time you spend without getting back to loving yourself no matter what, the harder it will become. So, do the changes you need to do now and enjoy the results of your self love journey!

Things To Declutter For A Minimalist Home

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If you are running out of storage space in your home or if you feel like you are overwhelmed at your place, chances are you might need to declutter. Decluttering is one of the best things you can do for your home and ultimately for your life. It will not only free your home but it will also add some peace to your mind. Studies say that you should declutter your home at least twice a year and try to keep it tidy in order to avoid clutter in the first place.

If you never decluttered your space, the entire process might seem a bit challenging to you. But we put together a useful guide to help you with everything you need to do. So, keep on reading and make your space a much more comfortable home for you and your family!

Things you might want to declutter

The first thing you need to think about is what you should actually declutter. While this is a decision that will depend according to your space and the objects you have in your home, there still some general aspects that you should take into consideration.

Kitchen supplies

As you are decluttering your place you should go through all the rooms in your home. Start with the kitchen as you might find some burned and overused pans in your counters. Go through your plates and other kitchen supplies and check to see if they are still in good shape to be used. If not, most likely you should get rid of them.

Since you are decluttering your kitchen, you might want to get rid of your expired food and snacks. Many times we purchase food that we don’t get to consume before their expiration date. And you might be amazed to discover there are such items in your kitchen.

Make sure to check all the drawers and counters in order to eliminate all the excess you are not using in your kitchen. You will be impressed with how well you will feel after that and how much more functional your kitchen becomes.

Old clothes

Other common items that you might want to look at as you declutter are your outfits. Clothes can get bad fast or maybe they don’t fir you as they used to fit you. You will come across outfits you no longer like as they are not representative of your style. You should get rid of these clothes so you make space for new ones.

If you find some outfits that could still serve someone else you might want to give them to charity or even sell them. There are plenty of online stores that would purchase your second-hand clothes and if you don’t want to just throw them away this is a great option to consider.

Devices that are not functional

If you run into old devices of any kind you should check if they are working first. If they are not functional, you should most likely get rid of them. Unless you can sell them for parts which sometimes might be a way to still make some money on your broken items.but if that is not the case then the garbage is where they belong.

Besides the fact that you are just wasting space in your home by keeping such objects, you will also add a certain level of anxiety to your life. Holding on to items that no longer serve you gives you the impression of wealth without any substance to back it up.

Furniture pieces you don’t find useful

Some furniture pieces might be able to get repaired if you care about them so much to reinvest in them a second time. But others will simply not fit your scenario anymore. Getting rid of the furniture pieces that no longer go with your home’s design or that are broken and damaged beyond repair will free your home and help you live in a more minimalist way.

Look at your chairs, tables, broken shelves or drawers and decide which ones are worth keeping, which ones are worth saving and which ones you should get rid off. If you live in a minimalist house or aspire to live in one, chances are that you will find plenty of furniture items you no longer need. If that is the case don’t hold on to them. The space they take and the way they will disturb your home decoration is not worth the effort. But if you can value them in any way you should definitely go for that.

Keep an eye for those furniture pieces that you can convert according to your tastes and desires. Sometimes you can create a completely different object out of some wood you never thought you can use again. If you are a crafty person this can offer you the occasion to develop many interesting projects around your home!

Don’t forget about your digital declutter

If you use a computer you might want to look through its folders and programs as well. If you don’t clean your computer very often you will discover a lot of unorganized old files such as videos, pictures, or documents that you might want to go through. This type of decluttering might take you several hours so make sure you invest the time it deserves. But the good news is that you don’t have to go through it as often.

If you organize your computer files wisely and create a system that works for you, you will be able to maintain it clean. Cluttered computers tend to work slower and even get stuck or blocked.

A simple system would be to create a space for your personal files, one for work and one for other people that might use your computer. Uninstall any programs you no longer use and take space on your device. If you respect this system you shouldn’t have to deal with a slow computer any time soon. Plus, you will be able to find the files you need, when you need them with no hassle or frustration.

Tips to organize your home

Even if you declutter your house, you should still keep it organized at all times. Doing so will prevent you from gathering things you don’t need and reducing your comfort. To do that you should invest in organizers that help you group all the things that are alike in one place.

