Becoming Better, Bit by Bit
September is Self Improvement Month. There are many areas of our lives–physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or intellectual to name a few–where even a little improvement can have a significant impact. New Years is typically the time people make resolutions, but the start of a new school year can be a great time for reevaluating those resolutions, taking advantage of new opportunities or making fresh starts.
Credit: John Lund/Getty Images; think about starting to learn a new skill during Self-Improvement Month!
What’s at Stake?
Self esteem is all about how much we value, love and accept things about ourselves and feel valued, accepted and thought well of by others. The good news is that self-worth is fluid, which means it can change over time. How we feel about ourselves influences how we see the world. Low self-esteem can lead to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, risky behavior, or substance abuse. Those with a self-described sense of strong self-worth are reportedly better equipped to handle stress, form and maintain healthy relationships, and remain healthy themselves into older age.
Things You Can Do
- Learn something new. Get involved in a new club, sign up for a class or find a YouTube video and learn something from scratch. Basic skills such as CPR can give you a boost by knowing you can be of service in times of emergency. Learning a skill like sewing or basic home repairs can continue to relevant throughout your life
- Spend more time with people who make you feel good. . . . and less time with those who don’t. Ask yourself who the people are who consistently support you and around whom you are at ease? Then make an effort to shift more of your time so that you are spending it with nurturing people.
- Volunteer. There are many organizations out there that are well-run and respected and provide you with the opportunity to learn a new skill as well as make a contribution (Habitat for Humanity, for example). But you can make a difference in your own backyard as well. You can offer to tutor a classmate you suspect is struggling, or pick up an area in your neighborhood particularly cluttered with litter. Earlier this summer, btw reported on Mandala Day, with some tips of making a difference.
- Set realistic goals. There is a acronym in the business world that uses SMART as a way to remember how to set goals. S = specific, M = measureable, A = attainable, R = realistic and T = timely.
- Get some exercise. You don’t have to be obsessed with fitness to relieve stress, and make a habit toward life-long health and happiness. Yoga, dancing, even running around with younger kids on a regular basis can be fun ways to stay in shape.
- Keep a journal. There is scientific evidence to suggest that keeping a record of your thoughts provides many benefits, such as clearer thinking, stress reduction and the ability to solve problems more effectively.
Things You Should Stop Doing
- Trying to be Perfect. There’s a big difference between doing your best and beating yourself up over not getting something exactly right. Perfectionism is a way to actually put off making real change because perfection can never truly be achieved. Don’t set yourself up to fail every time.
- Wishing You Could Change the Past. You can’t. All that can come of replaying the scenes of past hurts again and again in our mind is deeper hurt. It may help to remember that memories of events in the past are thoughts occurring in the present.
- Shouldering it all. There are some situations where emotional wounds are too deep or where a diagnosable condition could require the assistance of a mental health professional. Don’t be afraid to seek out the help of a guidance counselor at your school or talk to your parents about finding an appropriate professional.