5 Ways to Improve Your Quality of Life
By Dean Burgess
Every once in a while, there will be a day when you feel like nothing is working out. You get overwhelmed with stress and feel unmotivated to do even the simplest of tasks. Having days like that is normal, but it is important to recognize that you have the power to manage stress, take control of your actions, and achieve the goals you set for yourself.
The key is to focus on the things you can control and that have a positive impact on your wellbeing and future. Let’s discuss a few simple steps you can take to build confidence, help attain your goals, and build a foundation for future success.
1. Focus on Healthy Eating
Having a healthy relationship with food can boost your self-esteem and confidence. There is a direct link between what you eat and your mood. Serotonin is a chemical your body produces that makes you feel good. Eating foods rich in unrefined carbohydrates, protein, and vitamin D leads to an increase in serotonin levels in your brain, which then boosts your mood and confidence levels.
Conversely, consuming foods high in sugar can have a negative impact on mood. Sugar causes an initial spike in blood sugar levels and serotonin, however, because your body breaks it down quickly, your blood sugar levels then go down quickly. This gives you an early boost in mood, but in the long run, makes you feel lethargic. Limiting your caffeine intake can also be important because too much can cause dehydration or withdrawal headaches.
Beyond how you feel physically and mentally, proper nutrition makes a big impact on your overall health and appearance because your body needs certain nutrients to build healthy skin, nails, and hair.
2. Read a Lot of Books
There is a reason why some of the world’s most successful leaders read around 50 books a year. Books are a gateway to knowledge in every aspect of life. There are many books written by CEOs, psychologists, and other experts that provide in-depth information that can help you overcome challenges and gain insights to help you succeed in life. There are also many fiction and nonfiction books that can inspire, entertain, and encourage you.
Reading has health benefits, too. It helps you to relax by reducing stress; it also promotes a better sleep pattern than spending time on a screen before bed. Per GetLitt!, reading also improves a person’s social skills by helping them better understand other people’s beliefs, perceptions, and ideas.
3. Learn to Manage Time
Life can get pretty crazy and it can sometimes feel out of control. If you feel like you have too much to do and not enough time to do it, improving your time management can help.
We all get 24 hours a day. The aim is to achieve all the things we need to in that time. This can include homework, exercising, relaxing, hobbies, and time with friends and family. The simplest way to manage time is to plan your day and dedicate a number of hours to a specific activity. Then, follow your plan as closely as possible.
At the end of the day, you will feel happier and more confident than before. Why? Because completing tasks gives you a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, as you learn to control time you often feel less stressed and make better-informed decisions.
4. Build a Learning Mindset
Cultivating a learning mindset is critical to thriving in our rapidly-changing world. According to the Harvard Business Review, “a learning mindset involves being motivated toward increasing one’s competence and mastering something new.” In other words, having a learning mindset means seeking to grow your skills and become good at new things.
Why is that important? The Harvard Business Review article goes on to say that people who have a learning mindset are “persistent, adaptable, willing to cooperate, and tend to perform at a higher level.” Continuing to learn provides you with knowledge and skills that help you adapt and confidently handle whatever life throws at you.
These days, there are so many great tools to help you continue to learn. For many young people, school, college, or trade schools are great ways to learn. By doing your best and striving to understand and apply what you learn, you can set yourself up for success. In addition, the internet provides access to many free or low-cost learning resources, including YouTube, blogs, websites, and online courses. Just be sure to check the credentials of the people sharing information to make sure they are a reputable source!
5. Develop Valuable Skills
As you make decisions about your future, including what you’d like to study in college or what career path you’d like to follow, keep in mind that having a successful career revolves around developing and offering skills that solve problems or fill needs for people, communities, and companies.
For example, according to Forbes, employers recognize the need to improve their technical tools and their employees’ digital skills - a need amplified by the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, employers are looking for employees with strong programming skills that can be applied to develop better technical tools.
Of course, some of the specific skills you’ll need will vary based on what you want to do. However, there are some valuable skills that can be applied in any situation that you can learn right now, including clear communication, collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Look for opportunities to practice these skills in your everyday life to begin building a strong foundation for your future. Then, as you decide what you want to do for a career, start looking for skills that can uniquely equip you to solve problems and meet needs in your professional life.
Following these steps will help you take control of your life and prepare you for success down the road, as well as help you be happier and more productive.
