A New Year comes with a whole lot of pressure to shake things up in your life – making new life resolutions and making yourself a priority- be this can be very overwhelming to keep up and the happiness of a brand new year, can very quickly become overshadowed by thinking about ‘what you think you should, often influenced by social media and gossip magazines.
We find ourselves getting so caught up in our day-to-day lives, thinking that we must be a better version and as a result, we tend to get blindsided with farfetched goals and achievements that can often make us feel pretty deflated if we’re unable to achieve them.
So why not enter this New Year with an open mind and focus on making YOU your number 1 priority? Allow yourself to say ‘no’ to things that don’t make your heart happy and get rid of negative energy, nourish your mind and body, and also give yourself allocated downtime.
Are you ready to be your own best friends? I’ve put together a few suggestions for making yourself a priority in 2020 – here’s to investing and loving yourself! Continue to read for 12 ways to make yourself a priority…
1. Make time for you
It’s okay to schedule some me time. Your well-being needs to set aside some downtime to unwind. Whether it’s reading, watching a movie or running a bath, simply take your foot off the pedal and find something that will calm your mind and meet your need.
2. Get rid of the guilt
You might not realise it, but you probably spend major of your time prioritising the needs of others to where you’ll feel guilty or selfish if you decide to do something for yourself instead. Just remember and shift your mindset that you don’t need to justify looking after yourself. Ever.
3. Speak kindly to yourself
How often do you find yourself saying something negative about yourself? Put a stop to it now! Stop self-criticism and respond to your self-doubts and insecurities with empathy. If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, then don’t say it to yourself.
4. Stop saying “yes” to everyone
It’s very easy to get so wrapped in the ‘go, go, go mentality but once you’ve stopped trying to please everyone, and instead do what you want to, you’ll claim back a lot of happiness. Life can be so hectic and you can’t always neglect your own needs, to fulfil everyone else’s. It’s a complete find to feel the joy of missing out sometimes.
5. Love the skin you’re in
We are all guilty of this one at some point in our lives. So focused on what we look like instead of appreciating our bodies for the incredible vehicle they are. They allow us to walk, love and breathe – come one, they don’t deserve any kind of criticism. Recognise your body’s strength; celebrate the miles you can run. There is so much more to life than worrying about imperfections.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Remember, we’re all only human. We all have our boundaries and limits. We can’t always accomplish everything on our own. Ask what you want and if you need help, lean on a family member or a close friend – there is joy in opening up and connecting with others.
7. Let go of the things you can’t control
Learning to let go can be difficult! You can’t control the past, the future or how others perceive you…the sooner you make peace with that, the happier you will be.
Why do feel like we have to do everything perfectly all the time? Do we have to over over-analyse everything? Come on, cut yourself some slack and stop being yourself up at every hurdle or misstep.
8. Tell yourself you can
Stop saying the word ‘can’t’, it doesn’t exist in your vocabulary. Let yourself try new things and turn doubt into belief – i bet you’re so much more capable than you know yourself.
9. Embrace your emotions
Have some compassionate towards yourself during the tough times. Allow yourself to take the peaks with the pits. To force yourself to get over things too quickly, isn’t letting yourself deal with anything quicker. Lean into your emotions, let yourself feel vulnerable when you need to. Your future will thank you.
10. Surround yourself with positive people
The people who bring sunshine into your life – are the keepers. Friendships should lift you, inspire you to grow and encourage you as a person. This may say sound selfish but if you’re not serving one another then there’s no point in trying to hold onto a friendship when you could be investing in someone else who has a positive impact on your life. Friendships aren’t an unbreakable commitment, if you’re sacrificing your happiness for someone else, it’s more than okay to move on.
11. Start a gratitude journal
It may seem like another to add to your daily do-to list but starting a gratitude journal is a great way to reflect on the here and now. It’s a good habit to get into if you’re wanting to change your mindset, forget about complaining and start focusing on the joy of every day. Day and week whizz by so fast but pausing to write about what you are grateful for can make even the insignificant days all the more meaningful when you look back.
12. Know that you are enough
Appreciating how far you have come; your personal growth and success isn’t something you shrug off quickly. Acknowledge your wins and be bloody proud of them. There’s no need to change who you are to fit in with someone else’s idea of perfection, you should never have to prove anything to anyone. Remember, you are enough because you are smart, compassionate, love hard, and make others happy…. the list could go on. Every part of what makes ‘you, you, now is what makes you enough.
Read this throwback blog post ’30 Day Self Love Challenge’ Click here for the link.
How will you be making yourself a priority this year? Let me know in the comments below….
