There is nothing more powerful than a being in a great physical and mental state, especially in today’s society where it seems like everyone is competing with each other for the first place of ‘who works the most’ competition.
We see this all the time at work or on social media, those productivity gurus working for an unearthly amount of hours each day, and it affects us too. Have you ever wished to be able to work 12+ hours each day like the influences you see? Everyone is ‘guilty’ of this.
But at the same time, we see a lot of people embracing the ‘detox’ mentality, be it their diets or their online presence; they take their time to create a lifestyle that is more beneficial to their health, interests, or relationships. You see them talk about how powerful they feel, and how happier they have become. And if you are thinking about how you wish to experience growth in your life, too, then you are already a step closer to a more fulfilled life.
Here are some ways how to make your life richer without any material growth, and how to be happy with your own body and soul this year:
Nourish your body
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Working out is well-know stress relief, but it gives all kinds of benefits to our mind and body, such as better overall health, better sleep, more energy, a sharper memory. It even reduces depression.
Exercise is the best way to start investing in yourself. It has one thing that we all need, and that is visible progress. You will be able to track your progress visually and feel good about your accomplishment, which increases your motivation to start working on other areas of your life.
Yes, exercise is a wonderful way to boost your self-esteem and get the look you always wanted as a bonus.
Yoga is a great starting point. It is a meditation-based exercise, which means that you will stay in tune with your mind while doing physical activity. It is the kind of exercise that renews you. After each session, you will notice how more relaxed you feel and how mindful you have become.
Another fantastic exercise is jogging or running. Running is the best stress relief one can get, and is probably the healthiest exercise there is. After some time of regularly running, you will get to a point where the runs will be easy for you, and even euphoric – this is the runner’s high. After the first time you experience this phenomenon, you will be absolutely in love with running, and exercise will come naturally to you. So do not give up.
It is not only the exercise that will make you feel healthy and strong. It is your diet, as well. Junk food is always around us, but it is basically poison. You probably do not know how the greasy, processed food impacts you, but you know that all the pizzas and burgers are bad. Changing your diet is a powerful way to invest in yourself. After a couple of days, you will notice the change in your mood and energy levels. You will feel like you can do anything. Incorporate more fresh fruits and veggies, and a lot of healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and avocados; cut out all the processed foods.
Acquire a new skill
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Working on yourself means investing time in every vital part of your life. Health should definitely be on that list, because it must be everyone’s priority. Another way to grow as a person is to nurture your hobbies and passions. Maybe you always wanted to take up a musical instrument or painting. Yes, having a creative hobby is one of the most potent stress reliefs. You can express your emotions on the canvas, and, just like exercising, you get visual progress to make you feel proud.
But it does not need to be your passion. You can acquire a skill that you never wanted to learn, but you. For example, maybe you never thought that knitting would be something you like, but you saw some videos, and you instantly knew that you want to try it. Then do try it! Maybe you will realize that it is not your cup of tea, but it does not matter. The point is to be loose and experiment. You will learn a lot and grow as a person.
Take on reading
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There is a powerful quote by Nelson Mandela about education; it says:
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
It is never to late to learn something new. Books can teach us many things, from ideas to history, from self-help to understanding other people. Reading is a wonderful way to relax. Grab a blanket and a cup of tea and explore the worlds that exist in your imagination. You won’t even notice your horizons expanding, but after you close a book, you will be a completely different person.
Learn to be mindful
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Mindfulness is a state of active attention. If you pay attention to your thought during the day, you will find that most of the time, you are worried about the future, and you rarely think about the present moment. This is a significant cause of stress in today’s fast-paced world. Slow down and allow yourself the time to spend some energy thinking about your current emotions. When you are talking to your friend or a partner, be present in the conversation. Really listen to what they have to say.
Mindfulness can be practiced daily, be it with meditation practices, yoga, or even familiar things, like eating mindfully or taking mindful walks. You will feel more energized, less stressed, but you will also improve your focus.
Travel more often
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Do you feel refreshed when traveling? Being away from your work and stressful daily routine once in a while can be beneficial to your mental health.
Traveling is also an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse of how other people live and see something beautiful. You do not have to have two-week travel plans; it can even be a weekend-long exploring the local area you have never been to. Whatever will pull you away from the screen is a good way to relax your body and mind.
Rather than spending money on stuff, you can put it to better use, like starting a travel fund. If you have always wanted to visit Japan, but it was too expensive, invest in your dream journey little by little, that way you will be more excited and grateful when you actually board that plane.
You will learn about new cultures, try all kinds of foods, hear a new language. These experiences widen your perspective and make you grateful for all the diversity in the world. You can find out a lot about yourself by observing the world around you.
Stella is a graphic designer and illustrator, a lifestyle blogger and a food enthusiast. She loves giving tips about healthy lifestyles and self-development. She is a contributor to several health and lifestyle blogs. You can find more about her writing by following her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/