3 Tips For Self Help And Personal Growth
Self help. Such a loaded term. It draws a mental picture of powerlessness, an endless search for something outside of yourself to make you feel whole. But that's not the kind of self-help we're talking about here. This is about self-help as it originally meant: helping yourself to grow, both in knowledge and in wisdom.
It's about you taking control of your life and growing yourself as a person. It's about striving to become the best version of yourself you can be.
These three areas, social competence, self-knowledge, and spirituality are key to this growth and development, but that's not all. Self-help encompasses physical health, mental stability and social confidence. It covers the whole person - body, mind and soul.
And here we'll go over three tips for self help in each of those areas for a total of nine ideas for personal growth that you can start working on today. (If you think one is missing or should be added let us know in the comments section.)
So let's get started...
1. Social Competence
We all know someone who is socially awkward. They're the person who never knows what to say, are always fumbling with their words and clothing and give off an air of desperation when talking to others. They are often the target of jokes, sarcasm or scorn by others and they rarely ever approach anyone themselves. How many times have you seen this person looking at a group or a couple talking or laughing at something only they don't get? They want to be part of that, but instead are just left standing out in the cold.
Whether you are that person or someone who knows them, you've got to admit it's not easy being socially competent. It takes a lot of self-confidence, strength and energy to overcome that kind of awkwardness and insecurity. So how do you improve your social skills?
The key is to do what non-socially confident people don't do: be proactive. If you just sit around waiting for opportunities to come your way they probably won't. And if they do it will be too late and likely not in your favor. Take a class, join a club or get involved with something where meeting new people is inevitable - like volunteering at an animal shelter or community center. Make it a habit to go at least once a week.
When you join something, make sure to take your time and get to know people. If an opportunity comes up, seize the chance and use it! Don't be afraid to talk with anyone; an awkward conversation can teach you more about who they are than a few awkward moments at a party surrounded by equally awkward people.
And if there isn't a chance for you to talk with someone new in public? Sometimes it's better to visit your friends in person or on social media than just sending them texts or emails. Try sending them messages where you don't sound like yourself - or just be honest. Not only will you learn to be better at reading body language and vocal intonations, it will also help you become more comfortable with conveying your true self.
2. Self-Knowledge
The more you know about yourself, the better you will be at living your life. It may seem counterintuitive: How can knowing who I am and what I want help me make decisions? But it makes total sense if you think about it in context.
When you know yourself well, you have an intuitive grasp on who you are and what defines your personality. You know where your weaknesses lie and which habits are preventing you from being at your best. At the same time, you also develop a clear picture of what is important to you and what drives your actions toward success. Knowing yourself helps point out the obstacles in your way but also tells you how to overcome them or work around them altogether.
Think about all the things you know about yourself: Your likes, dislikes and habits... Your needs for comfort and stimulation... Your strengths and weaknesses.... You can start to put all of that together to form a picture of who you are. The more you do this the clearer your picture will become.
Once you have a good idea of yourself, it's time to take action. Start slowly and build up your self knowledge slowly but surely. Every day make a list of things about yourself: habits, beliefs, skills, talents - whatever comes to mind that is important for you to know about yourself. With this list as your guide start working on improving some areas while leaving others alone (that's where these three tips fit in).
There are a lot of ways to improve your self-knowledge. You can read books, go on the internet, get a massage or take a class on this subject. It's important to reach out and learn more about yourself so you can fill in your gaps and build the best version of you possible. Furthermore, by creating an ongoing commitment to learning more about yourself you will become a better overall person.
And if none of that appeals to you? Don't worry - there's always the old standbys: Observation (watching yourself act in real life) and introspection (talking with friends or family about your personal life).
3. Spirituality
In many cases, spirituality is defined as religion with belief in God or gods.