This article originally appeared on MeetMindful. elephant is proud to share their content, and we think you’ll love them just as much as we do. Happy reading! ~ Ed.

Your insecurities about yourself and your talents can have a huge impact on both your mental and physical health. But fighting these thoughts is sometimes easier said than done.

How do you know what they are? And once you think you’ve identified them, how do you develop the mindfulness to battle your insecurities—without feeling more insecure?

Looking at all of our imperfections can be an extremely difficult endeavor, but if you approach it from the perspective of learning rather than criticizing, you can seize the opportunity to be the best version of yourself you can possibly be.

So, let’s pause for a minute and talk about what you’re probably thinking: how are all those failures a good thing? Well, you see, that’s the beauty of identifying weaknesses and flaws. You can’t ever change the areas of your life making you unhappy if you don’t know how to recognize them.

Realize that imperfection is beautiful.

It’s okay to admit failure. It’s okay to be imperfect. We all are, because we’re human. Once you are able to process that your imperfections are what make you so unbelievably, uniquely you, you can get down to the root of finding your own happiness—and that is learning to love who you are from the inside out.

You need to learn how to shed that self-doubt that is holding you back and keeping you from finding happiness. Oftentimes, we are our own worst enemies. We judge ourselves the harshest and hold up our own accomplishments in life to those around us.

You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? You’re already comparing yourself to the person writing this article; or your co-worker Leslie who just got promoted; or Shelley, your neighbor who just got engaged. Stop. Stop right now.

This game of comparisons will only cause you to believe you are not enough. This is an illusion and the furthest thing from reality. You are sabotaging your own relationship with yourself by comparing apples to oranges. What makes one person happy may not (and probably won’t) make the other happy.

That’s because we are different individuals. Even science recognizes the importance of learning to love yourself. It may seem like a daunting task at the start, especially when your insecurities make it hard to see anything of value; but I promise, it’s there. Just start by giving yourself some grace, and remember that mistakes are going to happen.

If you’re still unsure, you can use these seven tips to get you started on the right track to self-love, because we can’t truly be happy with others until we are happy with ourselves.

1. Get out and get physical.

You heard me. Exercise. Putting physical activity in your daily routine doesn’t mean you’ll end up a body builder, don’t worry. The benefits of getting your heart rate up and moving has a proven track record in providing both physical and mental health benefits. If you find the idea of getting to the gym makes you more stressed out, simplify. Try a 30-minute yoga session in the morning or after you get home from work to unwind, or just go for a short walk on your lunch break.

The key is to be active—the “what” isn’t important.

2. Fill your body with good fuel.

Believe it or not, a lot of the stress and self-image we develop comes from the stuff we put into our bodies. Think of it as putting low-octane fuel in a sports car—your body being the sports car and your meal choices the fuel. Sooner or later, the sports car is going to stop running efficiently and at top performance. The same will happen to you too if you continue to over-caffeinate and feed your body junk food.

A simple change in diet will leave you feeling like a million dollars. I’m serious, and it will move you leaps and bounds toward overcoming self-image insecurities. Feeling good starts from the inside.

3. De-stress through meditation.

A personal favorite, meditation and breathing exercises may seem silly when you first sit down to do them, but I promise you they can be life-changing, especially when dealing with insomnia. If you’re struggling with your perceived insecurities and inadequacies, you’ve probably got an inner monologue going through your head constantly, even after your head hits the pillow.

Meditation recordings for sleep will force you to concentrate on your body instead of the day’s activities and slowly bring you to a relaxed state. You’ll be able to drift off into a deep, restful sleep, and even two consecutive nights of good rest can make all the difference.

…Follow us over to MeetMindful to finish reading The one Insecurity Keeping you from Happiness.

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Author: Jennifer Landis

Editor: Katarina Tavčar

Photo: apocalypsefictions/Flickr