13 Ways To Make Yourself A Priority

In order to be a positive & productive human being, you all should make yourself a priority, and then only you will learn to deal with the world in a better manner.

“How much do I care about myself?”

When was the last time you asked something like this to yourself? To be true, it’s actually quite easy to get blown over in the craziness of everyday life and push our own needs aside, thinking that they aren’t too important to be attended to.

But when you do this, not only do you suffer, but you are not your best for everyone else around you.

In order to be a positive & productive human being, we all should make ourselves a priority, and then only will we learn to deal with the world in a better manner.

Ways to make yourself a priority

Here are some simple ways to nurture yourself, to make peace with whoever you are and to tell yourself – ‘I’m important’. 

1. Start with the thought of fulfilling your needs.

Most of the time, we are trying to fulfill the needs of others – what our husband wants, what’s the need for the child, what will boss will ask for, so on and so forth.

But how much time do we really spend to fulfill our own needs? Remember that until you try to prioritize your own needs, no one else will.

To begin with, write them down in pointers and try to make time to focus on them, regularly.

2. Indulge in things that you love.

Let no one tell you what you should do & what you shouldn’t. You are free to choose how you’d like to unwind – whether it’s just reading a book that you picked up the other day, scribbling on your gratitude journal, binge-watching a series or just taking a warm shower.

Make sure to take your foot off the pedal and find something that calms your mind. There can be nothing more peaceful than doing things that you love & it’s surely the best therapy you can provide for yourself.

3. Look in the mirror and smile at yourself.

This is something I do every morning – to smile at myself. It’s just a way to acknowledge myself, to emphasize on the fact that I’m enough, exactly as I am.

While trying to please the world, we always expect the other person to smile at us, to make us feel our worth.

But instead of trying to be more, take time to look in the mirror and just be with yourself. Smile & appreciate your individuality, every single day.

4. Embrace your emotions.

In the hustle & bustle of our daily lives, we mostly ignore our emotions. Our happiness never lasts for long, and our sadness gets covered under heaps of other things!

Even I used to do the same until it forced me to a state of depression.

Don’t suppress your pain thinking that one fine day, all your problems are just going to disappear.

Suppressing your feelings only serves to undermine your happiness. Be open to embracing all your emotions – Happy or sad, joy or sorrow – and know that it’s impermanent. 

5. Stop saying ‘Yes’ to everyone.

In a world with so many responsibilities, it’s more like a pressure at times to please everyone around us and agree to whatever they say.

But trust me, things will become smooth when you’ll stop saying ‘Yes’ to everyone and do what you feel like.

It’ll help you to claim back so much happiness! Like I mentioned before, we often tend to neglect ourselves in the run to fulfill everyone else’s needs, but this is to assure you that you don’t really need to do that.

It’s okay to let go at times and say ‘No’ to what you’re not in a mood for!

6. Nourish & nurture your body.

Be grateful for having a healthy body & nurture it in the best possible manner. We are never really mindful enough about what we are putting into our bodies – whether it’s the food we eat, how much water we drink, the quantity of alcohol we consume, etc.

Let me tell you that there’s a direct connection between how we nourish our body & how we feel.

Like for me, I know that a good meal of home-cooked fish curry & rice instantly makes me happy & it equally nourishes my body with all the proteins, carbs, etc that I need.

So make sure to pay attention to your body & be kind to your intake patterns.

Related:

Best mindfulness practices To Be More Productive.

7. Don’t let anyone bother your thoughts.

Just like you need to nurture your body, similarly, you need to nurture your mind as well. The first step for that is to meditate – focus on your breathing and feel good to have a sound mind.

Coming to the most important step now – don’t let anyone else bother your thoughts, let no one tell you how you should shape your life, or what you should be doing, so on and so forth.

What you want to make out of your life is entirely your choice and none can intervene in that space. Make your mental health your priority.

8. Surround yourself with positive people.

How we feel about ourselves highly depends on the kind of people we choose to mingle with! To have friends who lift you up, encourage you to grow & motivate you to try new things are the ones who feed your soul – make sure to keep them close.

If there’s someone who tells you that you’re not good enough to do something or maybe you should try something else – know that they’re not meant for you, and it’s fine to walk away from them. Don’t try to hold onto people who aren’t adding anything to your life.

9. Learn to let go of the things you can’t control.

Often, we suffer because we feel that things didn’t turn out the way we wanted them to. But remember that not everything is in your hands.

You can’t change the past, you’ve no control over the future and in the present, all you can do is live to the fullest – make peace with whatever is happening, and don’t get bothered even if something is happening differently.

Let go of what’s not in your control & stop over-analyzing everything. Just know that eventually, things will fall in place.

10. Know that you are enough.

Drawing lines from the previous point, it’s important to know that you are enough – no matter what the world tells you!

Just take a minute to think how far you’ve come, how your personal growth has helped you evolve with time, how you learned to give more importance to happiness over success, how you shifted your focus from the negatives & nurtured the positives, how you’ve gathered the courage to speak your heart & mind – and after all these, would you still not believe that you’re too good to be yourself?

It’s time to acknowledge that you’re good enough, and there’s no need to be perfect – ‘coz no one is!

11. Spend your money the way you want to.

SPLURGE! – Yeah, you heard me right! When you saw that beautiful black dress while walking through the mall, I know you imagined yourself wearing that – so, why didn’t you buy it?

Whether it’s about getting a nice bag or a great pair of shoes, heading off to your favorite restaurant or treating yourself with a beach vacay – why would you ever stop yourself from spending your earnings?

After all, it’s the fruit of your hard work & you deserve to enjoy every bit of it. So, know that it’s absolutely fine to splurge on yourself, once in a while – and no one else should control or manipulate you in that case.

Remember, we’re all gonna die someday leaving a lot behind, so why not enjoy it when alive?

12. Think before you act.

Sometimes, we get driven by emotions and don’t tend to think whether our actions would be fine or not.

When you speak to someone (or reply to something), pause & think – and honestly, that can save a lot of grief & guilt in the long run. We often say things we don’t mean to, but once they’re out, we can’t take them back.

The same goes for our actions – even if we think that we’re right, sometimes, it might not be. And as time flies, we slowly face the consequences, thinking – “What if I haven’t done that?”

Try to reflect on your actions, make sure they don’t make you repent at any point in life.

13. Love yourself! You’ll eventually spread love everywhere!

The sun shines bright, and that’s how we see the light! The journey of making yourself a priority will begin & end by loving yourself in the first place – and once you feel absolutely comfortable in your own skin, happy with your thoughts, glad about your company, content with your intakes & satisfied with your work – you’ll automatically be in love with yourself.

From now, make yourself a priority & focus on being your best self – the world will eventually seem brighter & more joyful.

In case you have any other tips that you’d like to share with others, do let us know in the comments below. 

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