- [Narrator] Hey Psych2Goers.
Are you looking for some habits to help improve yourself?
Well, you've come to the right place.
Here are a few tricks to get you feeling happier
and help you become a better you.
Number one, follow what it is you want in life for yourself,
not just what others want for you.
Are you choosing a career that society says you should have?
Are you with a partner
only because your friends say you should be with them?
What about your goals?
Are they yours or someone else's?
It's important to follow what it is you want in life,
not what others only want for you.
This doesn't mean you should be selfish,
but it does mean if you're not happy
with the path you're taking in life,
you may need to change things up.
Make a promise to yourself and stick with it.
If you know what you want, go get it.
A good habit if you're struggling
with staying true to yourself
is to make the decisions yourself
before asking others what they think on the topic.
It's kind of you to think of others' needs too
but keep in mind your needs and wants are just as important.
Balance, as long as you're true to yourself,
you should be fine.
Number two, write down the things
you'll need to get done tomorrow
so you can rest for the evening.
So you've had a busy day at school
and you have a ton of work to get done tomorrow.
It's already pretty late
and you've made plans with friends and family this evening
so you have to call it quits for the day.
You've been working hard.
You deserve it.
But when you go out to dinner for the evening,
you can't help but feel that stacked to-do list
at the back of your head.
There's a great little method clinical psychologist,
writer, teacher, and podcaster, Nick Wignall, practices.
Wignall recommend on his blog
that you try what he calls the 4:55 drill.
Five minutes before work ends at 5:00 PM,
he writes down three important things
he should get done the next day.
This way, he's assured and reminded of what he needs
to work on the next day.
He doesn't need to hold on
and memorize what it is he has to do tomorrow.
It's written down for him.
He let it go on a sticky note on his desk
instead of keeping it bottled up inside his head
for the rest of the evening.
Great advice!
So create your own variation of the strategy if you'd like.
If you write down the rest of your worries or tasks today
that you know you should probably complete tomorrow,
you can let go of them so they don't worry you
throughout the rest of your evening.
You can do this for a task you know is better completed
next week or a month from now, whatever floats your boat.
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Number three, search for a creative outlet or hobby.
Nearly everyone has a creative side,
so it's time to let yours out.
Being creative is a great way to express what you're feeling
and share something about yourself with the world.
Remember journaling and doodling?
Those are creative outlets as well.
Being creative allows you to release any energy
or feelings you have out onto a project.
So make it a habit to incorporate a bit of creativity
throughout your day.
Try a new hobby,
practice the tuba,
make a sculpture, whatever it is,
make time for it throughout your day or week.
Number four, do something that makes you truly happy
at least once a day.
What is it that makes you truly happy?
Spending time with your family,
painting, going on walks with your dog?
Our days can get busy and, along with that, stressful.
So it's great to plan into your day an hour or so
to do something that makes you jump for joy.
Well, you don't need to be physically jumping
unless you really enjoy jumping on trampolines.
This should give you a little something to look forward to
and work towards throughout your day,
and it should take the stress off a bit being able
to spend time doing something you truly love.
Number five, be kind and respectful to yourself.
Are you too harsh with how you think about yourself?
Do you over-criticize yourself after small mistakes?
Well, it's time to respect yourself, my friend.
You wouldn't treat your friends
with such harsh criticisms or judgements, right?
Then why not treat yourself as a friend?
Be kind and gentle, not cruel and judgmental.
A good habit is to replace harsh self-talk
with positive self-talk.
Easier said than done, right?
But it's worth a try.
If you catch yourself on a tirade of rude insults
to yourself after a mistake,
take a breath and ask yourself
how you can simply do better next time,
or how you have plenty of time
to try out new strategies or fix the mistake
so it's even better than before.
Maybe simply give yourself a compliment each day.
Spend time recognizing what's so great about you.
What are you proud of?
What are you looking forward to?
What makes you happy to be you?
Number six, stray away from rumination
and stay focused on the task at hand.
Do you spend a great deal of time playing out scenarios
and replaying unhelpful thoughts?
These ruminations can make an individual
feel extremely anxious as they play out
these hypothetical situations.
A good habit is whenever you find yourself caught
in a stream of unhelpful thoughts
to focus on something in front of you,
or take the stressful thoughts you've been worried about
and express them in a journal.
You'll be able to slow down
and regain your clarity by simply slowly writing out
what it is you're feeling in a journal or a notebook.
It doesn't need to be a thorough journal entry.
Even a simple sentence or doodle may get you back
to feeling relaxed.
So will you adopt any of these helpful habits?
And if so, which ones?
Feel free to share with us in the comments down below.
We hope you enjoyed this video.
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And as always, thanks for watching.
(soft music)