self care – safespace

10 habits to make your life better

Getting stuck in a place is one of the worst things to experience, in particular if it’s a psychological state. Most of the time, change is actually possible through little steps to better yourself day by day.

Eat better: you don’t realize how much of an impact eating makes on your life until you start eating better. You can find out how to change your habits meal by meal here.
Get enough sleep. Sleep is such an underestimated aspect of our life. Most of the time, we don’t understand the importance of having a regular sleeping schedule and the benefits it can have on our bodies. Sleep is the battery we have to recharge, it’s a moment to let our mind relax and run free and it contributes to a large variety of bodily functions.
Learn a new skill every month. If food and sleep are important for the body, learning a new skill every month will help your mind stay young and focused on your life goals. You can find a list of underrated skills that will better your life here.
Drink more water and less alcohol. I know, your friends drink and you can’t refuse champagne at a party, but try to keep alcohol for special occasions. Alcohol alters your bodily functions, while water is necessary to keep you at your best.
Move your body. Your body is made to be moved. Your mind quits a lot earlier than your body does: kick yourself out of the sofa and go for a walk, you will feel a lot better after it. Consider scheduling at least three workouts/walks every week, ask a friend to start a new sport program together.
Declutter your house, your car, your desk at work. Throw away all those unnecessary things that you’ve kept “just in case” and have used once in the last three years. Clean your wardrobe, donate those clothes that you don’t use anymore, you can also try to sell the ones in good conditions to a second-hand shop and get some money out of it.
Focus on a big goal. Choose a goal that’s important for you to accomplish and focus on it. Invest your energy in a long-time plan and put all your effort in achieving that big goal. Three years from now, you’ll thank yourself.
Plan your days. Planning your days will help you stay focused on what’s important or what you actually want. It will help you avoid distractions, manage your time and put you ahead of work. You can find out how to write an effective list of goals here.
Set internet controls. It’s difficult, at times, to keep track of the time we waste on the internet. Don’t get me wrong, the web is a beautiful place if you use it wisely, but how often do you find yourself scrolling through instagram or facebook? Reduce the time you spend that way and invest it on a new hobby.
Read a new book every month. Your mind needs to be fed, and reading is a great way to do it. Choose books of the topics that you’re interested in the most and, in the beginning, try to force yourself into reading. Remember it takes 21 days to build a habit: don’t quit. You can find a list of great books to read here.

10 underrated skills to learn

There are a lot of underrated skills that will help you into adulthood, and are definitely worth knowing. If you’re looking for something new to learn, here is a bunch of stuff you may be interested in.

Learn how to cook. It may seem a clichè, but cooking actually is a really relevant part of life. Not only does it help financially, since you don’t have to always go out to eat, but it can also get very pleasant at times. What are you waiting for? Buy a new cook-book and try out your first recipes.
Learn a new language. Learning a new language may take a bit of time, but it will help you keep your mind trained. Language also shapes the way we think, speaking more than one language will help you be more open-minded. If you’re interested in this topic, consider taking a look at this Ted Talk.
Start journaling. Journaling is an art, it helps you relax and think about your day at the same time. Like that, it enables you to become creative and to get to know yourself better. You can find a guide on how to keep a journal here.
Learn how to write. Writing is something we’re all capable of doing, but how often do you actually write for yourself? Take a course of creative writing, or start trying out different styles. You could begin from a diary and, later on, switch to tales and poetry and, who knows, maybe a novel one day.
Learn how to do taxes. I have to confess that I myself cannot do it by myself yet, but I’m planning to learn it someday. It might actually take a bit of time, but it’s something worth understanding in the world we live in.
Play a sport. Sports are important to keep you busy and assure you a healthy body. Hit the gym, join a basketball team, run a marathon, I don’t care, get out of your house and move your body.
Learn new communication skills. Educate yourself on how to have good conversations. You can find a lot of materials online, such as Ted Talks and mini-guides. Practice what you learn with your friends and see the positive effects that it has on your life.
Educate yourself on geopolitical issues of the time. Keep an eye open on actuality and the world news. Humankind needs people who understand the roots of contemporary facts and consequentely know how to act.
Understand how to be useful in your community. Volunteer your time, take part in a rehabilitation program and get to know the value of being useful to someone. Believe me, it will help you completely change your views and open your eyes on reality. You can find more reasons why you should totally volunteer your time here.
Learn how to take care plants. Plants are a responsibility, not a huge one, but still a responsibility. If you can keep your plants alive, water them daily and make sure they get enough sunlight, you’re at a good point on becoming more responsible.

10 steps to improve your self confidence

Let’s admit it, self confidence is what we all look for in the people we meet. Someone who knows their worth is attractive, envyable and magnetic. Ever wondered how that girl in your class always had the courage to raise her hand, or how that man looked so respectable? Here are a few ways to improve your self confidence and finally become that person everyone looks up to.