As for the things you can organize in your home, these can go from your kitchen plates and pans to your clothes. The market offers you plenty of products that can serve you in this purpose such as pans organizers, plates organizers, different closet dividers to use to separate your clothes and other similar products.

A great idea will be to invest in an organizer for your seasonings, bottles, and even your brushes. You can organize everything you have in your home in order to avoid a clutter of objects.

Keeping your purses, belts or scarfs as well as your shoes organized is equally important. This way you will find the accessories you want easier and you will also keep them in much better shape.

Research the market for the type of organizers you need once you declutter your house. You should invest in discreet organizers that will not be noticeable right away. By doing so you conserve the great aspect of your home and give it a touch of efficiency and functionality without disturbing the overall background.

Conclusion

Decluttering is important but even more important is maintaining your space in order. If you let it go for too long, you will have to spend one or even more days setting it straight. While this is a rewarding process at the end of it, you can still reduce the work you have to do by keeping your items in order.

If you find items you don’t use but you hold emotional value for them, you shouldn’t throw them away. Everything that brings you joy or happiness has a place in your home. Just make sure to store them correctly and give them the respect they deserve since they mean so much to you.

How To Live Your Best Life

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If you want to create the best life for yourself yet, you came to the right place. This guide will show you all you need to know to make the changes for a better future. Since you are here, you probably decided that your life needs some adjustments. Part of these adjustments will come naturally to you but others will require work.

Here are important changes you can do for yourself that will directly impact your life at various levels.

Control your negative thoughts and emotions

One of the first things you need to do is get a hold of what you are thinking and feeling. Your emotions and thoughts have a great impact on your life and you should stay away from negative vibes as much as you can. However, negative thoughts and feelings will reach your mind as most of them come out of instinct. In time you will get better at controlling them but don’t expect this to happen fast.

One great trick you can apply to ease your mind of negative thought is creating a list of positive affirmations. You can find plenty of them on social media or simply on Google. Write them down on a piece of paper and read them every morning. You can even read them before you go to bed. Your thoughts before sleep are very important as well. You want to keep positive thoughts throughout the day but also when you rest at night. Your subconscious has great power when it comes to influencing your life.

Get rid of the toxic people in your life

Just like you should get rid of the negative thoughts, you should also stop hanging out with toxic people. Cut off those relationships that don’t improve your life and your perception of yourself.

Toxic people will drain your energy and make you feel like you are not good enough. They will have different values than you do which is why you will find yourself in conflict with them quite often. This adds stress, anxiety and a waste of energy that you will not be able to get back.

Set your standards high and save yourself for those who actually deserve your time. This will increase your self-esteem and offer you more control over your life and those you allow to influence it.

Indulge in self care time

Learn to appreciate yourself and never compromise when it comes to your self care time. Regardless of how busy your life is and how much of a hectic schedule you have, taking time for yourself, should be one of your main priorities. You should pay attention to who you are as an individual, your needs and expectations in life so that you can set up the right attitude to reach your goals.


Related: 30 Daily Self Care Ideas


Have a balanced diet

When it comes to your diet, you should have some discipline in order to set it straight. It is so easy to just grab a bite on the run but this is not going to cut it for a healthy lifestyle. Planning your meals is a very wise choice and you should put some time and effort into it because it will pay off.

If you struggle with putting your life together in terms of your diet, don’t be afraid to contact a nutritionist. They will analyze your life and put together a plan that for you to follow. You can also educate yourself in terms of nutrition and understand what a healthy diet is. Once you have an understanding of it, start applying your knowledge.

Make sure you eat a good balance of protein, minerals and vitamins and cook at home as much as possible. When you cook at home, you have complete control over your ingredients and you know that you will not eat anything that is not good for you. The positive effects a healthy diet will have on your health and looks will motivate you to keep going in the right direction!

Create a productive daily morning routine

Your daily routines can help you better your life or make it more difficult by reducing your productivity. Make sure you put some thought into your daily routine so you can make it work for you and not against you. Without a routine, your days might pass without realizing what you had to do and without covering important tasks.

