Are you feeling meaningless, bored, and confused lately? Want to be happier and content with yourself?
Begin by being good to yourself. Life is not just a bed of roses. It is filled up with different experiences some of which are good, others not quite so.
What you need to gain from these experiences is not being critical of yourself but rather being content with whatever life throws at you. So, how to be content with yourself? Smile through such experiences and learn from them. Here are some tips and tricks that will surely help you get through such emotions and experiences.
10 ways on being content with yourself
Being happier with yourself can be quite a task but once achieved your outlook on life will be completely changed. Being satisfied in your life is the greatest fleet a person can achieve. Also, being content with yourself will not only have a positive impact on your physical health but also on your mind and soul.
It will help you achieve your goals and motivate you to strive further in your life. So, here are some simple tips and tricks that are surely going to help you reach your goal.
1. Be grateful
Take a moment to be grateful for something. Ask yourself what is amazing in your life. Ask yourself how can I be a grateful person. It can be simple things such as your health, your family or even getting a good grade.
In this way, our mind focuses on what is good rather than what is bad. You will be able to negate all the negative emotions that are built up in your mind. Moreover, you will become more satisfied with yourself and your life. Therefore, find something and pay gratitude for it. As the saying goes
“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher.
Find gratitude in day-to-day challenges. A good way to help you be grateful is to keep a gratitude journal. Note down the things you are grateful for in your life, it will help you take your mind off the negativity around you. Do not be a picky person, enjoy the little things in life and be thankful. Practice mindfulness, this will help you ease your mind and will reduce your stress.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough” Oprah Winfrey
2. Do not be critical of yourself
See how you talk to yourself. Watch your tone. Are you being too harsh on yourself? Are you criticizing yourself for even the little mistakes you did some years ago? If that’s the case it needs to change. Oftentimes, you tend to be your worst critic times which eventually leads to unhealthy emotions, anxiety, and ultimately depression.
Instead, try to be your own best friend. Listen to what your mind wants to tell you and find a solution rather than shutting yourself down. Learn from your past mistakes. Be kind to yourself and forgive yourself.
“We’ve been so busy trying to rewrite our pasts, we’ve blighted their present.” Harry Potter, and the Cursed Child
3. Find things about yourself you’re happy with
Ask yourself what you love doing the most. What makes me truly happy? It can be anything, a walk in the street, reading a book, spending time with your family. Engage in activities that truly make you happy.
Pursue new hobbies and new experiences that will add to your happiness. It will help you take your mind off things that are bugging you. Be productive.
Learn a new language, and sign up for a class you have been wanting to take for a long time. Or, water the plants in your garden, and enjoy and appreciate the nature around you. Go on a hike with your friends or cook your favorite dish at 1 am at the night. Thus, do whatever makes you happy and content with life.
“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
Mark Twain
4. Do not compare yourself with others
With social media everywhere you tend to compare yourself with other people including celebrities. You are mesmerized by their perfect lives, however, none of this is real.
They also have their bad days which are not portrayed on social media. Comparing yourself to this false imagery can be quite unhealthy and will eventually make you think that you are not enough. Ultimately, It will lead to negative emotions, anxiety, and depression.
People often ask me how I overcome comparing myself to others. As stated earlier you need to be grateful for your life, your successes, and your accomplishments. Set a social media boundary, limit your time spent on social media, or unfollow any account that makes you feel less about yourself.
What you need to do is to focus on your strengths, learn to compete with yourself, and try to celebrate others’ happiness.
“We’re only envious of those already doing what we were made to do. Envy is a giant, flashing arrow pointing us toward our destiny.” –Glennon Doyle Melton
Related: How to Feel Better About Yourself | 7 Ways to Feel Better Instantly
5. Avoid being judgmental
Are you often too quick on judging other people? Are you judging the other person based on their looks and actions? If you find yourself being too critical and judgmental of others this needs to stop. Passing judgment on others seriously alters your thinking and personality.
A simple method is to not pass any judgment. Also, appearances are mostly deceptive, if not always. So, try to understand the meaning behind the other person’s actions. Once you understand the person’s reasons try to accept that.
Another method is that you can note down your judgmental thoughts in a journal and try to find a solution for such thoughts. For example, if you find yourself thinking “Whoa! Lauren is wearing such an ugly and baggy shirt today” Your positive thought might be “Maybe she feels comfortable in those clothes”.
Moreover, try to remember that everyone is trying their best and have their battles to fight. Such a practice will not only make you less judgmental but will also ease your mind of unnecessary negativity.
