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According to UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, kindness alters the neural architecture of our brains and increases feelings of pleasure and fulfillment (Chowdhury, 2019). Although our individual needs and life circumstances could differ, we sometimes do not fully realize the impact we bring into other people’s lives, and I would like to share a short list of reminders so that you can recall how valuable you are:

- I appreciate my patience.
- I appreciate the joy I bring to the people I love.
- I feel so happy that I can understand the jokes that make me laugh no matter how hard life gets.
- I am thankful for my ability to learn something every day.
- I am grateful for having a kind, loving, caring, and open heart.
- I am truly appreciative for having all the years life gave me to be able to improve myself.
- I am grateful to be who I am.
- I am truly happy to be able to express myself.

Happy Thursday! 🍀

Reference

Chowdhury, M. R. (2019, April 9). The Neuroscience of Gratitude and Effects on the Brain. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

The trust in an individual’s own ability to plan and carry out the necessary actions in order to achieve specific goals is known as self-efficacy (Artino, 2012). And what are some of the ways to improve your self-efficacy? Here are some tips: 👇

💚 Determine clear objectives.
💚 Use constructive and uplifting self-talk to prevent self-doubt.
💚 Ask for constructive feedback from the people you trust.
💚 Create connections with individuals who accept you and encourage you to reach your true potential.
💚 Practice resilience by making sure to take action, look after yourself, and reach out for help.
💚 Make self-compassion a part of your life.
💚 Spend enough time to prioritize your health.

I hope you have an awesome day! 🤗

Reference

Artino, A. R. (2012). Academic self-efficacy: from educational theory to instructional practice. Perspectives on Medical Education, 1(2), 76–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-012-0012-5

Self-affirmations enable you to consider your fundamental beliefs and other forms of self-worth, which could help you regain self-competence if you feel challenged (Cascio et al., 2015). Although positive self-affirmations are generally written according to your own needs, it is perfectly fine to use pre-made lists, and here is a short list for you:

🔶 I am loved.
🔶 My life is filled with great possibilities that will make me keep growing.
🔶 For me, trying something new and stepping out of my comfort zone is always an option.
🔶 My past does not define my future.
🔶 I can reach out for help if I need it.
🔶 I love who I am.
🔶 I only compare myself with my other versions to improve myself.
🔶 I am creative, and I can always find new ways to express my creativity.
🔶 I am the definition of attractive.

Have a marvelous Monday! 🌤️🍀

Reference:

Cascio, C. N., O’Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2015). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(4), 621–629.

For better self-care, spending enough time for yourself is one of the crucial elements to be able to enhance your wellness. As humans, there are a lot of expectations from us as well as the expectations we have from ourselves, and sometimes this leads to exhaustion. Human touch can enhance your mood for you to be able to get back on track and keep improving perseverance so that you could have a healthy balance against life difficulties. Please remember to give yourself compassion because you and your feelings are important! 💚👐🍀

Studies indicate that loving touch is linked to higher levels of oxytocin, a reduction in overall stress, and lower levels of self-reported anxiety, which has also been linked to higher levels of satisfaction and lower levels of cortisol (Schneider et al., 2023). Life is not always easy, and individually, all of us go through different types of stress. For better emotional regulation and resilience, sometimes you need to remind yourself of the importance of self-care; human touch could be a form of that. Ensure healthy boundaries, be specific about your goals, and don’t hesitate to reach out! Because you deserve to have some relaxing time for yourself. 📲 🤗 🍀 🙏

Reference:

Schneider, E., Hopf, D., Aguilar-Raab, C., Scheele, D., Neubauer, A. B., Sailer, U., René Hurlemann, Eckstein, M., & Beate Ditzen. (2023). Affectionate touch and diurnal oxytocin levels: An ecological momentary assessment study. ELife, 12.