Start your day with a refreshing and productive morning routine. This involves not using the snooze button on your alarm clock. Get out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off because the extra ten minutes of sleep would not be of much quality anyway. Even if you will have days when you will find it challenging to stick to your morning routine, it is important to do your best and hold yourself accountable.


Related: How To Wake Up At 5 AM and Not Be Tired


Travel more

Living a better life also involves traveling more.

Traveling will open your mind to new possibilities, habits and it will give you more confidence in yourself. There is more than having a good time in taking a trip away from home. If you can go overseas that will be great for your experience and it will definitely enrich your life. But if you don’t afford such a trip just now, you can explore a closer destination. If you book your trip in advance and spend some time looking for affordable accommodation, you will be surprised at how budget-friendly traveling can become.

Apply the changes you need

If you want to live your best life you have to identify what is wrong with your life as it is and fix it to the best of your ability. This might sound difficult but if you are a diligent and motivated person it will be easier than it seems. A great start is to make a list with everything in your life that doesn’t satisfy that. Put a lot of thought into it so you can lay down your problems. Once you did that, think of ways to fix each issue with the best strategy.

Some problems will be more complex than others but you can count on the fact that they all have a solution. And it might take you a while to get to it but once you found your solution you just have to implement it. Knowing what you have to change in your life is nothing without actually applying that change.

If you need help with your changes and applying them, there are special coaches that will help you do that in a more professional way. It all depends on what point in your life you are at and where you would like to be in the near future.

Be active

Staying active is one of the best things you can do for yourself and it doesn’t have to become a daily routine. Simply set up three days a week when you have the time to work out. During these work out sessions you can go to the gym or simply enjoy some running in the park.

There is no need to overdo it either. Simply work out at your own pace and convenience. You will find yourself very satisfied and your body will thank you for it. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes with working out and overall staying active! You will be healthier and more confident as you do that. Plus, working out helps you keep a more positive mood which is not a small advantage at all.

Celebrate your progress

You will notice that your progress goes at different paces. Sometimes you will be able to make a full jump into a new level that betters your life while other times you will be slower at it. Be happy either way. Every step you take towards a better existence needs to be celebrated as they all count.

Making mindful changes and taking determined steps toward a better version of you and your life is not complicated as long as you acknowledge every progress you make. This will keep you motivated and moving into the right direction towards your ultimate goals. So, give yourself time to rest often and reward your progress as well as you can. You are your most important cheerleader and you should remain like that even when the steps that you are taking are not as big as you wanted them to be.

Go for what makes you happy

In order to live a better life, you have to do what makes you happy. If you are not aware of what exactly that is, take a day off to observe what you are doing. Which ones of your activities bring you joy? Is there anything new that you would like to try? Once you have the answers to these questions, all you need to do is go for it.

Invest time and effort into the things that bring you pleasure. We all have to take care of aspects in our life that don’t make us feel fulfilled, but that doesn’t mean we can neglect everything else. If there is a hobby you always wanted to pursue, you should definitely do that! Life is too short to spend all of it on doing things that you have to do so give yourself a break every now and then and indulge in what you really want to do.

Changes don’t just happen without you getting involved in each one of them. Make a conscious decision to create the best life for you and go get it, one step at a time!

How To Detox From Social Media

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Social media can be entertaining and fun but also time consuming and even addictive to some extend. You might not even realize that you are giving social media much more attention than it deserves. But this guide will help you identify what level of addiction you have with your social media accounts as well as how to reduce it.

Remember that you don’t have to cut your social media accounts completely. You just have to adjust your involvement and find a balance that will work for you and not against you. So, if you have been thinking about detoxing from social media, here is a useful guide to do that!

Social media detox

First of all, let’s define what a social media detox really is. You need to understand the process in order to be able to follow it completely.

Social media detox has to be a conscious decision to stay away from all your social media accounts for a limited period of time.

You can choose to not check your accounts for a week, a month or even a year.

Once your social media detox phase is over you can decide whether or not you should go back to some or all your social media accounts. Some people discover that they are much better and enjoy their lives more if they stay away from their social media accounts. But this is a subjective aspect that you will have to address when you finish your detox schedule.