Related: 5 Effective Ways to be Non-Judgmental in Practice
6. Eliminate toxic people from your life
Watch your company. See who you hang out with. Many times we often find ourselves in the company of toxic people. The first and foremost step that you need to take is to identify that person. It can be anyone, a toxic friend, a toxic family member, or a toxic relationship that you have been trying to hold on to for a while.
Identify such manipulating and distracting people. They are quite difficult to please and they will constantly make you prove yourself to them.
So, you need to be firm with such people and set boundaries with them. You need to realize that it is not your job to save them. Rather, say no to things you do not want to do instead of pleasing them.
“Real freedom is saying ‘no’ without giving a reason.” — Amit Kalantri
Related: Smart Ways to Deal with Toxic People
7. Prioritize your health
Your health is the utmost important thing in your life which includes not only your physical health but also your mental health. According to Neal Maddox, when your health is in good condition every other aspect of your life suffers. The least you can do for your well-being is to maintain a healthy mind and lifestyle. Keep it simple.
Set some resolutions and realistic goals. Eat healthily and avoid junk food. Practice exercises and try to have a consistent workout routine. Avoid such situations and people that make you anxious. Also, keep your stress levels down. Finally, try to change your environment.
Once you start prioritizing your health, your mental state will also start to improve and you will feel better about yourself which will ultimately lead to contentment. Thereby, start prioritizing your health to be content with yourself.
8. Get rid of unnecessary possessions
Go and take a look at your closet. Is it filled up with piles of unused clothes, shoes, and jewelry pieces that you never find yourself wearing? Have you filled up your life with material things that you think will give you happiness? You see a bag on a shopping website and you find yourself impulsively adding it to your cart and buying it.
You think it will make you content and happier but that’s not the case. After a few days, you again find yourself scrolling through another website looking for another bag and so the cycle goes on.
The overload of possessions in your life comes from unhappiness. You buy such things because it makes you happy for a while. Getting rid of unnecessary possessions is a sure step towards contentment. You need to sort out what you actually need and what is just sitting there in your closet.
Organize your closet and make room for storage. Donate unnecessary items to the needy. Once you start doing this you will feel much lighter your mind will feel less anxious and you will feel contentment in your life. According to Peace Pilgrim:
Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them! There is great freedom in the simplicity of living. It is those who have enough but not too much who are the happiest.
9. Maintain good relationships
“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” Theodore Roosevelt
As the above saying goes, life is all about having good connections with your fellow people. Having a positive and supportive relationship with your family, friends, and colleagues will help you on your path towards contentment.
Research suggests that individuals with supportive and rewarding relationships have better mental health, higher levels of well-being, and lower rates of morbidity and mortality.
So, start by accepting the fact that every person is different and you need to learn to respect the differences between you and the other person. Listen effectively to what the person is trying to tell you. Develop an empathetic attitude and try to be kind to others rather than judgmental.
Give time to your loved ones. Having good relationships with other people will have a positive effect on your mental health. You will find your stress levels going down and you will have a more positive outlook on life and thus you will be much happier with your life and yourself.
10. Good sleep
Last but not least having a good night’s sleep is of utmost importance in maintaining a stress-free life. Research indicates that sleep problems are associated with poorer mental health including increased depression, anxiety, agitation problems, and delinquent behaviors.
You have probably noticed that after a sleepless night you are more irritable and short-tempered. However, after a good night’s sleep, you feel refreshed and ready to take on whatever the day throws at you. So sleep directly affects a person’s mood and directs their behavior.
According to Harvard Medical School, two types of sleep stages make up the sleep cycle i.e. NREM (non-rapid eye moment) and REM (rapid eye moment). Each stage plays an important role in a person’s behavior and attitude in life. In NREM sleep the brain activity slows down whereas REM sleep is associated with increased brain activity and so it is associated with intense dreams. Each stage plays a role in a person’s thinking ability, learning, and memory.
Moreover, your emotional and mental health is also immensely affected by your sleep. A good night’s sleep especially in the REM stage is important in processing the emotional information your brain receives each day. So in conclusion be content with yourself by having quality sleep. A good night’s sleep will alter your negative and anxious thoughts and will lead you towards positive energy in your life.
Related: How to be Happy with yourself | 11 Simple Ways to be Happy
Conclusion:
If you are in a bad place in your life and hate everything about it you need to refocus on yourself. Do not sulk in your misery rather stand up to whatever challenges you are facing in your life and remember that nothing is permanent. In the end, it is only up to you to make yourself happy and content with your life.
So, start today by practicing these amazing tips that will surely make you feel better about yourself and your life. Practice these amazing tips and you’ll never have to think about how to be content with yourself, again. Remember that there is light at the end of every dark tunnel.
