As we enter into a nearly post-pandemic era, now is the best time to stop and reflect on our gains and losses. Do you remember the last time you had taken time out for yourself? Or focused on your wants and needs? Almost every individual goes through a phase of extreme lows that makes it difficult for them to comprehend their lives. For most of the world, that phase occurred last year.
Even though staying busy and distracting oneself might look like a solution, it is only temporary. For an individual to lead a healthy life with stable mental health, it is essential to spare moments from the busy schedule to look after themselves. Focusing on yourself might be a challenge in this tumultuous world, which is why this article is here to motivate you into looking after yourself with some easy steps.
Learn more about yourself
Various personality traits may emerge in people that were formerly not present, due to impactful life events (death, break up, etc.). These traits need to be reflected upon and realized, which can only be done by taking time off to learn about yourself.
Inadequate knowledge about your identity may result in disastrous outcomes and failure to perceive your needs and wants. Furthermore, these newly emerged traits may be contradictory to your existing ones, which makes it even more important to address them.
With sufficient time, your self-knowledge shall increase, which will make the process of focusing on yourself very easy.
Organize your needs
How many times have you made mental notes to yourself about something particular and then forgotten about it? It’s time to put those into writing.
Keeping a journal might be perceived as troublesome, but it is a great way to organize your wants and needs. Here are some of the things you might wish to include in your daily journal:
- Likes and dislikes: Figure out your likes and dislikes in a person and reflect upon those. If not anything, this will help you map out the kind of person you would like yourself to be.
- Major goals map: Often, it is a struggle to deduce what your ultimate goal of life is. Once you map out the objectives of each day, it will assist in recognizing your purpose. Moreover, the ‘one day at a time’ approach will take the immense pressure out of your mind.
- Your daily schedule: This might come off as too over the top, but most of the time, written tasks help to keep a track of your progress. Throughout the day, jot down any tasks that you have been assigned to and take turns in completing them- this helps you trace your productivity and have better time management.
- Time for yourself and friends/family: The journal shall aid in revealing your free time that you may use to either read a book and have coffee by yourself, or hang out with your friends and family- whichever works as your stress relief!
Remember: Never bite off more than you can chew- it may have devastating consequences, which can lead you to further feeling demotivated.
Time for a new hobby!
Did you ever have a wish to learn something particular (ex- guitar, basketball, painting, etc.)? Were you waiting for the right time? There’s no better time than now! Generally, a person feels off-track due to a lack of motivational activities aka hobbies. Whenever our schedules get hectic, the hobbies often get dropped out of our to-do list; this is where it backfires.
Hobbies work as instant mood lifters for people, which stimulate them into devoting time for themselves. During these times, spending time in any activity that you like or is fun can serve as a great stress relief! Learning new things will encourage you to focus on yourself and enjoy the spare time you have, leaving you with a refreshed mind.
Cut out the toxicity
Now let us address the most essential part of reviving yourself- get rid of the toxins. Toxic individuals can influence your life and how you deem yourself. In addition to that, they might also put a barrier on your progress and pull you back, especially if they are closely related to you.
However, it is of utmost importance to remember to always value yourself and your needs. Sharing your time with people who appreciate and inspire you into doing better and focusing on yourself will help you speed up the progress.
Moreover, finding people with similar goals and wishes can motivate you even further; it might even take some load off of you. Once you drop the toxic influence out of your life, the whole process of focusing on yourself will immediately appear clearer and closer than ever!
Take your time
Of-course performing all these steps isn’t easy and we don’t expect you to get your life together in a week! However, here’s the trick- go one day at a time. Slow progress is a lot better than no progress at all, and we appreciate that.
Furthermore, focusing on yourself should refresh you and make you feel stress-free and not become a heavy task to fulfill. Take time off to revisit your personal values and increase your self-knowledge- activities that will assist you in prioritizing yourself.
Conclusion
Even though self-love and mental health aren’t taboos anymore, they are still considered self-centered and deemed as unnecessary in this busy society. However, no amount of self-care is too much and under no circumstances is it selfish to do so. In this hectic world, it is almost crucial to concentrate on yourself and your betterment.
Not always does a person get to perform motivational activities and spare time for self-love, which is exactly why the steps listed here will encourage you to focus on yourself amidst that really busy schedule. Share this article with your fellow mates who’re struggling to focus on themselves and motivate each other into being better versions of yourselves!