Are you one of those people who would sacrifice anything to help a family member, do anything to put a smile on your friend’s face and takes care of everyone else before even spending a thought on yourself?
While it is very commendable to be empathetic, compassionate and thoughtful, don’t ignore yourself completely. Reality is, you cannot save everybody else and you cannot force change onto the world. But you have the power to change yourself and take responsibility for your life.
Pay attention to yourself and make sure you tend to your own needs first whether they are emotional, mental or physical. You are the only person and situation you have full control over, so the bottom line is it is detrimental to your health, happiness and overall well-being that you take care of yourself.
Keep in mind, nobody is going to get you where you want to be. You are the only one who can do it. If you want to live the life of your dreams, you need to put yourself first and do everything necessary to get you where you want to go. Make yourself a priority and look after your own needs. Motivation, enthusiasm and energy aren’t bottomless wells.
Take the time to refill your reserves. As a result you will be able to perform at your peak level. Here are our TOP 10 reasons to prioritize yourself.
#1 If You Don’t Take Care of Yourself, You Can’t Take Care of Others
We’ve heard it all before… On an airplane, in case of emergency put on your own oxygen mask first before helping anyone else. This principle applies to any situation in life. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll be cranky, tired, exhausted and miserable and you won’t be able to focus on your work or be present when a friend needs your help or give all your attention to so-and-so’s jewelry show. If you are not taking care of yourself, you won’t be good for anyone because you show up half-heartedly and gloomy.
#2 You Will Find Yourself
We’ve seen it happen over and over again. People who neglect to take care of themselves and find love for themselves can easily lose themselves and get defined by someone else. That becomes their reality and who they are. When you put someone else before yourself and forget to love yourself, you will forget who you truly are. Choose to put your energy and love into yourself first, consider your own well-being and you set yourself up for success.
#3 Your Relationships Will Improve
Once you start to prioritize yourself and take care of yourself, your relationships will improve. Neglecting yourself will only make you dependent on other people and you lose your personality and confidence. Put yourself first and don’t just give your love to other people. Start with yourself first, which doesn’t mean that you disregard everybody else’s needs, it just means that you make sure to make yourself happy and everybody around you, whether that’s your family and friends or in your professional life will appreciate you and enjoy interacting with a clear-headed, healthy and happy you.
#4 You Are Worth it
Sometimes you may not feel that way or even belief it all the time, but reality is, it is always true. You deserve to be successful and happy and give yourself time to recover and achieve anything you want in life. Fight to be completely you, put in the effort to make yourself a priority and remember, even when times get tough, you are worth all the blood, sweat and tears it takes to put yourself first.
#5 Your Health Depends on it
Prioritizing ourselves doesn’t just mean we take care of our physical body, but also our emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can easily feel stressed out and overwhelmed and our body will have to pay the price. Lack of sleep, constant stress and being pulled in a million different directions takes a toll on our body’s immune system, leaving us vulnerable to all sorts of health problems. If you really think about it, it’s just not worth it, so make sure that you take time to yourself every single day and take care of yourself.
#6 You Will Be Happier
Happiness comes from within, nobody and no thing can make you happy, so twisting yourself into a pretzel to make other people happy or hoping someone else will be the source of your own happiness will always go against you. Take back the responsibility for your own happiness, prioritize yourself and do what’s right for you.
#7 You Will Be More Authentic
Don’t forget about yourself in this life. If you don’t prioritize yourself, you tend to concede to others too often and agree to other people’s choices too quickly, which can lead to some real internal conflict, because you are being inauthentic at the expense of other people’s ideas, opinions and wants. In the long run, you will end up resenting others for presenting you with situations that you despise and aren’t in line with who you truly are. Make yourself a priority and make sure you stay authentic to your true self.
#8 It Sets an Example for How Others Should Treat You
When you put yourself first you set an example for others as to what’s an acceptable way to treat you. In any relationship – with your friends and family or in your professional life with co-workers, bosses and clients, you determine what is okay and what is not acceptable. If you prioritize yourself, accept yourself and see yourself as worthy, others will treat you with consideration and respect as well. It’s like you are being your own marketing person, telling the world: ‘This is how you treat me.’
#9 No One Else Will Be Able to Save You
Keep in mind, everybody is trying to achieve their own goals and dreams, so nobody is going to do the work for you, you have to do it yourself. There is no knight in shining armor that will swoop in and save the day. You’re all you’ve got. There is no point in waiting for someone to change your life for you. You have to do the work yourself, so make sure you make the time to work on your goals, dreams and desires so you’ll be able to achieve your heart’s desire. And who knows, maybe along the way you inspire your friends to do the same.
#10 You Stop Needing to Fit In
If you don’t make yourself a priority and neglect your needs, wants and desire in order to fit in, you will end up feeling uncomfortable and inauthentic. When you put yourself on top of your to-do list, you will naturally find the people to surround yourself with who appreciate your choices and lifestyle and similarly don’t forget to prioritize themselves.
You may have a voice inside your head that tells you prioritizing yourself is selfish. Far from it, it’s actually the exact opposite. When you put yourself first, everything and everybody will benefit from it. Give yourself what you need, you cannot live all day every day with your foot non-stop on the gas pedal. Be proactive and take care of yourself. You will boost your motivation, energy and enthusiasm and will most definitely be more productive and effective.
PRIORITIZE YOURSELF AND PRACTICE SELF-CARE
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked