14 Tangible Things You Can Do to Feel Good About Yourself (Beyond Eating Right and Exercising)

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Being healthy is about more than just eating right and exercising. Our minds and emotions are just as important to our overall well-being.

Besides reducing stress, taking an overall approach to wellness makes healthy eating and fitness easier — even enjoyable!

With that in mind, we rounded up 14 tangible, real things (beyond eating right and exercising) that you can do to feel good about yourself and keep your emotions in line.

1) Donate your time.

One of the beautiful things about being a human is our natural empathy for other humans. Explore that base instinct by donating an hour (or more) of your time to a local charity.

Beyond the help you give to others in need, there’s a certain feeling of elation and warmth that comes with volunteering. It really is a beautiful thing.

Not sure how to volunteer? Visit VolunteerMatch.org to get paired with local causes that speak to you and your personality.
 

2) Donate your money.

Don’t have time to give? That’s okay. Hectic, busy lives don’t have to get in the way of that happy feeling donating brings.

Instead, donate money to a cause you care about. It doesn’t have to be a lot! Even something like $10 can go a long way towards the bottom line for nonprofits and charities that count on people like you to continue helping others in the community.

Not sure which charity to donate to? CharityNavigator.com helps people with intelligent giving where they can be matched with causes that matter to them.
 

3) Talk to yourself.

Yep, you read that right. Find a private spot and give yourself a quick pep talk. Remind yourself what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and where you want to be in life. Or even say a couple motivational quotes you’ve read recently.

Saying out loud is a stronger affirmation and more likely to resonate with your mind, which can boost your general positive outlook.
 

4) Watch a cute animal video.

There’s a reason cute animal videos are among the most-viewed things on the web — they make us smile, laugh and feel happy. (Seriously, what’s better than watching unlikely animal duos that show us friendship does indeed transcend species, or a herd of elephants band together to help a collapsed baby elephant get up and off the road?)

The Huffington Post has a great online section devoted to cute animal videos. Snuggle up on the couch and get to clicking.
 

5) People-watch.

Now that you have your fill of cute animal videos, it’s time to put down your phone or tablet and take a few minutes to appreciate the world around you.

Go to a park, a mall or a busy part of town, sit on a bench and take 10 minutes to watch people as they go by. Play a game with yourself by making up a story for them. Pay attention to details. You’ll be surprised by how watching others can make you feel so much more content about your own life.

6) Keep a “thankfulness” notebook.

Go to the store and get yourself a small memo pad or notebook that can easily fit into your purse, bag or pocket. Once a day, take it out and write down one thing you’re thankful for.

It literally takes only a minute or two, and within a few months you’ll have entire pages covered with things you appreciate that you can re-read to feel happy all over again.

7) Do a simple act of kindness for a stranger.

Buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line. Take someone else’s shopping cart to the holding box in the parking lot. Buy flowers for a co-worker. Tell a person on the elevator you like their outfit.

They are such little things that cost you very little, but they can mean the world to someone else. Anna, author of the blog And Then We Saved, compiled a list of 134 random acts of kindness to help you get some ideas.
 

8) Smile.

It’s amazing how often people go around frowning, even scowling, in life. Turn that frown upside down (seriously), because smiling has been scientifically proven to make changes in our brains that affect our moods and make us feel happier.

Plus, once you start smiling at others, you’ll find they are contagious. :)
 

9) Accomplish something you’ve been meaning to do.

We all have those little to-do lists, either in our minds or written down — but how often do we ever actually DO them? It’s easy to keep putting things off when life gets in the way or when work sucks us dry of energy.

But actually taking that leap and doing something on the list, even something little, breeds a certain sense of satisfaction and can truly boost our spirits.
 

10) Meet someone new.

Making new friends can be tough and intimidating, but branching outside our circles of comfort is a great way to explore parts of ourselves we may never have known existed.

Not sure how to meet new people? Start at Meetup.com, an online forum where you can search for activities and find like-minded people who organize events around common interests. It’s the perfect way to make new friends and try new things.
 

11) Meditate.

Find a quiet corner of your house (and a quiet time!) and spend 5-10 minutes sitting with your legs crossed, eyes closed and breathing deep. Do your very best to clear your mind during that time.

And if you can’t clear your mind, turn on some soft music and focus on listening to it. Those moments will help relax you and mentally prepare for the next day.
 

12) Take a bath.

When’s the last time you’ve actually take time to soak in the tub? Most of us only make time for the daily shower. Think of a bath as a place for “me-time,” rather than a way to get clean.

Fill up the tub with warm water and your favorite scented bubble bath and force yourself to stay in it for at least 20 minutes. Light candles or play music to enhance the mood. And for an added bonus, toss in some bath salts, which help relax your muscles and soften your skin.
 

13) Hug it out!

There are a host of reasons why hugs are so wonderful — studies show they release chemicals in the body that can help lower self-doubt, boost productivity, even increase enthusiasm.

Plus, think about this: While the benefits for you are great, by hugging someone else, you’re giving those benefits to that person too.

    

14) Create a powerboard.    

Here’s your chance to get crafty. Grab a piece of poster board, a picture collage board or a piece of cardboard and make yourself an inspirational work of art you can hang up at home.

You can approach your powerboard in a number of ways — print out motivational quotes for weight loss or well being, gather pictures of yourself and your friends, find photos of your favorite outfits or something you’re aspiring towards. Put it all together in a creative collage and hang it up somewhere at home you’ll see it every day.
 

What are some things you do to feel good about yourself? Tell us in the comments below! 

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Author: Caitlin H
Diet-to-Go Community Manager

Caitlin is the Diet-to-Go community manager and an avid runner. She is passionate about engaging with others online and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. She believes moderation is key, and people will have the most weight loss success if they engage in common-sense healthy eating and fitness.

 

Lifestyle/Wellness

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