Practice self-love. Even the quietest of self-criticism can make a huge impact. Take note of the way you speak to yourself. If you continually beat yourself up for not doing enough or being where you want to be in life, you’re only going to keep yourself feeling like crap and thus, paralysed from taking action. Try instead to talk to yourself as you would a friend or perhaps a sibling, using the same encouraging words you would share with them if they were feeling down. Do loving things for yourself like taking a long, hot bubble bath or reading a good book. Fill your time and your headspace with positivity and love.

Start small. This is absolutely key for you. If you set the bar too high too quickly, you’re going to feel disappointed and demotivated when you don’t hit it – and far more likely to give up completely. You don’t need to go from zero to hero right away, it’s a process, a journey. Set small and specific goals. Seriously. Want to start learning a new skill? Aim to spend one hour working on it per week. Even half an hour to begin with. Then if you complete the task and are still itching for more, you can always raise the bar. Your life, your rules, your timeframe. Just keep edging those goals up inch by inch in a way that works for you.

Spend more time around people who want the best for you. Who you surround yourself with makes a monumental difference in how you feel so choose wisely and opt to spend time with people who love you but will also support you and hold you accountable for what you say you’re going to do. Start to widen your friendship circles, find communities that are loving, supportive and encouraging and use it to your advantage. If you’re lacking in motivation or energy, ask a friend to hold you to your commitment. Ask another friend to accompany you to a yoga class. If you make it clear to someone you love why you want something, they will be on hand to remind you in your moments of doubt.

Don’t be afraid to express yourself. When you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed or even angry, do not be afraid to let it all out. Confide in someone you trust and ask for their help and advice. They won’t suddenly stop liking you just because you’re having a hard time, in fact, they will probably feel honoured that you have come to them to talk it all through – and trust me, you will feel a million times better after talking it all through. If you try to keep everything bottled up inside, you will only end up hurting yourself in the long term.

Step out of your comfort zone. As frustrating as it is, staying stuck in a rut can actually become comfortable in a way. There is a big part of you that loves feeling safe and protected. The idea of stepping out of this comfort zone can be scary but it’s absolutely necessary if you want to grow. Keep doing what you’ve always done and you’re always going to get what you’ve always gotten. So if you want your life to change, you have to be that change. And the only way to do that is by challenging yourself to do things you’ve never done before. This doesn’t have to be something massive! As I said before, set small and specific goals but make sure those goals challenge you.