We always hear that it is important to put yourself first before you can help others. But where do you start?
Maybe you have never put yourself first a day in your life. So you're reading the title thinking, "What qualifies as putting me first?" Let me help you out with some things that I have implemented in my life. A couple of things I want you to realize when going through this:
1. I am not perfect by any means and I am still working on putting these tips to use in my everyday schedule. You do not have to be perfect either!
2. Everyone is different, so maybe you do not like these things. However, hopefully, this can help guide you to find similar things that will work for you.
So, use 2019 to build a better relationship with yourself! That is one of my goals and I hope I can help you make it one of yours.
1. Prioritize your schedule.
i.imgflip.comThere are two types of college students: The one who is always busy and very involved and the one who is not very involved and is always looking for something new to do and maybe they do not know where to start. (Of course, there are all the adolescents in the middle too, but we will focus on those two types for now!)
Personally, I am the first kind of college kid. I am involved in so many things and always trying to find new things. The best thing to do, if you are like me, is to take a step back and ask yourself: "Am I enjoying this club, job, internship, etc.? Or would I be okay without it?" If you would be okay without it, stop doing it (cordially of course!). If you are the other kind of college student, think about what you really enjoy and try out a few different things. The internet is your friend here.
2. Do what makes you happy.
GiphyThis is something I struggle with a lot. I get so busy that I cannot figure out what it is that makes me happy. Just know that it is okay if you do not know what makes you happy and it is okay if it takes time. I just recently began to figure out what makes me happy. Now, I am trying to put it in place in my everyday life. If you already know what makes you happy, congratulations! Just make sure you are setting time aside in your schedule to do those hobbies. If you do not know, schedule time to try new things and give yourself the time to really think about these things.
3. Treat yourself.
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This is a really popular trend right now! It definitely works for me. However, you have to be careful with just how much you treat yourself. There are so many things you can treat yourself with: shopping, food, baths, wine, etc. You just have to find what the right amount of these things are for you. For example, if you like alcohol, drinking every day is probably not the best thing for you. However, maybe limiting yourself to a couple drinks on the weekend would be better.
4. Find your stress relievers.
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This one is similar to the previous two, but I mean it in a different way. This is more short-term relief. This can be anything that you do when you are stressed out and need something to make you feel better. These items can include deep breathing, a bubble bath, essential oils, seeking professional help, etc. Like I said before, everyone is different. Allow yourself to break down barriers and find what truly helps you.
The last thing I want to leave you with is that just because you are learning to love yourself, does not mean you need to shut others out. There is a difference between self-love and narcissism. Self-love is something you do to better yourself so you can then be better to others. Narcissism is completely disregarding everyone else's needs and wants around you and putting you before them completely and only caring about what you want. Self-love is the one that I believe everyone should exercise on a daily basis.
I hope you enjoyed my first post!
