Wishing to improve your general behaviour? Follow our handy steps for making yourself better tomorrow than you are today.
No one’s perfect. We all have aspects of ourselves that we’re less-than-fond of, and there are times when our behaviour can have a negative impact not only for ourselves but for the people around us.
The good news is that you’re not locked into your current behavioural traits. In the age of self help, there are plenty of tried-and-tested ways to improve ourselves, and while the journey isn’t always easy, it’s one that’s worth taking. In this post, we’re going to look at some of the most effective ways to improve your general behaviour. The steps we outline below may only have a small impact in isolation but can have a transformative impact when you group them all together.
Get started today, and you should notice a real difference within a few weeks.
Understanding the Foundations of Self Care
A desire to improve is a noble ambition, but it’s best to put the foundations in place before you begin actively improving yourself. As they said, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Understanding the foundations of self care will provide a solid platform upon which personal growth and development can occur.
So what are those foundations? At the bare minimum, they include eating well and getting plenty of rest, which involves eating a nutritious, balanced diet and getting the required hours of sleep each night. Those two steps alone can greatly enhance your overall well-being, and provide the energy you need to make long-lasting improvements to your general behaviour.
Invest in Mental Wellbeing
It can be difficult to improve the self when our minds feel caged, anxious, stressed, and unengaged. By investing in your mental well-being, you won’t only be nudging yourself to a more joyful and open state of mind, but you’ll also be providing space for new ways of thinking to emerge. Engaging in good-for-you activities, such as meditation or going for walks in nature, can open up your eyes to the possibilities of life. They can also teach a valuable lesson: that where you’ve come from does not dictate where you’re going, and that other ways of being exist.
Set Time Aside for Self-Reflection
Cultivating new behaviours largely involves looking towards the future, but it’s also important to reflect on the past, too. After all, a person who does not learn from their personal history is at greater risk of making the same mistakes in the future.
Remember that reflecting on your journey so far should not involve placing blame on yourself. It’s essential to look at past behaviour from an educational perspective rather than through the lens of judgement. Through the act of self-reflection, you can identify which behaviours you want to keep and which you want to avoid moving forward. It should show you both the type of person that you do and do not want to be.
Regular Exercise
The physical benefits of exercise are well-known. What’s less widely understood is that exercising can have a tremendously positive impact on mental well-being and, by extension, general behaviour. Committing to a regular exercise regime can help boost mood, build self-discipline, and provide the headspace you need to get perspective on your actions. It can be a highly motivating activity that can gently nudge an individual in the right direction.
You don’t necessarily need to join a gym to get the benefits of regular exercise. Anything that involves working up a sweat will do the trick. Joining a sports team can do wonders for people wishing to learn how to work well with others, too.
Improve How You Talk To Yourself
Your general behaviour will be shaped, in large part, by your internal dialogue. Individuals who speak negatively to themselves will have an extra hurdle to overcome on their journey towards self-improvement. It’s often these internal voices that cause us to do things that we later regret in the first place, and they can also hold us back from living our best lives.
Having a harsh inner critic is something that many people have to live with, but there are ways to overcome it. Most psychologists recognise that speaking more kindly to yourself can make a huge difference. This method takes time and often requires a degree of self-awareness (so you can catch when those negative thoughts arise), but if you can change how you speak to yourself, amazing things can happen. As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you believe you can or can’t, you are correct.”
Preventing Bad Behaviour
Self-improvement can take various forms. Sometimes, people seek self help to push themselves forward. At others, people look to free themselves of behaviours that they no longer wish to form part of their lives. In many cases, it’s a combination of these two steps. The impact of self-improvement will be blunted if the individual is still engaging in behaviours that negatively impact their mental well-being or overall life.
Learning to overcome unwanted behaviours can take time, and isn’t always easy. The earliest phase of the journey involves working to avoid triggers that may prompt the behaviour. These triggers will be personal to you and could take many forms. Some questions to ask yourself include:
- What were you doing just before you previously engaged in the unwanted behaviour?
- What was your emotional state like?
- What internal dialogue did you have?
Practice Gratitude
Studies have repeatedly shown the value of giving gratitude, especially during periods of self-improvement. Spending a little bit of time each listing three things that you’re thankful for, either by writing them down or doing a gratitude meditation, you’ll be actively giving your happiness levels a boost. In this study by Berkeley, researchers found that regular gratitude practice can significantly enhance mood and optimism in as little as two weeks. Think of it as a positive cycle loop that can push you towards better behaviours and actions.
Ask Others for Advice
No one is an island, separate from other humans. While there are some actions that you must do on your own, when it comes to the big things, it’s also worthwhile calling on others for advice and guidance. Most of the behavioural issues that people have to deal with are common among the population, and there is likely someone in your life who has also experienced the issue. They can be a great source of information during your own journey. If you don’t have friends or family who can help with your specific issue, then consider working with a professional.
Stay Consistent
Changing your behaviour is not something that happens overnight. In many cases, your existing behaviours will have been with you for a long time, and it’s not realistic to think that you’ll quickly transition to a new way of being in the blink of an eye. In the early stages of your journey, avoid focusing too much on the potential outcome. Instead, focus on — and trust — the process. One day, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come.
Final Thoughts
Improving behavioural habits isn’t easy, so making the decision to take the journey should be a cause of pride and celebration. It shows that you wish tomorrow to be better than it is today, and that’s a noble pursuit.
By engaging in good behaviours and minimising or eliminating bad behaviours, you’ll slowly but surely become a better, more-rounded individual, one who’s better equipped to show up both for yourself and for others. As far as self help goes, it’s a journey that can have a profoundly positive, widespread impact.
Summary
Our behaviour isn’t just something that we do. It influences all aspects of our lives, including our relationships with ourselves and with those nearest to us. If you’re not happy with your behaviour, then know that you’re not alone. This aspect of life is one of the most common elements that people seek help for. The good news is that individuals looking to improve their general behaviour have a wealth of steps, tips, and resources at their disposal that can help them along their journey.
There’s no magic bullet that can improve behaviour overnight. The process requires time and effort and often encompasses a wide variety of action points. Some of the most common steps people wishing to improve their behaviour can take include setting some time aside for self-reflection, engaging in mental well-being activities such as meditation and yoga, and improving how they talk to themselves. Replacing negative behaviours with positive behaviours, such as exercise or spending time in nature, can have long-lasting impacts that can transform an individual’s life.
If you’re just beginning your journey of self care and self help, and wish to increase your chances of success, then remember that going into the process with a positive mindset is paramount for success. It can often feel that our behavioural instincts are simply a part of who we are, but that’s not the case. Everything is possible, and just because you’ve done something for years on end, that doesn’t mean that they have to form part of your future.