People Who Do These 10 Simple Things Are 98% Happier With Their Bodies Than Everyone Else
Few people have perfect bodies, but almost all of us can make a practice of loving ours perfectly.
Oneinchpunch | Canva You hear about self-care everywhere, and often in ways that are cheapened or commodified. The truth is that the care you give yourself feeds into all aspects of your life and sense of well-being, and it's not something that can be bought. This is especially true when it comes to being truly happy with your body (and your life, in general).
I know that practicing self-care can sometimes be difficult to fit into a busy day-to-day schedule. But it is an investment in your personal resources. Whether the achievement of your goals requires a lot or a little of your resources, self-care will allow you to nurture your most important tool — yourself. In this case, the investments are simple but pay off big time when it comes to loving the life, and the body, you have now.
People who do these 10 simple things are happier with their bodies (and their lives)
1. They move their bodies and feed them well
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Movement and nutrition are essential to self-care. Learn to lovingly and joyfully move your body. Dance, do yoga, stretch, walk, or engage in more vigorous exercise.
Feed yourself everything your body needs to be healthy. If you're not sure what this is, start by drinking more water and eating more fruits and vegetables. Add a few baby carrots on your plate during lunch, throw some frozen blueberries (just as nutritious as fresh and more affordable) into your cereal or your oatmeal in the morning.
The goal isn't to change how your body looks, but rather to supply it with what it needs in order to be healthy and happy. Proper nutrition has been shown to help emotional health, and more and more mental health professionals are advocating for proper nutrition as part of their care plan.
2. They spend time in nature and with animals
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Both of these experiences have a positive effect on our overall well-being. They help us de-stress and relax, allowing us to become comfortable with the gifts our bodies give us.
An animal's playful and loving ways do wonders for our moods, and taking a walk in the woods can help us feel connected to the larger world. If you can’t get into a forest or adopt a pet, get a plant, or two, or three. Caring for life can be good for the soul!
3. They practice turning off the screens
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We're wired 24/7 these days. We wake up and almost immediately look at our smartphone or TV. If you haven't already put yourself on a technology fast, I'd suggest doing so for a few days, and then noticing your own feelings. What's changed? What did you like and not like?
Limiting the amount of time you spend looking at screens can have a fabulous effect on your quality of life. Studies reported by Berkeley's Greater Good project show many, many beneifts!
In addition, going screen-less cuts us off from the heavily doctored images of "perfect" bodies, people who are young or whose entire jobs are fitness that the rest of us cannot achieve, and other images that often make us feel badly.
4. They spend less time around negative people
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It takes two to tango, as they say. If you're in a negative mindset, then chances are the people around you are too. If conversations tend to be about about what they dislike about their bodies or their lives, it's easy to focus too much on those subjects.
Take some time to work on your mindset first. Then assess if the people around you are helping or hurting your relationships with yourself.
Bring more positivity into the way you think and speak. Then choose to be around people who reflect your new mindset, whether they are new acquaintances or not. Invite more people with good attitudes into your life and take good care of them.
5. They're willing to forgive
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Nothing pulls your well-being down more than uncleared anger and resentment towards others. The only person suffering from your resentment is you, after all. This resentment can spread to all areas of your life, including toward your own body.
People can be short-sighted and can sometimes make mistakes. Yet, holding onto the mistakes of others instead of forgiving them is the biggest mistake of all.
This isn't just classic wisdom. Dr. Karen Swartz told the Hopkins Medicine publication, "“There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed."
As Dr. Swartz says, forgiveness is a choice. If you feel you need to forgive your own body, do it. It's time to embrace it and find happiness.
6. They spend time with friends
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Spending time with people you love and doing fun things with them, especially things that include lots of laughter, is a wonderful way to relax and connect two important aspects of self-care.
A report from the American Psychological Association shares many benefits of spending time with friends. Not only are people with reliable friendships less likely to experience depression and anxiety, they tend to handle stress better.
Even better news from this report? Even casual friendships offer benefits for our well-being! So find some people who are happy with their bodies (and their lives) so you can find joy and learn to appreciate what you have.
7. They make their thoughts work for them
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Obsessive thinking and worry are so commonplace that people think it's normal to act and feel these ways. While common for sure, these are not healthy patterns. Worrying over your body, how you look, or whether you'll ever fit into your old pants (or whatever it is) will not get you where you need to be.
Learn to stop yourself when your worry or catastrophic thinking gets the better of you. Simply say stop and focus your mind on something more pleasant or productive.
A few ways to do this: Take walks in nature (or try walking meditations), practice meditation (guided or silent), and do a few mindfulness exercises weekly.
8. They give back
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Being of service is a powerful way to bring good feelings and well-being into your life. Service to others gives us a sense of purpose in the world.
So, take a weekend to volunteer at a food bank, community garden, or your local Habitat for Humanity. You'll put some good energy into the world and gain many benefits for yourself, too.
At the very least, you'll be reminded to be grateful for the life and body you have.
9. Let it out
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Sometimes you just need to tend to your emotional backlog. If you have a lot of built-up emotion or if you've been dealing with a lot of stress, the best self-care might actually be to throw a fit.
Lie down on your bed and kick and hit the mattress with your arms and legs. Scream if it feels right. You just might feel like a million bucks afterwards.
Some may call it a tantrum, but others call it somatic therapy. If it doesn't work well on your own, try reaching out to a practitioner of somatic therapy.
It's time to let go of the pain and resentment (including toward your body) and let happiness come in.
10. They are thankful for their bodies.
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Nothing changes your attitude like gratitude. Take a moment every day to write or state at least three things that you're grateful to your body for. Name three more about your life. So many of us have so much to be thankful for.
Remember, this is a form of self-care. It's not an edict from the outside world telling you to forget your pain. It's a practice that is all about being happy with your body (and your life!).
Dr. Kate Siner is a teacher, mentor, spiritual guide, and author who has appeared on NBC, ABC, Fox, and other major network affiliates to talk about spiritual and personal development. She’s spoken on WPRO, MX Talk of the Town, Consciousness Network, and TalkStream Radio.
