1 Make time for you
It’s not indulgent, it’s A-OK to make time for you. However, you like to unwind, setting aside some downtime to rest is essential for your wellbeing. Whether it’s reading, journaling, watching a film or running a bath, take your foot off the pedal and find something that calms your mind and meets your needs.
2 Speak kindly to yourself
How many times have you caught yourself saying something negative about yourself? Put a stop to the self-criticism and respond to your doubts and insecurities with empathy. If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself.
3 Get rid of the guilt
We spend so much of our time prioritising the needs of others that we often feel guilty or selfish if we decide to do something for ourselves instead. Shift your mindset and remember, you don’t need to justify looking after yourself. Ever.
4 Stop saying “yes” to everyone
It’s easy to lose yourself in the “go, go, go” mentality but when you stop trying to please everyone and do what you want to do instead, you’ll claim back so much happiness. Life is hectic and you can’t always neglect your own needs to fulfil everyone else’s. It’s ok to experience the joy of missing out sometimes.
5 Love the skin you’re in
We’re all guilty of focusing on what we look like when we should be appreciating our bodies for the incredible vehicle that they are. They allow us to breathe, to walk and to love – they don’t deserve that kind of criticism. Revel in your body’s strengths; celebrate the miles you can run or the child you produced. There’s so much more to life than worrying about imperfections.
6 Don’t be afraid to ask for help
You’re only human, you have boundaries and limits like everyone else and you don’t always have the capacity to accomplish everything on your own. Lean on your friends, ask for what you want and need – there is joy in opening up and connecting with others.
7 Let go of the things you can’t control
Learn to let go! You can’t control the past, the future or how other people perceive you and the sooner you make peace with that, the happier you’ll be.
Why do we over-analyse everything? Do we have to do everything perfectly all the time? Cut yourself some slack and stop beating yourself up at every misstep.
8 Tell yourself you can
Banish the word can’t, it doesn’t exist in your vocabulary. Try new things, turn doubt into belief – you’re so much more capable than you know.
9 Embrace your emotions
Take the peaks with the pits and be compassionate towards yourself during the tough times. Forcing yourself to get over something isn’t letting yourself deal with it any quicker, lean into your emotions and allow yourself to feel vulnerable when you need to. Your future self will thank you for it.
10 Surround yourself with positive people
The people that feel like sunshine – those are the keepers. Your friendships should lift you up, encourage and inspire you to grow as a person. It may sound heartless but if you’re not serving one another anymore then there’s no point in trying to hold onto a friendship when you could be investing in someone who has a positive impact on your life. Friendship isn’t an unbreakable commitment, if you’re sacrificing your own happiness it’s more than ok to move on.
11 Start a gratitude journal
It might seem like it’s one more thing to add to your to-do list each day 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 want to change your mindset, forget the complaining and focus on the joy of every day. The days and weeks whizz by in a flash but pausing to write about what you’re grateful for can make even the most insignificant days all the more meaningful when you look back.
12 Know that you are enough
Appreciate how far you’ve come; your personal growth and success is not something to be shrugged off. Acknowledge your wins and be bloody proud of yourself. There’s no need to change who you are to fit in with someone else’s idea of perfection, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone. You are enough because you are compassionate, you are enough because you love hard, you are enough because you make others happy. Every part of the you that already exists now is what makes you enough.
