If there is one thing that almost all of us can agree on, it is that 2016 was an exhausting year. There were so many things that happened around the world which affected us all, but personally, I think that what hurt me the most in 2016 is that there were too many instances where I put every other people before myself.
I forgot that taking care of and loving yourself is so, so important.
So here are some (realistic) resolutions that I am going to try and follow in 2017, that you should consider too, in order to be a little selfish and put myself first.
Remember That It’s Alright To Say “No”
It’s often hard to say no to someone, especially if it is someone you care about, but you have to remember that it is okay to refuse to do something if you do not feel comfortable doing it or if you simply don’t want to. You don’t always have to be a pushover and agree to every single thing that others ask you to do. Do not feel bad about it.
Cut Out Toxic People
The difficult part about this one is that most of the time, people who are toxic are also people who we love and care about a lot. It’s hard to let go of someone who means a lot to you, but it is important to do so if they are nothing but detrimental to your mental and emotional health and to your success. I myself have struggled to cut out certain people who do not belong in my life, but I am determined to do it in 2017.
Remind Yourself That You Do Not Owe Anyone Anything
I’ve learned this year that we, as humans, tend to be very good at guilt-tripping others and making them feel as if they owe up something. However, this is not always true. If someone does not respect you, your views or your lifestyle, you owe them absolutely nothing. You do not owe them your time, your money or anything else.
Stop Caring About What Others Think About You
If there is any lesson that I have learned, it is that there will always be people out there who judge you. There will always be people who dislike you. That is alright. You do not need to please everyone, nor do you need to take every person’s opinion of you into account. The less you care about what others have to say about you, the happier you will be.
You Do Not Have To Respond To Everyone
In this day and age of social media, this is a big one. Things such as “shooting your shot” and “sliding into the DM’s” has everyone thinking that they’re entitled to getting a response from you, regardless of how they treat you or the fact that they are a complete stranger. If you do not feel comfortable talking to someone, then don’t. If someone is bothering you, tell them off or block them. This has always been a hard one for me, being someone who feels bad if I don’t reply to someone, but it is so tiring to have to deal with people who are not worth your time.
Keep Your Mental Health In Mind
We are always told to eat healthy and exercise, but why is it that admitting your mental health isn’t alright is still so taboo? Your mental and emotional health are as important as physical health. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Ensure that your mental health is in good shape, and if it isn’t, do not hesitate to ask for help.
Put Aside Time For Yourself
Take some time every day, week or month, and make it for you and you only. Do something that makes you happy, whether that is going out for a run, partying at the local pub or binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix. We probably all spend the majority of the time we are awake worrying about one thing or another, so take a little bit of time to just forget about every issue bothering you, slip out of reality for a little bit and make yourself feel better.
It might seem wrong, saying that you should put yourself before anyone else, but it really isn’t. It is so important that we all understand our own worth and remember that. Even though we should help others in every single way we possibly can, we also need to help ourselves. It is alright to be a tiny bit selfish every now and then; we are all human after all.
