Put Yourself First & The Rest Will Fall Into Place

It is not selfish to put yourself first. You need to prioritize your own needs before trying to get out there and help others; you’re no good to others if you can’t help yourself first. If you try to take care of other things or people before yourself, you could easily find yourself in poor health, low spirits, or mental fatigue. It can be easy to get wrapped up in the lives and events of others, but where does that leave you? Exhausted, frustrated, and generally stressed out about having to take care of everyone and everything around you. It’s tiresome! Which is why you should always strive to take care of yourself first and foremost before everything else around you.

Where do you start with all of this? How do you find the time for you? It can start with a simple thing, such as spending some quality “Me Time” in the early morning before work. It can be as simple as making a healthy breakfast, doing some yoga, or taking your time in a hot shower. Eating healthy, wholesome foods is another way that you can put yourself first. A healthy diet leads to a healthy life, and all that junk food isn’t helping you out regardless. Those are just a few of the ways that you can learn to prioritize yourself.

Putting yourself first will not come easy, especially if you’ve spent a lot of your life caring for everyone and everything around you and leaving you with no time to yourself. It will be a challenge, but there isn’t anything that you can’t do. It’s easy to get used to living a life where you constantly put other people’s needs and wants before your own. We are all guilty of that! It’s one thing to be compassionate and caring, but it’s another to overexert yourself and spread yourself too thin to the point that you can no longer take care of yourself properly.

Boundaries are a big thing when it comes to taking care of yourself. You need to learn to say no when you need to and yes when you need to. It can be hard to ask for help or to tell someone that you can’t do something for them, but if you don’t set those boundaries with others or with yourself, you will experience negative emotions rising very quickly in your life. Stress and fatigue are no joke, and they can absolutely wreck your health and wellbeing. You might feel anxious all of the time, or you won’t get enough sleep, or you won’t be able to eat the meals that you should be eating. Overexertion is a slippery slope to poor health—mentally, physically, and emotionally.

By putting yourself first, you are not only guaranteeing good health, but you are also setting yourself on a path of self-love and self-improvement. You know what is best for you, so don’t deny yourself the things that you need because you feel that you have to fulfill the needs of others. Those who are truly your friends will understand when you tell them no or when you set boundaries with them; they will be there for you, understand you, and support you. The journey to self-love and self-compassion can be a difficult one, but I have faith in you. You got this!