Know your worth. This is the first thing you have to do in order to improve your self confidence. Figure out all the stuff you’re good at, and write your better characteristics: you’ll be surprised by how capable you are in different aspects of your life.
Observe. Get comfortable with observing people around you. We all have qualities and flaws: being able to recognize and respect them on other people will help you accept yourself.
Get comfortable with spending time alone. Go for a walk, meditate, read a book, be a tourist in your own city. Spend some time alone, and learn to appreciate yourself and your surroundings.
Laugh at yourself. You’re a great individual, you’re strong and you’re brave, but let’s admit it: you’re a weirdo at times. Remember that time you fell off your bike and looked around to make sure nobody had noticed? The next time, don’t. Laugh at your mistakes, embrace your weirdness and your imperfections.
Know your needs and set boundaries. You’re capable of a lot of things, but you’re human: it’s ok to take some rest at times or to take a day off for yourself. Knowing your needs and your limits will help you with giving your best in the right moments.
Nourish your body and work out. A healthy body helps your mind work better. Working out is also a boost for your self esteem, and a body you’re proud of will make you more secure about yourself.
Compliment and appreciate others. Self confidence starts from the relationships you have with the people who surround you. The more positivity you’ll spread, the more positive you’ll be towards yourself.
Don’t take things personally. If someone attacks you for the way you behave, or how you completed a task, analize their views and decide whether they can be useful to improve yourself. If so, express your gratitute towards them for helping you on your journey. Otherwise, remember that a lot of people judge because they’re insecure about themselves. It’s their problem, not yours: accept it and move on.
Fake it till you make it. It’s hard, at times, to accept ourselves. Smile at your reflection in the mirror, compliment your choiches about food and the hard work you’ve done in the gym. Smile at strangers in the streets, take big decisions and big risks and pretend to be sure about the outcome. You’ll be surprised about how natural it will all become in the end.
Be your biggest cheerleader. Believe in your work and be proud of your results. Appreciate the way you were able to handle things with your friends and how good of an athlete you’ve become. Be your own confident and cheerleader.

7 ways to write effective lists of goals

Do you ever write down a list of goals but get just half of the work done? Keep reading: in this article we’ll find out how to write goals so that you have no other choice but to accomplish them.

I’ve always loved making lists, and, in particular, lists of goals, but somehow I often ended up with so much stuff on a page that crossing off half of it was the best I could do. Lately, some new ideas came to my mind, and actually worked when I tried them out.

Divide your goals into urgent and non-urgent ones. Start by listing the ones that you absolutely need to accomplish.
Choose three goals from the first category. Don’t fill your days with useless stuff, think and act in a smart way.
Select one important goal and get it done. Write it at the top of your page in capslock or in whichever way catches your attention. Remember that this is what you’re going to be the most proud of at the end of the day.
Make a list of stuff that you never get done and insert one of these goals everyday into your daily list.
Try to figure out how much it will take to accomplish the things you’ve written down at this point and add less important stuff that you can still get done by the end of the day. If you have a job interview, remember that you can find ten minutes to do the washing-up when you get home.
Divide the big goals into smaller ones and get every part done on different days.
Plan in advance. Remember that you cannot get a hundred things done on the same day. When writing lists, take into account the fact that you’ll probably need to rest a bit during the day and will have to make small changes in order to make the best out of the week.

8 ways to start again

We’ve all been through those periods of life in which everything seems wrong and we constantly feel like we’re missing out on something. It doesn’t matter if it’s been after a mental breakdown, a period of stress or the end of a relationship: that’s when we need to start over.

I’ve always had this idea that to start over you need a special day: the first day of the year, a Monday or a Sunday, the first day of the month. I don’t know what it was with me, but guess what? You don’t need a particular day to start over: a first something or anything like that. Everyday is a great day to start over, everyday is a special day, in which you can make a difference in your life. You shape it, little by little. Here are some tips on how to start again after what you went through.

Go for a radical change on something. It can be your hair, your wardrobe or your house: change it. By it, I don’t mean that you have to buy a new house or throw away all your pieces of clothing, but that you have to start rethinking your whole self. Declutter your room, donate those clothes you don’t wear anymore and make space for all the new ones. You’re going to start a new chapter in your life, make sure that it looks like it. A radical change helps your mind with staying focused on the goal.
Get rid of all the things that caused you pain or were linked to your suffering. Who cares if it was a bracelet or a shirt? If everytime you look at it you suffer again, it’s not worth it.
Set goals. Planning is a great way to keep your mind busy and focused on who you really want to become. You can learn how to write down your goals in an effective way here. I’m sure there’s something you’ve always wanted to do and never really went for. A useful tip is to learn one new thing every month. Have you always wanted to learn how to cook? Do it. This is the right time.
Figure out what you have learnt from the lesson life has given you. Did you understand who, between your friends, you can always count on? Did anything help you get out of the situation? What did not work and consequently led to that issue?
Take care of yourself. How long has it been since you had that hot bath? Make yourself your priority.
Set boundaries. I know you end up thinking about the past at times, but try to focus on the present. It’s ok to check on your ex co-workers or on your ex, but don’t become obsessive. The past can be appealing, but remember that you walked away from it for a reason.
Appreciate your progress and your strenght. You walked yourself out of a toxic situation: you’re much stronger than you think. I know you don’t feel like you have your life together, but I promise that you’re much closer to your goals than you think you are.
Don’t quit. This means: don’t look back to that toxic ex you just walked away from. Don’t try to stalk those people who you cut all the bridges with. Don’t walk into a new toxic situation just because you think you can’t make it by yourself: you can. Believe in yourself.