To be alive means not only to breathe, but also to grow and flourish. And there can be no growth without continuous conscious effort and even a struggle. It’s the choices we make every single day, the things we choose to do, and what we choose to take in that make all the difference. What are some of those self-growth practices?
You do not even need to spend anything, for the most part, to start doing things that will help you develop and flourish. Here are some of the things you can do:
Practice Self-Love
When you love yourself you become motivated to make choices that will help you grow in every aspect of your life – be it physically, emotionally, spiritually, or mentally. Having high regard for your own happiness and well-being is what it means to love yourself.
You attend to your own needs and refrain from putting yourself at risk to please others. You make sure not to get less than you deserve. You can implement and practice boundaries as an act of self-love. This is probably the first step towards self-growth. It is only when you truly love yourself that you make sure you reach your highest potential.
Try or Learn Something New Everyday
Education has always been a key to success. It’s a way to get the job of your dreams, not only to get that self-fulfillment you need but also to support yourself financially. But education is not limited to the four corners of classrooms. Every single day you can get educated if you choose to.
Reading good books that feed your mind. And in this time and age, you can now access multiple documentaries on demand. When you choose to learn something new each day your world becomes bigger and more exciting. You also increase your vocabulary and communication skills. One thing you can find out about good writers is that they also love to read.
Alternatively, try foods from different cultures. Try exotic fruits. You may learn more about what you like from a variety of dishes.
Then the information you take in becomes knowledge nobody can take away from you – knowledge that becomes your power. You discover more things to do, more options you can take, and gain a greater appreciation of the universe you live in.
When you know what is out there then you also get a greater understanding of who you are and what you believe in. What principles do you want to live by and hold onto? It is by also living with those sets of standards that you learn to stand fast and grow.
Be Open To Seeing Things In Different Perspectives
You will never truly grow if you only see things from your point of view and yours only. When you challenge yourself to see the same experience from other people’s shoes, from their various experiences, it allows you to be more thoughtful, open, and compassionate. It allows you to grow and see what you could do differently, or even better the next time another similar situation arises.
Take Care Of Your Health So You Can Age Well
To be able to do all the things you need to do for self-growth you need a healthy body and a clear mind so take care of your health. Eat good food with the right balance of everything and gratitude. You can enjoy food like cakes, chocolates, pizza, and ice cream. Why not if it makes you happy? But do so in moderation, or add to those foods with nutrient-dense options rather than restrict yourself from enjoying them. For example, enjoy a pizza, but load it up with extra veggies, or if not as a topping, on the side, such as a refreshing green salad loaded with berries and feta or as an easy snack, baby sweet bell peppers, cucumber, carrots sticks with a hummus dip.
Eat for the most part with the goal of loving every single part of your body. What is good for your heart? For your eyes? For your skin. Love yourself by watching out for what you put in your mouth. Health can suffer as you age but you can minimize it and even grow stronger if you eat right.
Also, make sure that you are exercising. Make it enjoyable. Find a sport you love or a hobby like gardening or dancing that involves physical effort. Not only will you maintain a healthy weight but grow stronger as well. I’ve learned from weightlifting that we really are stronger than we think. Picking up a 5kg dumbbell for the initial reps may feel heavy but once you do a few more it feels much more doable.
Mindfulness and Meditation
Get rid of today’s stresses and bring in inner peace through mindfulness practices. You can choose from a variety of ways to meditate. You can take daily walks to not only get healthy but also have some time to get in touch with yourself.
Find out what’s stressing you out – from the people in your life, work, school, or any life situation and find out why you are stressed out. Think about what you can do about it. You can make a mental note but keeping a journal can be more effective.
Writing in a journal is a form of self-talk that can help you check your thoughts and get in touch with your suppressed or repressed emotions. You’re given a chance for your stream of consciousness to flow and come up with great and inspiring ideas that will encourage you and build you up.
Keeping a journal will also help you keep track of your progress. You will be able to see how much you have matured by revisiting your old entries. Be reminded of your goals and evaluate what you have accomplished and things that still need to be accomplished.
If you feel that you need some more assistance in this area, Intuitive Healing is something you can look into. It is an alternative approach to mainstream psychological treatment that can also help you heal from past traumas and release repressed negative emotions When repressed emotions are locked in our body for too long it can affect our physical and mental health. Acknowledge and accept your flaws and forgive your past. Learn, let go and grow.
Make Planning And Setting Goals (or Intentions) A Habit
To inspire you, and help you keep track of your progress regularly, make a plan. Set measurable goals and keep track of your progress. Making a goal is the first manifestation of your faith that you can make things happen in your life.
Setting goals helps you dream and keep you inspired so every step and choice you make is guided towards your dreams. Record these plans and goals in your journal to best keep track.
Travel, Alone.
If you have the luxury of traveling alone to somewhere safe, it could be one of the most wonderful self-growth experiences. I’m a huge fan of solo travel. Going to a new city or country and getting acquainted with the culture, people, and food there could be the best way to get out of your usual comfort zone. Notice how you think, feel, and behave when you’re traveling alone versus traveling with someone else.
Take Care of Your Relationships
You grow when you take care of yourself, but you grow even more when you also take care of the people around you. Learning to make sacrifices and to make compromises for the people you love also helps you stretch yourself and grow (but not to the point where it exceeds your boundaries and burns you out.)
It is through your friends, especially your family that you can gain added inspiration to be the best version of yourself. Make time for your family. Set weekly family activities and eat together whenever possible.
Get Some Downtime
Lastly, don’t forget to rest. Yes! You must. Most of us don’t get enough of it even when we try. Don’t run faster than you are able. Take some downtime to just relax and do whatever you want. Reward yourself for all the hard work you’ve been doing.
You can benefit so much from taking time to relax and recharge so you can prepare yourself for all the things that lie ahead and you can then invest your energy in them more wisely.