Why you should consider a social media detox

Deciding if you need a social media detox is a personal decision. Most likely, if you came to this guide, you already know the answer to this question.

You might want to detox from social media because you feel your life is affected by it in a way you are not comfortable with.

If you spend too much time on your social media accounts, if you find yourself questioning your life decisions based on your social media activity, you might need a detox. Social media should remain a fun aspect of your life and not an activity that takes several hours a day.

How to detox from social media

Detoxing from social media might prove to be more challenging than you imagine. After all, you will have to stay away from all your accounts for a significant amount of days. If you were in a daily habit of checking your accounts, posting and interacting with other people, this will not come easy to you.

Here are the main things that will help you go through this detox phase in a constructive way.

Let people know about your social media detox plan

You should tell people about this process you are about to start. Especially those people who keep in touch with you often through your social media accounts.

By telling them you will also take your detox plan more seriously. If you fall back into your old habits of being active on social media, those people that know about your detox process might call you out on it. And falling back into the habit is extremely easy, especially during the first days.

Another reason you should tell people about your plans is courtesy. It is polite to let them know that you didn’t just disappear or started to ignore them all of a sudden. Even if you want to stop social media for a while, you might not want to stop all the relationships or connections you developed through your accounts.

Remove social media apps from your devices

The first and probably most important thing you need to do when you enter a social media detox phase is removing all your apps from your phone. You don’t have to delete your accounts as you might want to get back at them later. Remember that this detox phase is not permanent, or it doesn’t have to be. Simply remove the apps of all the social media accounts you have from your phone, laptop, tablet or any other device you might use to access them.

Once you do that you are halfway in the detox process. Everything might seem easier after that but you will also struggle with a feeling of emptiness at first. You will feel as if something is missing from your life. And ultimately, it is. But we shall address this side effect as it follows!

Rewire your mindset

If you have been using social media for a while, your mind might be wired to react to likes, notifications, new posts or comments and other similar aspects of this virtual world.

But since you are aware of this addiction you are one step further. Try to focus on rewiring your mind to find other sources of gratification than the ones social media had to offer you. Once you stop expecting likes, notifications and other virtual interactions, you will feel like a more free person.

Another aspect that will require you to rewire your mind is the fact that social media used to add unnecessary information to your brain. Most of this information was not even something you would be interested in. So, replace that kind of entertainment with a healthier one like books or movies of your choice. You will still have a good time but you will not be a victim of whatever your virtual friends are posting.

Rewiring your mind in these two aspects will offer you a sense of self-control and motivate you to continue your social media detox phase.

Fill your time with more productive activities

Since social media used to occupy most likely several hours of your day, chances are that you will have to fill that time with something else to do. You could use this time in a variety of productive ways.

Maybe you want to spend more time interacting with your real friends and relatives. Go outside and have some quality time with your friends and family, away from your computer, phone or other distractions. Human bonding moments are essential to our mental and emotional health.

Catching up on some pending work projects will also motivate you to stay away from social media. We might not realize how much time social media takes from our day until we stop giving it that time.

Create new routines

Your routines will have to change during this detox phase or you will not be able to complete it. If you are used to waking up and reach for your phone to check your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram while you spend another hour in bed, this is something you need to change. Creating a more refreshing morning routine might help you significantly.

You might have to change more than just your morning routine, assuming that you use social media throughout the day. If you check your accounts during your meals or when you are in the bus or subway you might want to replace that with a newspaper or a book. Eating without any distraction is the best option for your health so you should consider that for your greater benefit.

Once you created new routines you will be focused on implementing them and keeping them active. Routines are nothing unless you make them a constant part of your life. So if you managed to create new routines you should try your best to stick to them.

Advantages of social media detox

You will have more free time

One of the immediate benefits you will notice as you detox from your social media will be the amount of free time you have. Since you will not waste hours checking on your accounts you will be able to do something else. This free time alone will be a great benefit to add to your life. Whatever you were not able to do before due to the social media trap, you can do now!

Your mental health will get better

Too much time on social media contributes to high levels of anxiety. You might not notice it while you are in the heat of your social media time but you will surely notice less anxiety as soon as you stop it. Not only your anxiety and stress levels will get better but also your mood.

