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4 Ways to Love Yourself
4 Ways to Love Yourself

When College Is Too Much, Practice These 4 Relaxation Techniques

In the high-pressure, high-stakes world of undergrad, it's critical to find ways to stay balanced.

 

In today’s world, people constantly compete for likes and comments, placing value in the insignificant aspects of life. People chase after followers on social media, sinking into a habit of comparing themselves to others and forgetting what is truly important in life.

When you raise your head from your screen, you’re met by a world beating you down, telling you that you’re not good enough. You face challenges so difficult that it’s no wonder you hide in an imaginary reality through your phone. It’s no secret that the world is an unforgiving place, and if you are graduating college or you’re about to, you may be feeling a pressure to stand out.

When you’re in the little bubble of your college town, you can get big-fish-little-pond syndrome, but once you leave your alma mater, you discover a world of people who don’t care how fast you can shotgun a beer or how many people you partied with. After leaving the high of college, a feeling of insignificance can set in. The bubble has burst, and you have to face reality. If you don’t have a job lined up or you’re feeling lost, it could be even worse.

I don’t mean to depress you, but it’s the truth. People get upset, and they experience moments where they can lose themselves or doubt their capabilities. Whether you’re in college or you already graduated, if you are feeling this way, all hope isn’t lost.

It’s easy to fall into feelings of loss and insignificance, and it’s human to compare yourself to others, or feel disappointed by unaccomplished goals. Here are some tasks to complete every day to remind yourself that you’re valuable and capable of achieving anything you want in life.

1. Create Some “You Time”

Life throws so many things at you, and sometimes, it’s too much. Some days, you get home and feel so drained that you can’t pick your head up off the pillow. Those days are the perfect opportunity to detach and relax. Take a warm bath, try your hand at meditation or just lie on the floor and take deep breaths.

4 Ways to Love Yourself
Image via Sue Sheard

If you find yourself doing too much for others and failing to keep up with your own responsibilities, you end up neglecting yourself. It happens, but alone-time is one of the most beneficial things you can do to reconnect with yourself. Shut out all the outside noise, disconnect your phone and breathe.

If you’ve been critical or unhappy with yourself lately, spend the day alone. You’re stuck with yourself for the rest of your life, so make sure to be your own best friend first.

Being able to center yourself and relax will give you a surge of reassurance that you are doing alright. Life may not be perfect at the moment, but you have the power to fix it and move forward.

2. Celebrate Yourself

Never ignore your positive attributes. You accomplish so many great things in life, and you shouldn’t disregard them. Take pride in the work you have done, and share your good fortune with others. Also, make it a goal to forgive past mistakes. You can’t be perfect; it’s impossible.

Being able to celebrate the good in your life, and in you, will help you see a brighter future. Changing your mindset will give you a new perspective, and by doing so, your attitude will adjust accordingly.

3. Listen to Your Inner Advocate

Everyone has little voices in their heads. One of them is your best friend, and the other is a small demon that points out every detail that’s wrong with you. When there is so much good, why would you listen to the voice that tries to tear you down?

4 Ways to Love Yourself
Image via Karen Offord

Whenever your tiny self-hate demon tries to make you feel bad, shut it down. You are the one in charge, not some overly critical Regina George that lives inside your mind.

4. Lift Yourself Up

Be your own cheerleader. If you don’t have anyone who can help build you up, do it yourself! Start with you, because no one else can make you feel better unless you want to. Think about it this way: There could be an entire parade of people celebrating you, but if you don’t want to change your attitude, then nothing is going to change.

You can sit around and mope about how hard life is, or you can pick yourself up, dust off your shoulders and get to work. The world doesn’t wait for anyone, and it certainly will not come knocking on your door. Cling to your goals, and do everything you can to get to where you need to be.

If you do have people who make you feel good and have your best interests at heart, turn to them. They are the people who are genuinely there for you, and if you have a serious problem, they will be the ones to give you the best advice and help you in any way they can.

Don’t compare yourself to others and stop trying to be perfect; live your life for you. The moment you start trying to be someone other than yourself is the exact moment you will become lost.

Finally, take care of yourself first. Make sure you’re in the right headspace to function properly. Life isn’t meant to be a negative experience, so you should be enjoying yourself and going after what you really want in life. There will always be days where you want to stay in bed and forget the world. If you ever feel yourself falling into a place where you feel beaten down, separate yourself from the world and reset.

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