5 Healthy Habits for How to Be a Better Person

What does it mean to be a better person?

Being a better person is what we all strive for isn’t it? But what does it really mean and how do you actually do it?

Let’s define our terms…

Being a better person means doing the actions that will help you become person you want to be. This isn’t about looking good or getting people to like you (though you may want that) it’s about knowing inside your heart that YOU are a good person.

Period, no if, ands or buts.

Striving to be a better person will increase your self-esteem and help you create the foundation of a happier, healthier life.

How does that sound?

In this article you will learn the 5 healthy habits for how to be a better person. Let’s be clear - this requires a willingness to PRACTICE healthy habits not do them PERFECTLY or never making a mistake. 

Embracing our mistakes is how we learn and grow which brings us to the first healthy habit.

1. You are willing to grow to be a better person

Being a better person includes a sincere desire to grow and improve yourself no matter what. You are willing to look at yourself and your behaviors to see what needs improvement. It’s not beating yourself up for past mistakes or giving up because it’s hard.

The process of growth IS hard but having realistic expectations helps. For instance, baby steps count. You don’t always have to grow by leaps and bounds. The goal is to feel good about who you are not get stuck in self loathing.

A powerful way to do this is to take a moral inventory like they do in 12 step recovery. It’s a written exercise to take stock of what’s working and what isn’t so you can examine patterns of behavior that may need changing.

2. You are willing to acknowledge your own value.

Being a better person means having a healthy amount of self-esteem and self-love. Healthy self-esteem is not to be confused with being arrogant or self-centered. It’s being equal to not better or less than anyone else.

Knowing your own worth makes life easier.

Without self-esteem, you won’t believe that you deserve good things. You won’t be able to identify or leave toxic relationships. Feeling good about yourself is the foundation of letting yourself enjoy life and build happy, healthy relationships.

3. You are willing to do esteem-able acts.

Esteem-able acts consist of actions and behaviors that reflect your values and make you feel good about yourself. Some common examples include: helping others, being kind, doing the right thing when it’s for the greater good, keeping your word, etc.

Practicing esteem-able acts will help you be a better person because doing the right thing increases your ability to feel confident and handle whatever comes your way. You trust that you are behaving in a way that feels good within yourself instead of wanting to difficult moments.

4. You are willing to apologize or admit your mistakes.

When you can apologize and admit your mistakes, your relationships stay healthy. Everyone makes mistakes but avoiding them can create issues of shame, anxiety and depression that build up over time.

Also, when people can’t apologize or take accountability for their behavior, conflicts don’t get resolved. Hurt feelings can simmer and becomes resentments.

In this case, examining old beliefs that no longer serve you can provide positive change. For instance, negative beliefs like apologies may you appear weak, or you should never say sorry firs are important to identify.

5. You are willing to practice forgiveness towards yourself and others.

It’s hard to be a better person when holding a grudge.

Practicing forgiveness towards yourself and others is another healthy habit for how to be a better person. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you are condoning their bad behavior, it means you are willing to try again and see if the hurtful behavior changes so that trust can be rebuilt.

Some people find that it easier to forgive others but not themselves. Forgiving yourself does take a focused effort but it’s also way to love yourself even more. Examining your mistakes is how you move past them and start to heal.

Final Thoughts on How to Be a Better Person

Being a better person that takes a willingness to grow and improve yourself each day. Part of that is accepting yourself as you are and cutting yourself some slack for being human. It’s all part of the healing journey.