When it comes to your well-being, it is easy to allow yourself to fall to the back of the queue and to put others and their needs in front of your own. It is human nature and people do not often feel comfortable with putting themselves first or their needs in front of others. It is important to remember, however, that it is vitally important to put yourself first. You cannot be there for others in the capacity you might want to be if you have not looked after yourself. Looking after yourself is one of the most selfless things you can do, so here are some essential tips to put yourself first and keep your well-being in check!
Photo credit Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Know you priorities
Everybody has a set of priorities, things that are important to them. It could be things that you know are important to keep your mental health in check, keep you feeling that bit better about yourself mentally and physically, or just things you know that will help your day run that bit smoother. Whatever they are make sure you know what they are and find a way to make them a priority. It could be that you know you feel better for having 30 minutes to yourself and soaking in the bath with your favorite products at the end of the day, if so put yourself first and make doing it a priority. Perhaps you are a new parent snowed under by the responsibility of your new life and are finding it hard to get out of the house. You can make your life easier and invest in a travel system for getting the baby in or out of the car. Identify your priority, what is important to you, and do what it takes to find a way to make it happen, no matter how unimportant it might seem to others.
Learn to say no
Part of ensuring your priorities come into fruition is mastering the art of saying no, something many people are notoriously uncomfortable with. However, if you want to ensure you tick off that priority list or have a bit of time to yourself, it may well have to come at the cost of saying no to someone. Learn to do this and not attach any guilt to it; you will never truly put yourself and your well-being first if you don’t ever say no.
Know your why
If you want to be able to identify your priorities, ensure you prioritize them, and learn to say no to people, then it is equally important that you know why you are doing it. Why does doing these things matter and why are they important for you? Will they make you feel better? Improve your well-being? Improve your health? Release endorphins? Good for your confidence? Keep you from feelings of loneliness? Negativity? Anxiety? Remember that you have chosen to do a certain thing for the improvement of yourself and your mood. Never lose sight of your why, otherwise you have a chance of failing to do it.
How do you protect your well-being?
Thank you for reading!