You will not feel overwhelmed by the amount of information you receive on social media. There will also be less pressure which will help you relax your mind as well. No more feeling the need to match the expectations of other people. No more comparing your social media posts with others. And you will not be trapped into comparing your life to other people’s lives either.

Healthier lifestyle

Overall, once you allow a few days to pass without social media, you will be more in control of the way you feel and think.

Your devices such as your computer or your phone will become useful in many other ways than to spend time on social media for hours. And you will enjoy better quality time with the ones that are important to you.

Conclusion

Social media should be a minimal part of your life, should you choose to invest any time in it at all. As soon as it takes over your life it might be time for you to go through a detox phase and allow yourself to break free from the harmful habit. So, give the tips in this guide a try and see how you feel once your detox phase is over. You might want to stay out of social media for good or go back to it under different rules that you self-impose for your own wellbeing.

Best Mental Health Ted Talks

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People cope up with their mental health issues in different ways. Some love to hang out with their friends to escape from their struggles, enjoying their happy moments and continuously forgetting everything that is dragging them down. Others enjoy the peaceful serenity that solitude brings. They cover themselves with a warm blanket and enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea to replenish their energy and deal with everything that’s been holding them.

If you are one of those people who love watching videos, then Ted Talks can help you out in a lot of ways. If you are subscribed to them, you will see various personalities giving seminars or talks about certain topics that could help people either personally or professionally. If you are struggling with your mental health, one thing you can do is to search for Ted Talks videos that can assist you with this matter. In this article, we are going to look at some of the best Ted Talks you could watch to help you cope up with your mental health issues.

Top Ten Ted Talks for Your Mental Health

Here is a shortlist of some of the best Ted Talks that can help you out.

1. Don’t Suffer from Your Depression in Silence by Nikki WebberDepression is not something that you can just shake off. Like any other disease, physical or otherwise, it is an unexpected thing that happens at some point in our lives. Although some people are lucky enough to not deal with it, most of us are actually facing our battles with depression on a daily basis.

In this Ted Talk, Nikki Webber provides an excellent speech that most people with mental health issues can relate to. She discusses the importance of sharing your struggles with other people, starting from her denial up to the point where she can comfortably open up her depression to others. She constantly gives speeches about depression, and she reminds everyone all the time that we should not deal with it in silence.

2. The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown

When you are dealing with mental health issues, it does not mean that you are powerless. These issues can actually help you become more powerful in your own way.

In this Ted Talk by Brene Brown, she explains the importance of using your shame and vulnerability as tools to help yourself feel better. This method is actually helpful, since it helps us accept ourselves for who we really are. In line with that, the more you accept yourself, the more you will be willing to become better than your current state. There is no shame in acknowledging our weaknesses. In fact, we allow them to become our strengths once we accept them as a part of us.

3. How to Stay Calm When You Know You’ll Be Stressed by Daniel LevitinThis is the perfect video if you are currently dealing with ridiculously large amounts of stress. In this Ted Talk, Daniel Levitin talks about the importance of handling our stress levels whenever we deal with unexpected situations in our lives. He goes from narrating a particular story in his life in which he was stressed out, and then he continues it by sharing how stress can affect all the other aspects of our lives.

When you watch this video, you will realize that stress is inevitable. Eventually, we will have to deal with certain situations that we never wanted in the first place. The good thing, though, is that we can deal with them in a way that we can control our stress levels. This way, we won’t have to risk damaging our mental and physical health, and we can successfully go through whatever it is that life throws at us.

4. A Simple Way to Break Bad Habits by Judson Brewer

Even when you don’t know it, you will eventually develop certain bad habits that can affect your life. For example, we tend to eat too much when we are stressed, hence, the term “stress-eating” comes to life. All of these bad habits will worsen if we don’t cut them out of our lives.

Thankfully, Judson Brewer taught a simple way that we can break these bad habits through this Ted Talk. He explains the importance of doing it, and he encourages us to do our best to improve our lives with each step we take.

