How to create a new you

Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut? Do you feel tired regularly, deflated and uninspired? Perhaps you have felt for a while that you need to make some changes to your life but you don’t know how, or what, or maybe you lack the motivation to get started? 

The truth is, making just a few small changes in your life could have a huge impact on how you feel about yourself and the future, helping you to become more motivated and content with your life and where it’s going. Below are some top tips to help you make a fresh start and ensure that you keep moving forward with positivity!

Looking good feeling great

You’d be surprised as to how much of an impact a slight change in appearance or wearing a new item of clothing can have. Sometimes if you feel like you are stuck in a rut, revamping your wardrobe or changing your image slightly can help you shake things up a little bit and make a fresh start. 

Making changes like trying a new hairstyle can feel like a bold step for some people, but it could make a huge difference to your self-image and the way you relate to yourself. Even something small like buying a new eye shadow or trying a new fragrance can lift your mood and help you to feel more motivated.

Taking up a new hobby

Creating a new you means exploring and discovering different sides of yourself. Everyone has ideas of hobbies they’d like to take up or new things they would like to try. Or maybe it is a case of taking the time to improve and develop existing talents, whether it be playing the guitar, drawing, dancing, singing or practicing yoga. Taking up a new hobby is a great thing to do to help support your mental health and well-being as well as help you feel more inspired and motivated. 

Getting creative

There has been a lot in the media recently about the benefits of art therapy, which is currently being used across healthcare and sites like BetterHelp to help support mental health by alleviating depression and anxiety. Creating art is a very therapeutic and rewarding activity, it helps someone to increase feelings of self-appreciation, to feel more motivated, and it’s a huge destresser. 

In principle, this can be said for many artistic or creative endeavors, whether it be painting, drawing, textiles, making music or writing poetry, getting your creative juices flowing and exploring any hidden talents will help to give you a renewed sense of purpose as well as being a valuable, enjoyable and rewarding way to spend your time.

Meditation and mindfulness

Practicing meditation and mindfulness helps to foster more self-discipline, which can be applied to help you get ahead in other areas of your life, it improves sleep, reduces stress, improves concentration, and regular practice results in a much more positive mood and outlook. In essence, it is one of the best practices that anyone can take up to improve how they feel across the board and to ultimately feel more satisfied in life. 

One of the most important aspects of meditation when it comes to creating a new you is its ability to enhance self-awareness, it helps people to develop a stronger understanding of themselves which can help someone grow into their best self. By gaining more self-awareness of your thought patterns and habits you can start guiding them towards much more healthy and constructive patterns. Using meditation guides or Zen bracelets can help center your mind and energy when you are starting off.

Getting in shape

Another important factor towards improving self-image as well as feeling better in yourself is diet and exercise. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly will help to improve your mood and energy levels so you can feel better about yourself and get more things done. 

Not only that but being happier with your weight and your body will give you a huge confidence boost. So if you’ve been meaning to join a gym, start cycling again or get a monthly swimming pass at your local swimming baths, then there’s no time like the present! You will feel better for the exercise and the routine that this provides, as well as feeling good about getting into better shape.

The benefits of adopting a diet plan

Having a structured diet can really help some people stay disciplined and achieve the results that they want. For many people these days when it comes to diet, the question is - keto vs. Atkins diet, which is better? But in any case, both diets have a great track record for helping people lose a lot of weight, tone up and increase energy levels. 

The principal methodology behind both diets is to restrict carbohydrates and increase protein intake which for lots of people has amazing results. Deciding which diet might be suitable is down to personal preference. Alternatively, if you are not a fan of diets, ensuring that you maintain a balanced and healthy diet is the ultimate key to wellness and longevity.

Exercise

Getting in enough exercise on a weekly basis is important for both physical and mental health. You should be aiming for at least 20 minutes of exercise a day to stay fit and healthy. Getting more exercise will energize you, give you more motivation, and help you sleep better. If you are someone that struggles with tiredness or fatigue, while it may seem a difficult task to be more active under those circumstances, in the long run, it will help to alleviate the tiredness and you should find that you start to feel much better. 

The mood-enhancing effects of nature

Research shows that something as simple as going for a walk in nature has many proven health benefits, it can help alleviate anxiety and depression and reduce inflammation in the body which is linked to headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue. Studies show that the brain releases powerful mood-enhancing neurochemicals when we walk in nature, this can, in turn, help someone to increase their levels of satisfaction in life and feel more positive – a key ingredient to creating a new you.

Guest post by: Jane Sandwood