Are you stuck in the same old routines and find that nothing has changed? Are you asking yourself how you can change your life? Do you need to get out of that rut and try something new? Well, cheer up – you're not alone. At some point in life, many if not most people will become dissatisfied with themselves. No doubt, there's nothing quite as intimidating as waking up to realise that you're dissatisfied with your life. Whether it's for better or for worse, change can't be avoided. It can come into our lives as a result of crisis, choice or chance. The more we resist it, the tougher our life becomes. So instead of avoiding them, try to work with the changes happening around you. Control how you choose to respond to them. Your power of choice can enable you to activate positive change in your life. The more opportunities you create to change your life, the more fulfilled and happier your life will become. There are many things you can do to turn your life around to lead a healthier and happier life. Here are some tips to help you start changing your life for the better: Learn to love and respect yourself: To bring about a positive evolution in your life, you need to build your self-confidence and self-esteem. Whether you have to face rejection or failure, accepting and loving yourself will help you move on and find happiness. Putting yourself down and clinging to regrets can only lead to discontent and unhappiness.
Be open to new experiences: Learn to say yes to new experiences, even if they sound a little strange at first. Each time you learn something new, you gain more knowledge and with more knowledge comes more confidence. Learning new skills helps us to be more adaptable in new situations. It also encourages us to be more creative and innovative in our thinking and more comfortable with the unknown.
Develop the habit of positive thinking: Positive thoughts and confidence bring positive changes to your life. While thinking on its own won't lead to success, it does go a long way towards motivating you and helping you give your absolute best.
End unhealthy relationships: To find success and happiness, you need to surround yourself with like-minded, loyal and genuine friends who motivate and support you. Cut out those who bring you down. Toxic friendships and unhealthy relationships can bring along a lot of useless drama in your life and hinder your ability to change your life for the better.
Take time out: Take some time every day to sit in your own space with your own thoughts and breathe for at least 15 minutes. Turn off the telephone and television, shut down the computer, and just be only with yourself.
Let go of regrets: You may meet people who will hurt you or try to harm you. Don't hold onto any resentment or regrets after such relationships end. Try to forgive but not to forget; learn from the experience and build your personality.
Set goals for yourself: Goals can help you stay on track and keep you motivated. Set both short-term and long-term goals and work hard to achieve them. Be flexible and give your best effort in the pursuit of your goals.
Develop a productive routine: Having a routine can help you manage your time and bring about positive changes in your life. Start with small habits that can give you positive reinforcement, and this eventually can lead to having a more productive and happy life.
Make a to-do list: A list enables you to see which activities are the most important, thereby helping you to accomplish the most critical tasks first. It also allows you to cross off tasks once you've completed them to prevent confusion.
Step out of your comfort zone: To bring positive changes to your life, you need to tackle your fears head on. You need to be direct, learn to embrace change, face your fears and start expressing yourself and stop bottling up your emotions and opinions. You may not get the results that you want all the time, but speaking up for yourself feels much better than keeping everything in.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