5. The Bridge Between Suicide and Life by Kevin Briggs

In this Ted Talk, Kevin Briggs shares his experience of dealing with people who planned on taking their lives on the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He used to patrol this area as a sergeant, and he talked to these people in a way that helped them recover from their troubles. By the latter part, he provides strong advice to those people who may have loved ones that are planning to consider suicide as their escape.

6. Toward a New Understanding of Mental Health by Thomas Insel

Thomas Insel looked at mental disorders in a way that he treated them as physical disorders. In this Ted Talk, he discusses his research in a way that explains his curiosity about the fact that treating mental disorders as brain disorders. He continues on with the idea that if we treat them in a way that we treat physical ailments such as heart, liver, lung, and other diseases, they can actually provide better health to people who are suffering from them.

7. Mental Health for All by Involving All by Vikram Patel

In this video, Vikram Patel pointed out the importance of taking care of the people with mental health issues in a way that is not only done inside a clinic. He shared that in most countries, people with mental illnesses tend to be left untreated because there are fewer supplies. By outlining a potentially successful approach, Patel pointed out that ordinary people should be taught about proper mental health care procedures. This way, ordinary people can help others deal with their personal struggles.

8. Why We Choose Suicide by Mark Henick

Mark Henick carefully explains the importance of talking about suicide in a proper manner through this Ted Talk. By watching this, you will get to understand why some people make the decision to take their own life. He also explains the importance of reframing our conversations regarding the subject, so that we can slowly, but surely, change people’s perception of it around the world.

9. There’s No Shame in Taking Care of Your Mental Health by Sangu DelleMen are usually shown as strong and husky, but what most people don’t know is that they are just as sensitive as others. In this Ted Talk, Sangu Delle shared a story of his struggles when it comes to anxiety, and how he dealt with it in a gender group that is uncomfortable with sharing their emotions. By watching this, you will appreciate the importance of acknowledging your feelings, and there shouldn’t be any problem when it comes to sharing them.

10. Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid by Guy Winch

In this Ted Talk, Guy Winch carefully explains the importance of seeking help when we are dealing with mental health issues. He discusses the fact the people usually deal with their problems on their own, and this is not a bad thing. In fact, it is true that out of all the people in the world, the best person to help yourself is you. Winch reminds us that emotional first aid is something that we should consider as a big part of our lives. If we cannot handle it ourselves, we should ask help so that things become lighter.

Dealing with mental health problems is no joke. If you are looking for ways to cope up with it, watch these Ted Talks in a time that you are comfortable. You will get a lot from them, and they could help you make your dealings with psychological problems a lot easier.

Best Hobbies To Reduce Anxiety

best-hobbies-to-reduce-anxiety

Millions of people worldwide suffer from some form of anxiety. Anxiety does not discriminate on age, gender, financial status, sexual orientation, or pretty much anything else.

According to a psychology study conducted in 2016, people that engage in some creative hobby tend to deal better with their anxiety issues, compared with those that didn’t have any hobby or engage in some creative activity.

From learning calligraphy to baking bread, people find relaxation in all sorts of hobbies and activities.

What follows is an overview of some of the most common habits and activities that are known to help people relax and keep their anxiety levels low.

Feel free to try at least one of these hobbies or activities if you are concerned about your levels of stress and anxiety.

#10 Gardening

There is an actual study from the “Journal of Health Psychology” that examined the effects of gardening over the symptoms of anxiety and stress. According to that study, gardening tends to lower the cortisol which is a stress hormone.

The herbs, the flowers, and the produced food are an added value to the calmness that you get from your gardening activities.

So, maybe it is the right time to get your hands dirty and step into the world of gardening.

#9 Wilderness therapy

If you live in Sweden, a doctor can recommend an outdoor therapy that includes spending time in an environment such as a forest, mountain, or pretty much anywhere far from the city.

Nowadays, there are plenty of wilderness therapy programs that are all about spending time in nature. Many of these programs combine experimental education with interpersonal self-improvement, and group therapy methods.

So, don’t wait for the doctor’s prescription, head out to the closest forest, and see what the fuss about it is. The bond between humans and nature is always strong, maybe it is time for you to rediscover that.

