2016 has been a rough one. For a lot of us, whether it was events occurring worldwide or things happening in our personal lives, this past year took a toll on us, and now we are setting our resolutions in hopes of a brighter 2017. However, in the midst of all the chaos, it's easy to forget that sometimes the most important and beneficial goal we can set is to love ourselves. Even if everything else is going great in your life, if you don't invest a chunk of your time into good old self-love, you're never going to feel truly fulfilled. That being said, here are some ways to love yourself a little more each day in 2017.
1. Take Time Just For You
Obviously the past year was filled with a bunch of amazing new friendships, and of course you want to carry that into 2017! However, make sure to take time, whether you set aside time every day, week, whatever, for just yourself. Sit down, relax, and do something that you enjoy alone. Seriously, time with your friends is amazing, but being around people 24/7 can take a toll on your mental/emotional health over time, and you will eventually just feel drained. Don't think about anything stressful, but just clear your mind and let yourself go for a little bit. Take that time with just your thoughts, maybe write in a journal, or just daydream. It may sound weird, but take the time to get to know yourself again. Sometimes in the chaos of a hectic year and semester, we forget to spend time with ourselves and keep that "relationship" strong. The power of alone time, where you don't have anything to worry about but your own thoughts, is undeniable.
2. Be Healthy
Many of us have a goal set for how many pounds we want to lose in the next year. Except we all know how that goes...you are devoted to that goal for about a week, and then something gets in the way, and by the end of the year you are back to hating on yourself for letting the goal get away. This year, instead of putting strict and unrealistic health goals onto your shoulders, try instead just adding small, healthful changes to your lifestyle, focusing on feeling better about yourself each day. The goals shouldn't necessarily be appearance-based, because you are so much more likely to fail if your goal is that you want to look a certain way. The resolutions should be based on being able to wake up each morning feeling great. Maybe start with drinking more water, and cutting out soda. Then, start taking walks with your friends, or make going to the gym together a bi-weekly bonding event. If you tweak your health resolutions to be more self-love and well-being based, you are much more likely to follow through with them.
3. Cut Out Toxic People
If now isn't the right time, when will it be? If you know there are toxic people in your life that are keeping you from being your best, cut them out and focus on you. Don't let someone drain the life out of you before you even have time to take care of yourself. It is truly not worth it.
4. Organize Your Life
A clean, organized room/desk is proven to clear your mind, so investing time to declutter is time well spent. Designate a day each week to organize the things on your desk, do your laundry, clean up the bathroom area, whatever you need to do to keep everything organized. Also, organization of your plans/ideas is just as important as the organization of your room, so invest in a good planner to write out what you need to do each day. Being able to physically check things off your list is relaxing, and actually planning out your day will give you a feeling of control over your life, which can be very nice in a stressful time.
5. Stop Worrying About Others' Judgment
I'm definitely guilty of worrying wayyyy too much about what others think of me. It's so easy to fall into the trap of basing the way you live your life on what other people are wanting/expecting you to do. To love yourself more, you need to start living your life the way you want to. That means doing what you love, wearing what you want, and being who you are without thinking about whatever judgment you might receive. As long as the things you are doing are safe, legal, and not hurting anyone, there is no reason why you are should have to worry about what anyone else thinks. Just do you!
6. Disconnect
Although you're probably reading this right now on a phone or computer, the importance of non-digital experiences in life are crucial. You can't fully appreciate all the wonderful things life has to offer if you are fixed on a screen all day! Spend time with your friends without being on your phones, or just go outside and admire the beautiful world in all of its glory. There is something to be said about just appreciating the things that are right in front of us, that we sometimes miss because we are distracted by electronics.
7. Try Something New
We all tend to get stuck in our ways sometimes and resist change. However, to really love yourself fully, sometimes things have to change, and that's okay. Experience something totally new and different as often as you can, and relish in every sweet moment of it. Doing the same old thing every day doesn't get you very far, now does it? Having an adventure every once in a while will make you see your little old world a bit differently, and sometimes that's just what you need.
8. Work on YOU
When it comes down to it, self-love isn't something that usually come easily. Just like a relationship with another person, it takes work, it takes patience, and it takes time. You can't expect to wake up one morning and suddenly feel great about yourself, and never have a single doubt or insecurity again. It truly takes a nonstop effort and a lot of work every day to truly love yourself, and if you really want to love and appreciate yourself more in the new year, you have to be willing to put in the work and make YOU a priority every. Single. Day. Amidst all the homework, friends, family, clubs, activities, and routines that we go through day in and day out, sometimes we forget that the most important thing, the center of it all, is us. When things in life feel rough, sometimes the actual problem is just that we don't appreciate ourselves enough, and all the amazing things that we can do. Resolving that conflict with yourself can make your whole world feel different.
This year, don't let yourself forget to look in the mirror every day, and say "You are great, you are doing a great job and I love you."
