“Are you ok?”

“Are you feeling better?”

“If you need anything, let me know.”

“Thinking of you.”

All statements that you ask or say to your friends or those you care about when they’re going through a tough time or having a bad day. But do you take the time to ask and say those things to yourself? Do you take the time to check in with yourself and evaluate your feelings, emotions, and well-being?

Sometimes we become so lost in what’s going on around us that we lose touch with the most important person in our lives, ourselves.

One of my favorite quotes is, “You must enter a relationship with yourself before anyone else.”

This quote speaks volumes as people become so enthralled with their relationships with other people that they lose sight of their own mental state and well-being. While relationships with friends, family, and partners are all very important and essential, you can’t learn how to be a good friend, sister/brother, daughter/son, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc. until you learn how to be a good friend to yourself.

How can you be a good friend to yourself?

While it’s important to think about how our decisions will affect other people before acting upon them, also take the time to consider how that decision will affect yourself. Will it make you happy? Will it bring you peace? Will it empower you?

Empowerment.

Just as you encourage your friends, encourage yourself. Empower yourself. Tell yourself that you can and will ace that exam. Tell yourself that you can and will finish that last mile. Tell yourself that you are good enough. Because when you empower yourself, you can and will.

Treat yourself.

Just as you would send Insomnia cookies to your friends when they’re sad, order them for yourself when you’re sad! If you’ve been working hard and feel like you should be rewarded, reward yourself. If you’ve been studying all day and all you want to do is sleep, take a nap. If you’re waiting for a boy to send you flowers, buy them for yourself. Your car can’t run on empty, neither can you. Refuel yourself with what you need and want.

Love yourself.

A concept so hard for people to grasp. We give out so much love to others, yet seem to forget that self-love is just as important. When someone you love makes a mistake, you’re the first one to reassure them and tell them everything will be okay. But for some reason when we ourselves make a mistake, we’re the first to criticize, judge, and hate. Cut yourself some slack. You wouldn’t criticize, judge and hate those who you love, so don’t do it to yourself.

Take the time to ask and tell yourself,

"Am I ok?

“Am I feeling better?”

“If I need anything, I will take care of me.”

“I will think of myself too.”

Because you are so worth it.