#8 Knitting

So no, knitting is not some activity that is exclusive to grandmas. Ditch that stereotype and start knitting yourself. According to Psychology Today, knitting is somewhat similar to meditation. Knitting as such is based on repetitive movements that can bring people in the present moment. As a result, people experience increased release of serotonin. This neurotransmitter will make the knitter feel positive and calm which are feelings diametrically opposite of anxiety and stress.

#7 Working out

Exercising is good for dealing with anxiety and by now that is almost common knowledge as countless studies are pointing in that direction. Whether it is bicycling, jogging in the park, or hitting the gym couple of times every week, it can help you keep your anxiety at bay. Or at the very least to be able to manage it easier.

If you are not into working out, you can even try goal-oriented fitness classes such as hip-hop dancing or martial arts.

#6 Get a pet

Quite a few studies are proving that having a pet can improve your overall mood, as well as lower your anxiety levels. Furthermore, it increases your sense of responsibility and helps you feel less lonely.

#5 Take a self-improvement class

The most limited resource in modern living is time. Sometimes it looks like mission impossible to squeeze a weekly class in our busy schedule.

But if you’re serious about dealing with your anxiety you should find a way to add at least one weekly class into the mix.

Whether it is a class about cooking, language class, pottery, or something else, you should do it. By doing so, you will be able to simultaneously distract yourself from all the things that trigger your anxiety, as well as boost your self-confidence.

#4 Yoga classes

Yoga is not great just for toned muscles and posture, but it can also bring a ton of emotional benefits. Some of those emotional benefits include reduced symptoms of anxiety, sleep better, improved cognitive skills, increased serotonin, and so on.

All of that has been confirmed by a resented study conducted by the National Institutes of Health.

Typically, beginners start practicing Vinyasa yoga that is less demanding than power yoga as there are no challenging poses. Vinyasa yoga is more based on combining breathing techniques with coordinated movements.

The best part is that you can start at home for free. There are plenty of excellent free online classes that can help you learn yoga practices.

#3 Filling up a coloring book

It may sound a bit weird, but a coloring book with intricate designs can be a great distraction. It will keep you engaged for long periods instead of worrying and feeling anxious.

In 2017, a study run by the Creativity Research Journal revealed that filling coloring books can lead to a plethora of mental health benefits. The study showed that those who took part in coloring daily experienced way lower levels of depression than participants that didn’t engage in any coloring.

The study concluded that daily coloring could bring many mental health benefits such as decreased anxiety and stress levels.

Nowadays, there are plenty of free coloring books for adults and children that can be downloaded for free and printed. Also, many coloring books of this kind can be found in most bookstores.

#2 Practice mindfulness

Managing anxiety is all about learning how to deal with the chaos that exists in your head. Mindfulness is proven over and over as an effective method for dealing with that stress.

Every hobby that makes you more present is welcomed. That’s because mindfulness makes you stay grounded and doesn’t allow for anxious thoughts to take over your brain.

Common mindfulness practices such as meditation and yoga can slow down unwanted thoughts that usually lead to feelings of anxiety. The more mindful you become the better you will become at dealing with anxiety.

There are hundreds of studies on the effects of meditation and mindfulness on human mental health. By default, they all prove that it can do wonders for your mental condition.

Same as with yoga, there are a ton of free videos online that can help you learn about meditation and mindfulness. On top of that, dozens of mobile apps can also guide you through the world of meditation and mindfulness.

#1 Books and TV shows

One of the easiest ways to distract yourself from unwanted thoughts and anxiety attacks is to redirect your focus onto someone else’s concerns, even if those are concerns of imaginary characters and not those of real people.

Therefore, if you don’t have a Netflix account or a library card, you might want to do something about that.

Psychologists agree that, sometimes, eliminating symptoms of anxiety can be as simple as finding the time to read a book or watching a TV show. Immersing into other people’s stories, getting to know their characters, how they act when thrown in a bad situation, all that can be both fun and therapeutic.

If you go through the classics you might even learn a thing or two on what it takes to live an authentic life and make better life decisions.

In conclusion

If things go bad with your anxiety issues, there is no shame for asking professional help. But, if you are not there yet, you can try some of our recommendations to control and manage your anxiety levels.

