We all want to feel our best, and perform to the best of our ability in every domain of life.

To that end – and in response to the growth in anxiety and depression which has apparently been a feature of recent years and decades – an entire industry has grown up in order to offer us solutions to our woes, and techniques, tools, and strategies for improving our well-being.

My blog is no different in that regard.  As a sincere advocate of self-care, I can’t stress enough the importance of putting myself on occasions if that means comfort and happiness for me. Does that make me selfish? No. It makes me smart. It is only fair to me to love myself FIRST before I can love others and give my best version to them.

If you can’t love yourself first or care for yourself first, is there any point or sincerity even in attempting to do the same with others?

Coming back to self-care techniques, many of these strategies will include things like meditation, long soaks in a hot bath and various other forms of pampering – such as spa sessions.

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By all means, there may be some striking benefits to getting some more relaxation in your life, if your main problem is that you’ve been “on the go” too long, too hard, and to persistently.

But the key to enhancing your well-being isn’t always just shifting your lifestyle around to find more opportunities for “relaxation.” In fact, developing certain skills might help you to improve your well-being, significantly.

3 Skills That Can Help to Improve Your Well-Being

So, here are a few things you can do — based on developing particular skills — that can help to boost your well-being.

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Learning to drive (and getting your license)

Contacting a driving school, booking in some tests, and ultimately getting your license, can do an incredible amount of good for your well-being. Especially if you follow that up by getting a car, shortly afterward.

Why would this be the case? Well, think about it for a moment. When you can drive, you are far more autonomous. You have the ability to go pretty much wherever you want, whenever you want, under your own steam. You can visit distant cultural and historical sites and attend events, can commute to work, can give other people lifts, and can simply live a more dynamic life than you would otherwise be able to.

A lot of dissatisfaction in life tends to be tied to a sense of limited options. When we feel that we are helpless and dependent on others, we often do not feel very positive or have a very well developed sense of self-worth, either.

Depending on your current circumstances, it may or may not be the case that getting a driving license will instantly change your life. If you’re living in the city, for example, you may find that public transport links do a good enough job of getting around on a regular basis.

But what if you wanted to apply to a job that was further afield? Almost certainly, you would either need to be able to drive, or you would need to pass up on the opportunity.

Learning to drive and getting your license can dramatically increase your well-being, by increasing your options.

Becoming Adept at Journaling

I have said this before but will say it again.

Believe it or not, journal writing is a skill, and it’s the kind of skill that can have a tremendous impact on your well-being.

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One of the number one pieces of advice that are often given to people who are struggling with mood disorders, is that they should begin journaling. The specific nature of the journal in question can vary. Sometimes it’ll be a classic “dear diary” kind of thing, and at other times it will be simply a matter of recording basic facts about your day.

In any event, becoming comfortable with journaling requires you to develop your capacity for writing, your capacity for reflection and contemplation, and your skill at keeping a coherent journal in the first place.

The way journaling can increase your well-being is by helping you to express yourself, get in touch with your emotions and thoughts, and clarify what it is you want out of life.

Even now, in the digital age, there’s clearly a longing for this kind of low-tech reflection. No doubt that’s why the Bullet Journal Method has taken off as well as it has.

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Master the Art of Time Management (and free yourself from empty pastimes)

In life, we only ever have a certain amount of time at our disposal. This is a sobering realization, but it’s also necessary. If we would forget that and think we would live forever, there’s a high likelihood we would waste all of the time we do in fact have available.

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If you feel chronically low, a common reason might be that you are spending too much of your precious time on meaningless, and hollow activities.

By mastering the art and skill of time management, you inject deeper meaning into your life, and ensure that you simply feel better about yourself on every level.

Mindlessly surfing the web for hours each evening is not going to make you feel fulfilled or positive about your life. Building something, bonding with people you care about, and engaging in other productive hobbies, will do the trick.

I hope these ideas help you in paying attention to what your soul needs. Remember, ultimate self -care starts from WITHIN you. Hopefully, this post offers a starting point.

xoxo mamas.