Does the phrase self-improvement make you feel exhausted? Does it sound like just one more chore to add on to the other things that you're failing to do? Yet everyone talks about how important it is to improve yourself, and if you could find the energy for it, it would probably enhance your life. What if instead of feeling like you are taking your medicine, you could turn self-improvement into a kind of play? Just because it's good for you doesn't mean it has to be unpleasant. The tips below can help you better yourself in ways that promote happiness and relaxation over discipline and denial.

Trying new things can be good for you intellectually and psychologically, but a lot of stress can accompany that as well. What if you just let go of the idea of being good at it? Whether it's painting, learning a language, running or singing, open yourself to new experiences for the sake of the experiences themselves, not to master them. If it's a group activity you're in search of, find a like-minded group: an amateur softball team for whom it really is just about playing the game or a book club that indulges in trashy reads. Trying something and doing it badly has the additional benefit of making you comfortable with failure and thus more willing to take risks. If you take a dance class and find that nobody cares if you're dancing to the wrong rhythm the entire time, you'll realize that the world doesn't end when you're wrong.

Sometimes, articles about self-improvement can make it sound like if you're trying something and it isn't working, the fault is in you and your lack of discipline. What if you decided instead to be easier on yourself? Look into approaches you haven't tried instead of beating yourself up for not being able to make more conventional solutions work for you. For example, if you suffer from chronic pain, you might feel as though you're failing to do the right exercises or follow the right regimen when a simple prescription for medical marijuana could be lifechanging. You could also try signing up for marijuana subscription boxes to receive products and accessories that vary depending on where you live and your budget. Changing around your workday, your diet or your sleep schedule can have a profound effect on your productivity and reveal that improvement is well within your reach. You simply need the right tools in the first place.

If you love playing games, you might be one of those people who responds well to apps that help you gamify your self-improvement. Some are single-purpose, such as exercise apps that turn running or cycling or other types of movement into a narrative game. Others allow you to assign various goals to yourself and let you accumulate points and move up levels as you improve. Some have a social element, which can be great if you are motivated by seeing the progress of your friends.