Occasionally, life can get pretty overwhelming between the hectic schedules, deadlines and pressure to keep up appearances, it’s very easy to forget that one of the main priorities we all have is maintaining our health and well-being.
So, let’s take a moment to list all the ways you can maintain the already amazing relationship you have with yourself and if you’re feeling a little out of it, ways you can rekindle that relationship.
1. Eat well but don't forget to treat yourself every so often.
Yes, for sure eat that salad but if you want chocolate or a crepe, just go for it! Your taste-buds and soul will thank you. However, if salads or broccoli is your kryptonite then for sure go for that too. Treat yourself to what you want.
2. Don’t stress about what you cannot change.
Regardless of how hard you work and the amount of effort you put into your work, there are certain outcomes that you cannot change and that’s okay. Accept the result, learn from it but DO NOT beat yourself up about it. It’s all a part of life and without the bumps, the things that actually do turn out well, wouldn’t feel half as good.
3. Take time for yourself.
It’s great to find enjoyment through time spent with other people, but the time spent by yourself, reflecting and rebuilding is an indescribable joy. Besides, at the end of the day, when everyone is gone, you really are only left with yourself, so it is important to take time to learn and appreciate who you are.
4. Find a passion.
With all of the obligations, work schedules, and deadlines, it’s nice to develop a love for something simply because you enjoy it, not because you feel like you have to do it. Taking leisure time is not a crime and the world will not collapse if you take an hour of your time doing something you genuinely enjoy.
5. Spend time with people you care about.
Remove individuals who do not bring any value to your life and only focus on those who bring you joy. Spend time with people who make you feel uncontrollably, completely and unapologetically happy, you don’t deserve any less.
6. Read a good book.
Regardless of how you feel about literature, it is one of the few ways we can immerse ourselves into a completely different world, so whether it’s a novel, comic book or fan fiction, pick up a piece of literature and just get lost, because sometimes all you need is a different perspective to help guide you through your own dilemmas.
7. Do something daring.
Go to that concert. Go skydiving. Take a road trip. Do what you’ve been too scared to do before and stop letting that fear control a part of your life. It doesn’t even have to be big, it could be just talking to someone you’ve been intimidated by, or introducing yourself to a well known colleague in your field. Do what you always told yourself you couldn’t.
8. Stop putting so much time and energy into what makes you unhappy.
Whether it is your job, your major, a club or even just a set path you’re on, get off and re-evaluate what you want because life is too short to chase after a goal that only makes you miserable. Leaving might be tough but you’ll feel a lot better when you listen to yourself and take a leap of faith.
9. Travel and see the world.
It doesn’t have to be far and it doesn’t matter where you go. Your destination could be as close as the next county or nearest country or it could be across the world, just go somewhere. Learn something new, embrace the unknown, grow and be excited. Understanding a new perspective is just as valuable as understanding yourself, and it could provide you with more clarity when it comes to your self perception and your worldview.
10. Look in the mirror and actually like what you see.
There is only one you in the world and as RuPaul says, “if you can’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna expect somebody else to love you?” Accept yourself. Look in the mirror and appreciate your imperfections because you are flawless, messy hair, stubble, no makeup, pimples, and all. Regardless of how you look, you are amazing and deserving of love from your family, friends and most importantly, yourself.
11. Do not compare yourself to other people.
You are who you are and you are at your position in life for a reason. Regardless of where everyone you know is at in their lives, do not allow that to diminish the progress you’ve made and do not underscore your journey because it does not seem as grandiose as theirs. Your main priority is YOUR happiness and only you can define that so whether you are happy in a lab doing experiments or a class teaching kids or spending your entire day surfing in South Africa, if you do what you love and love what you do, you are successful regardless of what anyone else thinks.
12. Do not hold back your feelings.
Be blunt about what and who you want and work to get it. Life is too short to play games and be trapped in niceties and calculated conversations. Say what you mean and mean what you say and do not apologize for your feelings and goals.
13. Fall in love with your life.
Stop wanting what other people have and focus on creating an environment and a legacy that you will be proud of and that will leave you with few regrets. Stop waiting to do what you want to do and just do it now. In some circumstances, you need to trust the process but if the process is not even yielding any results or satisfying you in any way, then just start over and try something new. It might be scary at first but it is worth it.
