Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ Blog - 7 Ways To Improve The Way You See Yourself And Be Happier
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When you’re working toward accomplishing a big goal — like losing weight or getting fit — it can be hard to feel good about yourself during the process. But, you deserve to feel good about yourself right where you are now. And having strong self-esteem can improve your quality of life, well-being, and give you the confidence to keep working to achieve your goals. Try these tactics to feel better about who you are right now:
Act “as if”Think about why you want to be more fit and healthy. Is it to feel more confident ? To fit in your favorite outfit comfortably? To have a more active social calendar? Picture “Future You” who has accomplished that goal. What are you doing? How is your life better than it is now? Instead of waiting for that life to happen, start making it a reality now.
Go shopping
You and your body deserve to have clothes you feel good in right now. You don’t have to wait to be a different size to wear fun clothes. Buy yourself outfits, shoes, and accessories you feel good in at the moment. There’s no need to break the bank — a few staples you love can elevate your wardrobe and help you enjoy getting dressed every day.
Be kind to yourself
Take care of yourself the way you take care of others. Buy yourself flowers. Unplug when you can. If you need a day off, ask for it. Nurses tend to put others first, with good reason, but we need to advocate for ourselves and treat ourselves with kindness, too.
Cultivate curiosity
Between a busy career as nurse and other obligations, it can be tough to make time for what you enjoy. Heck, it can be hard to even remember where you used to find joy. Spend some time thinking about hobbies or activities you used to enjoy when life was less crazy — then, see if you can incorporate them into your life in some way. If you’re stumped, take a look through your community newspaper or check Facebook’s “events near you” feature to see what meetups are happening in your town. You might be surprised to find knitting circles, wine tasting clubs, or cycling groups. Or, peruse the hobby section of a bookstore and see if anything jumps out at you.
Celebrate your good qualities
Your inner monologue may include phases like: “I wasted time.” “I can’t do anything right.” “I look terrible in this outfit.” Try to push those thoughts aside and notice your positive attributes: “I put patients at ease.” “I comfort their families.” “I am rocking these scrubs!”
Appreciate your life
Most bad days can be improved by being mindful and appreciative of what we have. Taking time to give thanks for the good things can make you feel better in the short term and have lasting health benefits.
Help others
According to Psychology Today, helping others boosts happiness hormones, including serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Whether you volunteer to cover for a colleague, pay for the bill of the person behind you at the coffee shop, or donate to a charity, you’ll be making someone else — and yourself — feel good.
Do you have any mood-boosting hacks or ideas for turning around a bad day? Tell us on Facebook or in our discussion. Were the tips in this post helpful? We hope so! Feel free to share them on social media by clicking the icons to the left. Don't forget to tag us with #HealthyNurse.
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Source List:
Ritvo, E. (2014, April 24). The neuroscience of giving. Retrieved March 08, 2018.
Roth, G. (1998). When you eat at the refrigerator, pull up a chair: 50 ways to feel thin, gorgeous, and happy (when you feel anything but) New York, NY: Hyperion.
Blog Quality of Life
04/19/2018 1:09pm CDT
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