I’m serious, it really helps. Now, it might take a while to stop if you are like me and think about every single thing. After you continuously tell yourself that things are okay and stop being so hard on yourself you’ll notice a big change. You make a mistake? tell yourself that you’re learning and to do better next time. You say something in front of someone instead of saying it inside of your head? Who cares what they think, that’s who you are. You’ll be happier and feel better about yourself. I know it’s a long shot, but trust me it does help.

Been sitting at that desk chair all day working on the computer? Take a break. Walk around and stretch your muscles. Make sure you get the blood flowing in your veins. Trust me, it helps. You’ll feel less tired and when you come back you’ll be more focused. Walking will help in general whether you’ve been sitting at a desk chair or not. Going walks around a park or walking on a treadmill for at least 15 minutes a day would go a long way. It can boost your energy and improve your mood.

I know, you probably hear this all the time. But water is very important. You know that one meme where the kid “says bacon is good for me.” Say that except replace bacon with water :) Drink water before and after you go to bed. Especially in between. Now, you don’t have to go all out and drink a gallon a day. Do like two 16oz water bottles and it will go a long way, I promise. Don’t like water? Try a little flavoring, a little. Water is good for you!

Scientists say that you need at least 8-10 hours of sleep. But everyone is different so how do you know how much is good for you? Well, most people need 6-8 hours of sleep, and some need 5 hours of sleep. Find out how much sleep helps you. That might be hard, but if you feel sleepy after sleeping for 5 try sleeping for 7. Try to read before sleeping, or maybe write in a journal. Try not to be on your phone before bed. Try to read before bed as well, or stretch. Without sleep, you’ll become a zombie!

There are so many hobbies out there. You could learn to knit, crochet, learn how to ski, or go biking. So many opportunities out there. Not sure what to do? Look it up, and find things that interest you. Ask a friend what they like to do. Maybe make new friends and form a friend group. Join some sort of club even! Maybe try to get a step higher at your job, whether it is becoming a manager or switching areas at work. Maybe step out of your comfort zone! For me, I had to ask friends and family for ideas. I even did some research for a bit on what kinds of hobbies, but even if I wasn’t sure I still tried them. I ended up liking them! It all takes time sometimes.

There is lots of research on the benefits of reading. It helps your brain, focus and it can make you smarter! Look at that. I know not many people like to read, so here is something else. Listen to a book or listen to a podcast. Find something happy or motivational. Or something dark and twisty, whatever floats your boat.Not sure what to read? look some stuff up, and figure out what you like to read most. It took me a while to find what I actually liked to read, I went online and read samples of books. As for audiobooks and podcasts, you can find them anywhere, you can find them on YouTube and Spotify! There are many amazing podcasts on Spotify. Like the Roman Attwood podcast and the Squeeze! Have a favorite YouTube? There is a chance they have a podcast!

Everyone deals with stress differently, some exercise and some meditate. According to some, meditation helps you be more mindful and calmer. I haven’t meditated much, but the people I know who do. They state that they overthink less and are more mindful. They feel less stressed out and calm. If you look up how meditating helps you, you’ll find that and most likely other information on it as well. You may think that meditation is weird or goofy, but trust me it is not! Many people meditate on a daily basis. I think if you haven’t you definitely should give it a try. Find a quiet place, sit down however you’d like, and teach yourself to not think about anything. I know most people would say “That’s weird, I won’t do that.” But trust me doing things you think are weird is okay. Find something to listen to or even download a meditation app! Headspace is a great example of a meditation app.

Here me out, you don’t have to become a fitness junky and go ham on the protein shakes and vegetables. If you wanted to you could. But, doing as little as eating an apple a day and walking can go a long way. Eating veggies and fruits here and there won’t hurt either. But getting a little bit of the healthy stuff helps. It may even kick-start you into a fitness journey, who knows! Focusing on your health is important. If you don’t it could cause problems in the long run, I know it may seem hard and you might feel like you have no time. But spending at least a few minutes exercising or eating some fruit a day could help a lot.

I know this might seem cheesy, but trust me it isn’t. In fact it is very important that you know your worth and love yourself for you. For me it’s taking years to realize it, I just now am starting to love myself every day. It’s hard and it is a struggle. But you can learn it by telling yourself that you’re beautiful, or handsome. By doing the things you want and not others. It’s hard to explain how, but be kinder to yourself and know that you are amazing and you’re the only you. Know that you can do the things you think you can’t do. Have more faith in yourself.