When I hear self-improvement I usually just think of getting healthy and exercising, but there are far more aspects of ourselves that we may neglect when we become busy with school, work, family, and friends. Slowly incorporating these tips into our lives can definitely help us grow as people.
One thing that many students either neglect purposefully or haven’t even thought of before is expanding their knowledge outside of school. I know it doesn’t seem like the most interesting or fun thing to do when there are too many Netflix shows to catch up on, but take a little time here and there to for example read a book on something within your major you do not understand. Not only could this help you in your classes, but also for internships and jobs. Expanding your knowledge can also mean going to a museum that has nothing to do with what you’re studying in school, but you’re learning something and keeping your brain active. Doing things like this may not seem like much or that its even worth doing, but it is bettering your mind and therefore yourself.
You may not be so intrigued to do more work than school already requires, so if you’re not ready for that challenge yet then make more time for your friends. I know I often find myself spending a lot of my day alone because I do work better by myself an then when I procrastinate in between I’ll watch an episode (more like three+) of a show, leaving me with little time for others. So when you’re making your schedule make time for your friends in order to give you less stress of when you can see them and when you have too much work to do. This can also give you an incentive to get your work done. Making time for others is bettering yourself in the end since we all need some support and laughter to keep us going.
Speaking of wasting less time, another way of self-improvement is believe it or not spending less time on social media. I know just as well as you that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat all call your name as soon as you start to get work done and then 20 minutes to an hour later you’re right back where you were. Not only do they waste time, but also can be harmful to your self-improvement depending on what/who you follow. If you find yourself wanting to be like someone else or trying to portray a false image of yourself then this is also stopping you rom becoming a better version of yourself. Of course it is not that easy to stop these behaviors, but try to unfollow any accounts that promote this behavior and don’t spend so long idealizing someone else.
Instead, learn to love yourself by making time for yourself. Write whatever you are feeling in a journal, go for a scenic walk, learn to draw, do something that you want to do to make yourself happy. This can help you see that you do not need social media or other people to look up to. In my opinion, this is the best way to improving yourself by learning new things about yourself. Once you learn more about you, you can do whatever you want with that and run with it. If by drawing you learn that helps you relax, then not only are you helping yourself when you’re stressed now, but you know that for the future. Then, instead of taking a break from schoolwork to go on social media, you know drawing may be a better option. So start trying to find something you like or revisit an activity you used to do, and if that doesn’t work then try another.
Do not get discouraged with whatever you try and just remember this is to better yourself, so if you don’t like something, change it! It may not be that simple, but you are in control of how you better yourself and what you have to do to get where you want to be. Life may get in the way here and there, but never let it completely stop you from making a little time for self-improvement in its many forms.
