Personal development tips: 4 tips I’ve used that improved my life

Intro

As some of you may know, I’m a recovering addict whose new addiction is learning about mental health and ways to develop myself using personal development tips. Learn more about my story here. I find learning and using personal development tips very beneficial to my mental health and I’m always up for giving new techniques a go. At the start of the new year, I added some new personal development tips to my routine to see how they benefitted me. Now 5 months into the year, I want to share with you the new techniques I’ve kept in my routine and how they have benefitted me.

From meditating to planning my days, here are 4 personal development tips that have massively improved my life in 2023:

1. Started meditating each morning

I know I know. It’s probably the most talked about self-help tip out there, but have you ever given it a go? If you haven’t, I strongly suggest you do. Beginning to meditate is one of the best things I’ve ever done. As someone who suffers from anxiety, meditating each morning has lowered my anxiety levels and helped me manage it a lot better. It also helps me focus on the present moment, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Not only has it improved my mental clarity, but it’s also improved my concentration and I feel way less stressed after a shit day at work.

How I use this personal development tip:

My meditation routine is simple. I do it after getting washed & dressed in the morning and before I check any notifications on my phone. I find getting into the zone a lot easier when my brain hasn’t been activated by all the shit on my phone. I use an app called Calm and its timed meditation feature. I sit for 10-20 minutes each morning with my headphones in, focusing on one thing, my breath. I highly recommend giving meditation a go. The Calm app offers new members a free trial period and there are plenty of free meditations on YouTube.

Here is a link to one of my favourite free guided meditations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDQkRAT7xys

2. Started planning my days & weeks

Now this has been a real fucking game changer for me. Since I’ve started planning my days/weeks, I’ve been 10x more productive. I also find planning my weeks allows my mind to focus on what needs to be done, making it easier to take action. Rather than getting overwhelmed with the thoughts in my head and not actually doing anything. I’ve also found myself a lot more likely to perform the task if I’ve written it down, rather than just saying I’ll do it in my head. It’s kind of like a personal accountability tool.

How I use this personal development tip:

I make my planning as easy and simple as possible. Each Sunday, I sit down with my weekly planner and set out 3-4 goals I’d like to achieve each week. Personally, I like to choose one for my mind, one for my body, and one for whatever project I’m working on like writing blog posts. I recommend not choosing any more than 3 weekly goals to start with. Too many weekly goals can get overwhelming, making it harder to take action. You’ll also get pissed at yourself for not doing them all. I use the term ‘goals’ loosely as well. Don’t be hard on yourself when you don’t complete all of them. Just make sure you’re making small progress towards them each day. Remember small bits of progress compound to huge results over tie.

See an example of my weekly goals below:

How I break down my weekly goals:

Once I’ve set out my weekly goals, I break the goals down into small actionable steps I can take each day. I like to break down the steps into morning tasks I do before I go to work and evening tasks I do after work. You don’t have to copy me, do what you’re most comfortable with and make it easy for yourself. For example, if a weekly goal of mine is to write a new blog post, I set myself the actionable step of writing for at least 15 minutes in the morning before work. By the end of the week, I have a new blog post written with care and not rushed.

See below the example of how I break down my weekly goals:

How I track my progress:

When I have performed the daily task, I tick it on my planner. And when the small tasks I’ve performed have reached the goal, I tick the goal. It may sound silly to use a simple tick as a productivity hack, but on days when I could easily sit and do fuck all, I’m still performing the daily tasks as I want that tick next to them. It shows me I’m being productive and it’s a great way to track my progress towards my goals. However, we all have days when life gets in the way, and that’s okay. Don’t be hard on yourself, just remember to get back on track when you can. If you have a day off, make sure you’re making some progress the day after!

See below the example of my completed tasks:

3. Practice gratitude every day

Again, another cliché personal development tip, but one I have found extremely beneficial. Especially when my mental health is playing up. I practice gratitude every morning, by writing down a few things I’m grateful for each day. Like, the new day, the water I get to drink, or the food I get to eat. I find practicing gratitude instantly helps me appreciate the new day and everything I have in life. It also shifts my attention to focus on the positives, which helps me to feel happier. And when I’m happier, I’m a lot more productive. Practicing gratitude is a great way to help you think more positively and has the power to put you in a good mood!

How I use this personal development tip;

Like all steps in this blog post, I keep practicing gratitude simple and easy. Each morning after I’ve meditated, I practice gratitude for 5-10 mins. I have a designated gratitude journal that I leave open on my desk, so every time I see it, I remember to sit down and write. I usually start with the prompt ‘Today I’m grateful for’, then list out everything I’m grateful for at that moment. It doesn’t have to be specific, and you don’t always have to think of new things, just take a few minutes each day to really think about what you’re grateful for. Also, you don’t have to use a journal like me. You can say out loud what you’re grateful for or write it down in notes on your phone!

4. Stopped using my phone 1 hour before bed

If we weren’t getting enough sleep, the other steps in this blog post would be harder to do as we’d be tired and groggy. This is a hack I’ve started using and my quality of sleep at night has improved greatly! I find it a lot easier to fall asleep and have been feeling more energetic when I wake up. Mobile phones emit blue light and blue light activates our brains and boosts our alertness. Basically, blue light is a stimulant and if your brain is stimulated, you’ll find it a lot harder to get a good night’s sleep. The simple act of stopping using my phone 1 hour before bed and then switching it off, allows my brain enough time to slow down and get ready for bed.

How you can use this tip right now:

This is a step I highly recommend you follow, to see how you can improve your night’s sleep! Work out the usual time you get into bed and set a reminder on your phone, reminding you to stop using it and switch it off, 1 hour before bed.

Conclusion

Among the many personal development tips and techniques, I’ve tried this year these are the 4 that are part of my daily routine as I find them extremely beneficial. I recommend you give the self-help tips in this blog a go and see what works for you! Remember though, do not try, and do all these at once. Focus on one step for a few weeks to really understand how it’s benefitting you, and when you’re comfortable that step is part of your routine, you can add in more! Also, don’t be shy to give other self-help tips a go if you feel these aren’t working for you! We’re all unique individuals, and what works well for one of us, doesn’t guarantee it will work the same for others. Remember: the only way is up!