Who you are is the most important part of yourself. Take away all your possessions, your career, your friends and family. What is left is you! So why not make the most of this person? To improve your self care, you need to acknowledge your own importance and then look at what will make you happy. You have control over your life; it’s time to start taking it.
Put yourself first
There’s the old adage that in an airplane emergency, you need to put your oxygen mask on yourself first. If you try to help anyone else but don’t have enough oxygen, then you will both suffer. The same is true in life. You may be worried that too much time spent on yourself means not enough time for others. But, if you run out of oxygen, how is that other person going to be helped?
The first step in putting yourself first is to recognize that you deserve to be fulfilled. You deserve to be whole. You deserve to be happy! When you focus on yourself, you can then unleash your full potential.
Ask for help
There is no shame in asking for help. Think of it this way. If your friend asked you for help, would you judge them? Or would you immediately help them? The same holds true for you. Friends and family members want to help you. However, they might not be aware if you’re struggling. Open the lines of communication and let others in. It will feel so much better once you do.
Be specific
Once you’ve asked for help, try your best to be specific about your needs. Remember that no one is a mind reader. The truth is, it’s hard to know exactly what you need to change or what you specifically need help with. This step might need a bit of soul searching. Look to the moments when you feel the most overwhelmed. Then, try to think about what may have triggered those feelings. Look for patterns to see if there are internal factors or external factors. The more aware you are of your needs, the better you can communicate them to the people around you.
Set a personal goal
Think about the kind of person you want to be. Then, work towards that goal. Is that person happy? Is that person energetic? Creative? Helpful? Think about how you want other people to describe you and take the steps to become that person. Once you have a vision of who you want to be, look at the steps needed to accomplish your goal. Do you need to exercise more to become energetic and healthier? Do you want to volunteer your time in something you feel passionate about? Do you want to pursue a creative interest?
You can be happy with who you are and still want to improve your self care. The point is to keep working at being the best version of yourself.
