No one is perfect, but recognizing the need for self-improvement is a big step. Maybe you’re not feeling your best and realized that it’s time to finally make healthy changes in your life. Get started on your path to self-improvement with these tips from Lau Botanicals.
Create a Cozy, Clean Home
It’s hard to feel good when living in a messy home, especially if dirt is visible and leads to odor or allergies. Starting a manageable cleaning routine prevents messes from taking over. Regular cleaning keeps your home healthy and prevents dust and irritants from piling up, so you can breathe easier.
Keeping a healthy home also goes beyond removing dirt and grime. Living with even minimal clutter influences your perception of home, creating feelings of dissatisfaction, says Psychology Today. Clutter impacts mental health and, in some studies, led to unhealthy eating habits.
Making a habit of picking up daily and wiping down surfaces is a great start, with a goal of deep cleaning once a week or so.
Ease Out of Bad Habits
Bad habits can be a barrier to self-improvement, whether it’s snacking on junk food, staying up late, or procrastinating over your to-do list. Whatever your habit of choice, breaking it will take effort and discipline. It can also take time.
Starting with self-reflection is a smart way to begin. What do you want to change and why? Make a plan to break down the bad habit and build a new, healthy one in its place. Give yourself grace; setbacks are often part of the process.
Involving others for support may help keep you on track and encourage you to celebrate wins both big and small.
Head Down a New Career Path
If you have a new career path in mind, earning your bachelor of education online might be the right fit. An education degree prepares you for a career in teaching children, whether at the early childhood, elementary, or higher level.
Online programs are flexible for working professionals yet include the student teaching experience you need for a well-rounded education. Look for accredited programs with competitive tuition and student perks.
Another option for a career refresh is to open a business. The challenges and rewards involved in launching a company lead to a unique brand of self-improvement. Every startup is different, but online resources can help you manage each stage of growth.
Start with branding and audience targeting, then cover your bases with business formation and legal paperwork.
Find Positive Motivators
Part of seeking self-improvement is about becoming a better version of yourself. You might also find meaning in life through positive actions and habits. Think about what brings meaning to your life and work toward doing more of it.
Whether you define an overarching purpose for your life (easier said than done) or simply a goal to look on the brighter side, finding meaning in life is the ultimate in self-improvement.
Pew Research Center notes that 69 percent of Americans say family gives meaning to life, followed by career (34 percent), money (23 percent), and faith (20 percent). Other lower-ranked motivators were friends, hobbies, health, home, and learning.
Contemplate your priorities and shift the balance if needed. For example, if hobbies bring you joy, carve out time to pursue those activities. If time with family matters most, schedule some downtime or even a vacation. Perfect balance is hard to achieve, but the increased effort is also self-improvement.
Give Back to Others
It can be hard to find time to focus on others when daily living is hectic and stressful. Yet dedicating time and resources to worthy causes has multiple benefits. Volunteering promotes mental and physical health, teaches skills, and helps build relationships, says Mayo Clinic, and those are only the benefits to the volunteers themselves.
Making time in your schedule to tutor kids, help out at a retirement home, or serve meals to people in need is a concrete way to make a positive impact on the world.
Self-improvement doesn’t happen overnight, but dedicating yourself to gradual change over time is worth the effort. Following this guide to improving your habits might lead to bigger changes and inspire even more growth.
