How Feel Better About Yourself In the New Year

The New Year is a time to reflect on yourself and think about what your goals are in the months to come. For some people, this means focusing on a career goal or picking up a new hobby, but others have a more simplistic resolution close to their heart: Happiness. It sounds like such a simple concept, but it really is a challenge to find contentment in yourself sometimes. It's not so hard to achieve; as Leo Tolstoy said: "If you want to be happy, be."

1. Don't Take Yourself So Seriously

It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind of life in all its mishaps and setbacks, but don't let the hardships of life dictate how you feel about it in general. Wear colorful novelty cotton socks and laugh at yourself when you do something silly like slam your purse strap in the car door. Develop a sense of humor and take the world in its stride; nobody makes it out alive anyway, so have fun during your time on this planet. It goes by so much faster than you would like to believe.

2. Get Rid of The People Who Bring You Down

Baggage is part of being human, but it doesn't have to make or break how you feel every day. If you've got toxic relationships or "friendships" that bring you no joy anymore, what's the point of hanging onto them? Decide that you are better off without the excess baggage in your life and sever ties with the people that are making you unhappy. Even if this means you are left with only a few people you consider near and dear, it's so much better than keeping around dozens of false people who make you feel bad about yourself.

3. Surround Yourself With What You Love

Your home is your sanctuary, the place that you should feel the most secure and safe. Make it a reflection of who you are by filling it with what makes you feel happy. This could mean anything from posters of puppies to brightly-colored knickknacks you found at the thrift store, but whatever it is, it's good if it brings you joy. Display pictures of your loved ones, paint the walls a color that you love and live in a home that makes you feel recharged and better about tomorrow.

4. Make Amends With Valuable Friendships

Although sometimes life is better with fewer people in it, sometimes it's worth rebuilding an old friendship that has gone to tatters. Not all previous relationships are bad ones, and if you find yourself missing someone and feel bad about the way things ended, perhaps now's your chance to reach out again. This takes a leap of faith, especially if you're unsure how the other person will react, but if you can mend an old wound and repair a broken bridge, then it's worth the leap. If nothing else, making peace is a good start.

5. Be Okay With Being Second Best Sometimes

Let's face it: No matter how beautiful, smart or talented you are, there will invariably be someone who is prettier, smarter and more talented. This is the way that the world works and you need to be all right with that. Life is a very, very long race when you live it competing with other people, but in the end, who are you really competing with? Forget about always being the best at everything and stop holding yourself to ridiculous, unachievable standards. You are amazing and the people who love you see it, you just need to see it for yourself.

Although there is no one perfect way to achieve happiness, letting go of the hard stuff and finding contentment is a fantastic place to start. Working on yourself and finding peace might sound completely impossible, but take things one step at a time and work slowly. By the time the holidays roll around again, you will be in a much better and healthier state of mind.