By: Elena Taylor
1. Wake up in the morning and don’t his snooze. The most productive time of day is when you first wake up. So get out of bed, even if you are tired.
♥ Drink water, plenty of it. Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day. Eat, even if you aren’t hungry.
2. Look in the mirror. When is the last time you looked in the mirror and thought sweet words? Compliment your skin, it’s holding you together. Recognize that the lines on your face aren’t from age but from laughter. Appreciate the package you came in.
3. The energy you put out is what is given back to you. If you are constantly putting yourself down and not believing in your abilities, everyone will do the same.
4. Put your phone down. It is so easy to get caught in the riptide of everyone else’s facades. No one’s life is how they portray it on social media. Comparison is and will be your biggest enemy if you do not recognize that.
♥ Be in the moment. Whether it’s the moments you set aside to be by yourself or when you are out dancing with your friends, do not miss it because you were checking Facebook.
5. Quiet the voices. You know which ones I’m talking about. The ones that say you are a failure, you will never amount to anything, you can never do anything right. Replace them with meditations and affirmations. You are not a failure, every failed attempt is one step closer to success. You will amount to something, it may not be your biggest dream, but hard work pays off. Your strengths aren’t going to be the same as other peoples, work to find what it is you’re good at, be gentle with yourself. You can never be perfect.
6. Write lists. Many lists. To-do lists. “Where I see myself in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years” lists. Bucket lists. Memories you don’t ever want to forget lists. Things that make you happy lists. Lists you want to write lists.
♥ I swear lists make everything better, even if all it does is occupy your mind for a while.
7. You do not owe anyone anything, stop letting them treat you like you do.
♥ You are your greatest defender, stand up for yourself. It is okay to say “no.”
Do the things you love often. Don’t put them aside for a rainy day. You deserve to enjoy the pleasures of doing the things you love.
8. Pray often. If religion isn’t your thing, meditate.
♥ Surround yourself with people you trust. There was a reason we were not put on this earth alone. There is a reason we crave the company of others. Embrace the fact that you do not have to go through life yourself.
9. Understand that self-care isn’t just lighting candles and taking a bubble bath. Self-care is putting yourself first because you genuinely believe that you are worth caring for. Sometimes it is taking a walk and grounding yourself. Sometimes it is apologizing to a friend you haven’t spoken to in years. Sometimes it’s going to bed earlier than usual.
♥ Self-care is done for you, not because it makes for a good photo on social media.