The hobbies and activities described here might seem somewhat generic and simple. They are simple, there is nothing particularly difficult about them, but they are efficient. They have helped hundreds of thousands of people with anxiety issues.

Thanks to them, they have reported feeling much better, and that they can deal with their anxiety.

Worst-case scenario, you will learn something new like a new language, read a few more books, binge-watch some TV show, or something in line with the recommendations above.

How To Simplify Your Life

How-To-Simplify-Your-Life

Life has its challenges and eventually all of us will have to face them. These challenges might be overwhelming at times but the truth is that you can stay on top of them. If you find yourself struggling with your daily life, chances are that you should think of simplifying your life.

We put together the most useful tips to help you simplify your life with no hassle or frustrations!

Start your days with the best morning routine

The way you start your day will impact the rest of your day but ultimately, the overall aspect of your life. So, establishing a healthy morning routine can help you tremendously. If you start your day in a chaotic way, chances are that it will continue like that.

The type of morning routine you have is completely up to you. Each person is different but as long as you make it a good start for a productive day, you are on the right path. You can start by meditating for ten minutes every morning, have a healthy breakfast or go for a run. Anything works as long as you feel refreshed and energized after you do it!

Declutter your home

We tend to gather objects in our homes that will end up not serving us. This reduces the free space you have in your house and adds stress to your life. So, before you go any further with your plan of simplifying your life, decluttering should be taken care of.

Go around your house and get rid of those objects that you no longer use. You will find it refreshing and extremely comforting to free up your home. You might come across objects that don’t bring you joy anymore and there is no reason to keep them. Decluttering your place will have a great effect on your mind. There are many studies that show that a clean house helps you think better and have a more positive mindset.

Knock out extra hours on social media

I’m not saying you should delete all your social media accounts. But if you find yourself scrolling up and down for hours looking at thousands of posts, you might want to limit your social media time.

It will take discipline to spend only a few minutes here and there on Facebook, Instagram or any other social network you might be on. But you will thank yourself for that soon enough.

Set up your plans and goals

Life becomes a lot simpler when you know your goals and most important objectives. Establishing such goals makes it easier to find the right path to get to them. If you are used to planning things this will not be a problem for you. But if you are not, you might find it difficult at first. Don’t worry, all you have to do is get a calendar and write down your future plans. This way you will know exactly what you will do and when.


Related: How To Create A 5 Year Plan


Check your goals and plan regularly and adjust them according to the changes that might appear. If you make this a habit, you will find yourself more at peace and less anxious when it comes to your future plans.

Have a to-do list

Every day is a new adventure.

Some adventures will be more complex than others but you should stay on top of them all nevertheless. Having a to do list for each day will take a lot of stress of your mind. You can create a list with your priorities the evening before your day starts. You can also set up your to do list during your morning routine, maybe over your coffee.

Staying organized like that will help you avoid procrastination and get a lot more things done. You will know exactly what you have to do as you wake up and you can be more productive right away.


Related: 6 Productive Things To Do Before Bed


Stay on top of your budget

The financial aspect of your life might complicate it a lot more than you expect. If your finances are all over the place you will not be able to keep track of your income and expenses. A good resolution to this chaos is to start budgeting. You don’t have to be an accountant to manage your finances. All you need to do is write down your income, your expenses and your savings.

Speaking of savings, it is wise to establish a percentage of your income that should go to your savings account each month. Try to stay away from your savings account unless you have an emergency. Doing so can not only simplify your life but also offer you peace of mind you need.


Related: 10 Habits Of People Who Awlays Have Money


Choose your relationships carefully

Stay away from toxic relationships that drain your energy and focus more on those that support your growth and life goals.

The people you choose to have around you should empower yourself and offer you the positive energy you need to go on with everything that you are doing. It doesn’t matter who these toxic people are that add unnecessary drama to your daily schedule. They could be friends, family or even your spouse. However, the most difficult part might be to see them for what they are in order to fix or end your connection to them. Evaluate your relationships with a critical eye and only allow certain individuals to have the privilege of being around you.

Apply the tips in this guide and you will notice positive changes happening in your daily life.