Almost everyone out there is on the quest to feeling empowered and trying to combat those very human feelings of self-doubt, “feeling stuck” and the negative self-talk that sometimes sneaks into your brain without you realizing it. The truth is, these are all normal human feelings, and everyone wants to find ways to feel more empowered.
There are a number of different concepts that surround self-empowerment, such as self-love, being honest with yourself, being who you are without fear of what others may think, self-discipline and the power of positive thinking. When it really comes down to it, there isn’t simply one definition of self-empowerment that fits cleanly into a dictionary.
In reality, it’s more of a process with multiple levels and layers, which changes depending on each person and their situation in life. Self-empowerment is, in its most basic form, realizing and acting upon the fact that your strength and capabilities come from within yourself, not from an external source. Basically, that you have everything you need within yourself, and that all you have to do is find the best ways to unlock all that magic.
Learning not to rely on anything but your own mental strength and positive attitude means that you’re more likely to thrive in any environment, regardless of your situation, shifting the power back to you.
Feeling empowered starts with introspection, meaning looking inside yourself and thinking critically about what you do well, and what you could do better. Sometimes it may be tough to admit your own weaknesses. The trick is to view them through the lens of positivity. Think about the steps you can take to improve what you’re not as good at, instead of getting down on yourself about them. This frame of mind is one of the first steps on the journey to self-empowerment.
Once you are able to identify strengths and weaknesses, you can start laying out a roadmap on your path to taking charge of your own life.
Everyone has their own reasons for looking to feel more self-empowered. They range anywhere from difficult relationships, health problems, trouble at work, major life changes, lack of direction in life, and even difficulty in meeting life goals. But not everyone who seeks self-empowerment is going through a hard time. Some people are on a personal journey to be the very best version of themselves and looking for ways to achieve that. No matter the reason, self-empowerment is a fantastic tool.
Why Self-Empowerment?
Feeling empowered can help you in many aspects of your life. It can improve your relationships, not only with yourself but with others as well. The more confident you are, the more people will gravitate towards you and trust you. It can also help you become more successful in your career, because when you feel empowered you tend to be more in control and manage things better since you don’t have self-doubt dragging you down.
Feeling empowered is also great for your health, both mental and physical. When you have a healthy sense of empowerment, you tend to be more sure of yourself and are less likely to suffer from depression or anxiety.
Also, all that new-found self-confidence is contagious in the best way possible! When people see someone who is happy and comfortable in their skin, they want to spend more time with them and discover their secret, and so feeling empowered can actually become inspiration for others around you.
No matter what moves you to seek out self-empowerment, the great news is that there are many ways to achieve it and things you can do to change your mindset and start seeing results right away!
1. Tackle Negative Self-Talk
Most of the time, the biggest hurdle to overcome on the road to self-empowerment is the internal negative self-talk many people have on repeat. The best way to tackle that is with positive affirmations.
Luckily, these positive affirmations are at your fingertips. You can find them in podcasts, guided meditations, and even create your own based on what negative self-talk is the loudest for you. For example: if you constantly think to yourself, “I’m not strong enough,” then your positive affirmation might be, “I am a strong person. I am strong enough for anything that comes my way.” Once you find the affirmation you want to work on, (it can definitely be more than one) write it in your journal, put it on a post-it note and stick it on your bathroom mirror, or add little reminders to repeat whatever your positive affirmation might be out loud to yourself. The point is to bombard your brain with it, because the trick here is consistency.
At first it might feel a little weird because you are repeating to yourself something that your internal negative self-talk made you believe isn’t true…this is where you’re going to have to fake it till you make it. Keep working on it and pretty soon you’ll see that you will start believing it more and more until it completely blocks out those negative thoughts. What you are doing is reprogramming your brain and feeding it positive affirmations about yourself which will help you on your quest to feeling empowered.
2. Self-Care, Self-Love
Show yourself that you are important. Sometimes you get so caught up in everything you need to do for everyone else that you start thinking you are not a priority. You can get into the habit of putting yourself and your needs on the back burner, and that’s a big NO-NO! If you don’t take care of yourself first, you’re not going to be able to take care of others. There’s a difference between being selfish and being pro-self. Taking care of yourself can mean enjoying little things like taking a nice bath, doing your hair or your nails, going out with friends, taking a cat nap…anything small. It’s just setting aside some time to do something you love, something that fills you.
When you put yourself first, you are telling your brain that you’re important too. This will boost your confidence, calm your stress levels, and make you feel more in control overall.
3. Set Goals
When you think of people who have “made it” in your mind, they all have one thing in common: they were very clear on what their goals were, mapping them out and working with them in mind. That’s because when you set goals for yourself you are closing the door to the self-doubt that tends to creep in when you are not sure of what you want your life to look like.
When you are clear on what your goals are, it is easier to work on achieving them, and there is nothing more self-empowering than crossing goals off your list…it’s an incredibly rewarding feeling.
Take some time to think of your goals and write them down. Make sure they are visible to you every day. You can even create a mood board. However you choose to keep them around, your goals should be present in your everyday life so that you’re reminded of them wherever you go and whatever you do.
Most successful people recommend you break down what you want to achieve into short-term and long-term goals. This helps you focus on every little step of the way and to see each achievement in the process as a victory, which will give you the momentum you need to continue. When you find yourself on the journey of achieving your goals, you will see how much more empowered you feel overall. Taking these actions is a fantastic way to get you on the road to feeling empowered.
4. Watch What You Watch
And also what you listen to. It’s so easy to stir up that negative self-talk when you are constantly comparing yourself to others, and that happens plenty now thanks to social media. Be mindful of what content you pay attention to, and of who you follow on social networks. Focus on content from people that are positive and can bring you daily doses of feel good quotes, ideas, and meditations to help guide you through your self-empowerment journey. Another great idea: find podcasts that vibe with your goals and your areas of improvement.
There are so many podcasts out there, that you are sure to find the right ones for you by just doing some research. The point is to feed your mind and soul good things that will help you on your journey. Avoid comparisons at all costs! They do not serve you and will hold you back from what you are trying to achieve.
5. Finish Something
Literally anything. Finish something today, and when you do, take the time to really experience the feeling of accomplishment. Revel in it whether it’s something you’ve been putting off for a while, an idea you have that you “haven’t found the time for,” completing a project that you left behind, or even going out for that walk you keep saying you’re going to take…do it!
6. Be Grateful
Start and end your day by listing all the things you are grateful for. Your home, your family, your job, your food, anything! This is such a simple yet powerful tool that will send you well on your way to feeling more empowered. Because when you train your brain to focus on the things you are grateful for, you are essentially training it to see all the good around you. You begin to focus on everything that’s good and you stop dwelling on all the things you wish were different. Little by little your brain gets the message and starts seeing more good in your everyday life while focusing less and less on the negative. And a positive mindset is a big part of being self-empowered. Try it today and be very mindful of the feeling you get when you stop to be grateful for any little thing around you. You will be surprised at how something so simple can make you feel so much.
There are so many ways to achieve the feeling of self-empowerment, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. It’s a very personal journey, so make sure you try different things in order to find the right path for you. Just keep in mind why you are on this specific journey. Remind yourself of all the benefits feeling empowered can bring you and keep in mind that at first it might feel foreign to you, but that’s because it’s a new path and a new way of thinking. Just embrace it little by little and get ready to feel the magical shift that’s coming your way. And when you do, remember who got you there… you!
- Do you currently do anything to help you feel more empowered in your day to day life?
- What tips from above do you think will help you feel empowered the most?
