Here are my top ten picks for habits, practices, and beliefs I have adopted that have helped me become a much better version of Me.
Prioritize sleep.
In her book The Sleep Revolution, Arianna Huffington claims she only found success after she started prioritizing sleep. Indeed, studies have found that adequate sleep dramatically improves your ability to learn languages, in addition to reducing anxiety, stress and boosting your immune system. Visit the National Sleep Foundation to find out how much sleep time you need (as per your age) for optimal results.
Become the best version of yourself by answering Mark Manson’s 7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose
You can read my results here.
Meditate.
In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, meditation is the single most important thing you can do to achieve mental clarity. When you declutter your mind, you’re in a much better position to be the best version of yourself.
Become the best version of yourself by minding your health.
What can I say about daily exercise and maintaining a healthy diet that hasn’t already been said? If for no other reason, exercise leads to the release of endorphins, which leads to increased feelings of happiness. Happy Me is the best version of Me, and I’m guessing it’s the best version of you, too.
Travel.
In addition to the most incredible memories of adventure, some other fringe benefits of travel that helped me become a better version of myself are:
- Experiencing isolation, which forced me to turn inwards and take stock of my life
- A nervous breakdown, which forced me to finally seek professional help and turn my life around
- Life changing friendships and connections with people from other countries and cultures that have taught me more than I’ve learned in most classrooms.
When in doubt and need for inspiration, travel.
Enlist the help of a therapist to become the best version of yourself.
One of the best gifts I’ve ever given to myself was psychotherapy. Just a few things I learned after visiting a therapist include:
Forgiving events I once believed to be unforgivable
Accountability in my failed relationships
Learning what real love consists of
Accepting myself for who I am
Learning how to identify toxic relationships
And more.
There is no greater gift than understanding your own patterns and bettering yourself through self-reflection – and guided help.
Journal.
I wrote my first passage in my first diary when I was only six years old. Over the years, I’ve filled nearly twenty such books, and while my writing is more sporadic nowadays, writing my feelings on paper has always served to help me better understand my behaviour, thereby helping me become the best version of myself.
Never stop learning.
I’ve always considered myself to be a lifelong student; and in doing so, I’m continuously redefining the limits of my potential. Sites like Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera offer free to low-cost courses on anything and everything, from psychology and cooking skills to coding and entrepreneurship. For language learning, check out one of my favourite apps, Duo Lingo.
Identify what activities in life put you in a state of flow.
Writing. Performing. Coaching. These are the activities that have always put me in a state of flow: the feeling you get when you don’t see the time pass, momentum pushes you forward and you feel fully energized and connected to your work, resulting in peak performance results. Above all, the “flow” state results in happiness – and I, for one, would argue that I am truly at my best when I am implicitly happy.
Surround yourself with people who add value to your life. Disconnect from those who don’t.
For a long time, I suffered from the disease to please. As such, I was indiscriminate with people I let into my life – until eventually, the few bad apples in my inner circle sapped most of my energy, so I couldn’t appreciate most of the good people in my life.
Allowing people into your life who do not mean well for you, you’re not truly being compassionate to them or yourself.
“When you give to others to the degree that you sacrifice yourself, you make the other person a thief. When you start sacrificing yourself for other people, you make them a thief, because they are stealing from you what you need, and they don’t even know it.”
– Iyanla Vanzant
Don’t allow people to sap your energy. Instead, surround yourself with people who lift you up, in order to tap into the best version of yourself.
Curb negative self-talk.
#Realtalk: one of the biggest demons I still battle in my life today is the negative voice in my head that tells me: I’m not beautiful / talented / young / funny enough to be an actress. That I’m not really a good teacher. That I’m not worthy enough to ask people for help or favours. I wage a constant, daily battle with the bully who lives in a small, cramped, dark apartment in my mind. Luckily, the bully now occupies a much smaller space than it used to – but I still hear her voice, which mirrors my own. And I bet you’ve got one, too – though he or she may be telling you different things. How do we beat this bully? Well, we can try to ignore it – but I recommend talking back to the voice. If you fight back long enough, you might start to believe your REAL voice, instead of that pesky naysayer, counterfeit version of ourselves.
Ask questions and accept help.
For a very long time, I was strongly aversed to asking for help. I never asked my bosses questions when I didn’t understand an assignment; instead, I tried to figure things out on my own. I also never asked my parents to pick me up when I was stuck with drunk drivers late at night. I thought this behaviour exemplified self-sufficiency.
I was wrong.
Asking for help and asking the right questions leads to growth, and can even ensure your safety.
Be the best version of yourself. Ask for help when you need it.
What are some other ways we can become the best version of ourselves? Share your thoughts below.
