The Healthiest New Year’s Resolution You Can Make

Want to make a New Year’s resolution that can really change your life for the better? Focus on self-confidence.

Even though it’s technically just another day, Jan. 1 always feels invigorating. New year, new start, new goals. While you’re thinking about all the ways you want to improve in 2019, why not consider a little inside work, i.e., growing that self-confidence.

3 Ways to Foster Inner Confidence

1. Talk (Positively) to Yourself

Whether we’re conscious of it or not, we all talk to ourselves — and a lot of those inner monologues can be pretty negative. This year, why not give your inner voice a positive tune-up? Research has shown that positive self-talk not only helps us learn and enhance our performance but may also help us regulate our emotions. Make time to compliment yourself for jobs well done, psych yourself up to take on challenges, and slowly talk yourself through a difficult challenge.

2. Seek Meaningful Relationships

Surround yourself with friends who lift you up and keep you smiling. If there are people in your social circle who don’t do this, or worse, who seem to go out of their way to bring you down, make 2019 the year you back away from them. Even though it may be difficult at first, understanding and communicating your boundaries will make you happier in the long run.

3. Remember, You’re Beautiful

Thanks to the media, it’s not always easy to see ourselves as worthy and attractive, but the more you can work on maintaining a positive self-image, the better off you’ll be in social situations. (In fact, research has connected ( a positive self-image to less social anxiety.) Focusing on the parts of yourself that you love should help motivate you to stay healthy. (On that note, don’t let a cold sore get in the way of your positive self-image. If you deal with cold sores, make sure to keep Abreva on hand. Abreva can treat a cold sore in as little as two-and-a-half days when used at the first sign , which means you’ll spend less time worrying about your reflection and more time loving it!)

Devoting time and energy to fostering strong self-confidence is one of the healthiest New Year’s resolutions we can make. Feeling good on the inside not only helps us radiate on the outside, but it also keeps us motivated to work on all the other aspects of ourselves as well.