Feeling a little down these days? Well, put a cease and desist on your negative thoughts and get yourself some sunshine

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Feeling a little down these days? Well, put a cease and desist on your negative thoughts and get yourself some sunshine. Moping around all day, and wasting a perfectly beautiful opportunity to do something worthy will not make your life any better.

Contrary to what sappy romantic movies seem to tell us, falling in love doesn’t complete you. But, what can?

What we fail to realize is that our relationships with the people around us are not the only thing that makes us ourselves. They are merely a part of the vast and complicated system of who we are.

Moreover, taking care of yourself is not a task of another human being. It is a job meant for you.

Whether you stay sad or choose to be happier with yourself and life, it is all up to you. So, if you are ready to have a rather stress-free life, then here are the 5 steps to help you love yourself better:

First, Indulge a little. When you deprive yourself of the things that make you feel good, you stop feeling good, and that can’t be good. Eat a bar of chocolate or drink once in a while. Take a vacation from work or buy yourself a new pair of shoes. Read poetry or go zip lining. Just do something that makes you happy about your existence.

Second, revel on the good days. Yes, life can be so depressing. All the heartaches, disappointments, and the unpredictable weather can leave you downhearted and unenthusiastic. However, it is not always a bad day. Sure, you can get stuck in traffic, be late and get fired by your boss. But you can also get to the office on time, do a great job on a presentation and get a raise. Celebrate the wonderful days and make it count. There is no point in wallowing in the things that had gone wrong. You can either learn from them or move on.

Third, it is definitely okay to say ‘no’. You do not have to always say yes to everyone to please them, and certainly not your job. Though being polite is nice, but when you are not comfortable with something, you are entitled to say no. What you want should matter. So if you’d rather stay at home and watch reruns of your favorite series than go out and party with your friends, then you are by all means allowed to do so.

Fourth, embrace your beautiful self. You are not too skinny, or too fat, and there is nothing wrong with the shape your face. One thing that you can do for yourself is to accept every part of it, including its imperfections.

And finally, follow your heart. The best gift you can give yourself is to be its own. You will be so much kinder to yourself if you live a life that you want instead of following what the society or other people has laid out for you. Remember that life is too short to be spent regretting what could have been. So, be a musician, a chef, an engineer, a mother or a ballerina. And most of all, love who and what you desire.