12 Simple Ways to Build a Better Future.

1. Try your best to interact with others.

An important part in psychological health, is having positive and healthy relationships with other people. Interacting and socializing will help keep you from feeling lonely. You can start to feel lonely and depressed if you tend to isolate yourself from other people. Especially if you don’t get out the house other than for work and to run errands.

So, instead find something you can do that gets you out the house and around other people.

2. Commit to keeping your body healthy.

Physical health and mental health are linked. So, the better you feel physically, the better you’ll feel psychologically.

Make it a habit to get some regular exercise and that doesn’t necessarily have to be in a gym. Start with something simple like going for a run, or walk your dog more often. Swimming or cycling are also good exercise methods. Whatever it is that gets your body moving and increases your heart rate. Exercising releases endorphins and endorphins make you feel great!

3. Regularly challenge yourself.

We all know that having too much stress in our lives is negative. But having too little can be just as bad. Everyone needs to be challenged occasionally. Challenges create a healthy type of stress, which helps us thrive and stay sharp.

So, if your life lacks any real challenge, create some! Once you’ve overcome the challenge, it’ll give you a rush of excitement and a feeling of accomplishment.

4. Set a goal and strive to meet it.

There’ll definitely be some stress and some challenges along the way. But, as I said before, overcoming challenges and reaching your goals  is well worth it.

5. Learn how to deal with your stress effectively.

I’m sure you have self-soothing habits to deal with stress. Maybe it’s eating ice-cream, or chocolate, etc? And that might seem effective in the moment, but in reality it fails to address the actual cause of stress.

We can sometimes even deal with stress in ways that make the situation worse. And stress can be a silent killer if you don’t get it under control.

So, try to find healthy ways to relieve your stress. Things like exercising, spending some time with friends, or even just reading a book can be healthy options for lowering your stress.

6. Make time for yourself, so you can unwind and relax.

Stressing over things, especially things you can’t control isn’t healthy. And stressing about them doesn’t help resolve the problem or issue. For example, one of the biggest stressors in today’s world is money issues. But worrying and stressing about it, won’t solve the problem. It’ll just cause you to stress out even more.

So instead, why not take a deep breath and try to come up with a plan to decrease your expenses in certain areas? I know it won’t be that easy in every situation, but at the very least remember the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, which says…

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

7. Try to spend some time each day doing something enjoyable.

It could be something as simple as taking your dog for a walk, or going for a run. It could be going to the movies, getting a massage, or even just playing with your kids for a while. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it’s fun! Let the pressures of work, etc. disappear for a while and indulge in some well deserved “me time.”

8. Practice the art of forgiveness.

Being angry or holding a grudge accomplishes very little.  Most of the time the person you’re angry at has no idea you’re angry with them. They’re still going about their life as though nothing has happened. But, you’re stuck in a vicious mental cycle that degrades your sense of well-being. And every single second you’re angry is a second you’re unhappy.

So, take negative things and learn something from them, then move on.

9. Give some of your time to others.

Helping someone isn’t only benefiting the person you’re helping, but it’s also a great way to boost your self-esteem. And, it’s a great way to meet other people that are caring and giving.

Think about a group of people you’d like to help, then find an organization that services them. But remember, it doesn’t have to be a group of people. This will also apply to friend, coworker, or even someone you just met. Who ever they are, if they’re in need, give them a hand. They might just need someone to talk to for a while. Sometimes people just want someone to notice them. To have someone that listens and cares what they have to say.

10. Learn how to quiet your mind.

In today’s ever busy world, your mind rarely gets a rest. Even while you’re sleeping your mind is still performing a multitude of different tasks. But, there are many ways to rest your mind: meditating, and practicing mindfulness are just a couple of ways to quieten your mind.

Our brains are never really still and quiet. They’re constantly thinking, analysing, predicting, and evaluating. Even though you don’t notice it, your subconscious mind never stops working.

Learning to control your thoughts can help bring much needed relief. Both Meditation and Mindfulness can help you learn how to quiet down your mind.

11. Ask for help.

If you get a physical injury, you seek medical assistance. If you’re having a psychological issue, you should be doing the same. It doesn’t matter what your psychological challenge is, there’s someone with the expertise to help you. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to see a counsellor or therapist if you don’t want to. It could simply be a case of speaking to your family or friends. In fact, anyone that’s willing to listen and to give you a helping hand is beneficial.

No one can do everything. Everyone needs help occasionally. Asking for help isn’t a weakness. In fact, it shows strength because you’ve acknowledged that you can’t do it on your own and could use some help.

12. Keep a journal.

Writing your thoughts down after a long, hard day is very therapeutic. It releases stress and tension, and can often give you a different perspective on the things that have happened during the day.

When you’re writing in your journal, you can be as honest as you want without worrying about upsetting anyone. Anything you write is for your eyes only. It’s can be a bit like a punching bag on bad days and a trusted friend on good days. When you have a bad day you can use it to let out all of your anger and frustration. If you’ve had a good day, you can share your excitement, energy and enthusiasm.

And remember, on bad days you can read about the good days and put it all into perspective!