To live for yourself is to put your well-being and self-love first while leading the kind of life you’re thoroughly proud of.
Can you say with absolute certainty that you’re living for yourself? Or does a part of you always wonder what someone else might think?
If the answer is the latter, how about you start making some changes? Let today be the day you start living your life free of the opinions of others!
Wash away the negative thoughts that overwhelm your mind and start practicing self-care. Don’t be afraid to be your true self. That’s the only way to live life authentically.
Here are 10 healthy habits to implement in your everyday life. With each day, you’ll start noticing significant changes toward personal development.
It takes so little to be truly happy. Why not start today?
Stop being in your head too much
Overthinking is a deadly sin (not really, but you know what I mean). Give it a rest. It’s a surefire way to make any issue ten times bigger than it really is.
It makes a somewhat complex situation seem like an insurmountable obstacle. So why would you do that to yourself?
Don’t let overthinking hold you back from achieving whatever your heart is set on. Spend less time in your head, and more time making conscious decisions to be happy!
Take control of your own life and whenever you get overly frustrated with something, move on to something else. By dwelling on things, you hurt your self-esteem and ruin yourself mentally.
Things won’t change no matter how long you overthink them. Whether it’s an important project or your favorite TV show, learn to take everything with a grain of salt.
That way, it’s highly unlikely you’ll get disappointed, and when you don’t, the feeling will be much more satisfying.
Take responsibility for your happiness, since no one else will. Life is way too short to spend it twisting things in your mind. It’ll all be okay eventually.
If it isn’t, it just means it’s not the end.
See also: Feeling Unloved? Here Are Possible Reasons Why & How To Change It
Move away from people who drag you down
No matter what you do, there will always be human beings who think they’re better than you. Toxic individuals are everywhere, so it’s hard to bypass them.
But after having been surrounded by some really bad people, I’ve managed to find a way to step away without causing myself any pain.
With time, you’ll probably realize this yourself, but no matter how hard you try, some people just can’t be changed.
You can be the kindest person and do a hundred good deeds for them, they’ll still use you and make a fool out of you if it serves their purpose.
So my advice is to try to move away from it in your mind. Understand that it has nothing to do with you. It’s an internal issue that they keep projecting onto you.
But you don’t have to keep taking it. Live for yourself and your own happiness. That means to respectfully distance yourself from those who purposefully drag you down.
No apologizing and no feeling bad. You create your own happiness. And if you’re not happy around certain people, why should you stay?
Mind your own business, don’t do bad things to others, and go wherever your heart takes you. Your life, your journey.
Start living in the present
Your past has taught you a bunch of valuable life lessons and God knows what the future holds. All you have is right now. Use it!
When you keep dwelling on your past, it means reliving past mistakes. And what good does that do? The same goes for the future. It makes you anxious and worried and prevents you from being in the moment.
Take a deep breath and focus on what’s around you right now. Stop and smell the roses. Read a good book. Call an old friend.
But don’t dwell on things that are in the past and don’t overthink your future. Instead, work on creating a suitable present that will be a solid foundation for a happy life.
Do you know what happens when you’re too focused on everything except the present moment? I do.
You miss out on some incredible things, people, and feelings. Your little part of the world matters. Nurture it and be kind to yourself.
There are so many good things on the horizon. But in order for you to actually experience them, first, you need to learn to live in the now.
You’ll feel significantly lighter, calmer, and more grounded. When you appreciate every single moment for its unique brevity, you allow yourself to truly be present.
Celebrate the tiny victories
We all often set the bar for our own happiness way too high. And in turn, we’re not nearly as proud of ourselves as we should be.
You don’t need to achieve huge success to be happy and proud of yourself. You don’t have to discover something no one else has discovered so far to be good at what you do.
Small everyday victories are what it’s all about. Life gets so draining sometimes that merely getting out of bed is a cause for celebration.
Cleaning your house after having postponed it a million times is something to be happy about. Walking your dog when you’re feeling really down takes a lot of strength.
Recognize those tiny victories and applaud yourself. You’re doing great. Heck, you’re doing better than great!
You’re a freaking badass and every single thing that you do, despite every obstacle that comes your way, is further proof of that.
So yeah. Celebrate the little things and it’ll propel you to keep dreaming big. Nurture a relationship of kindness and understanding toward yourself.
Don’t forget to implement self-love into everything you do. We are all just doing our best and trying hard to go where we’ve always dreamed of.
And your journey is just as important as your final destination.
No comparisons
Comparing yourself to others will only result in feelings of unworthiness. Guess what? Nobody has it all figured out.
No matter how hard people try to convince you they’re all that or how eventful their social media profiles are, nobody has it all. So stop with the comparisons and live for yourself!
The only person you’re allowed to compare yourself to is the old version of you. This means evaluating your self-growth and how far you’ve come.
Keep track of your progress and keep pushing yourself forward. But the minute you start thinking that the grass is greener, nip it in the bud.
Your neighbor has their own problems and your best friend is more insecure than she lets on. Your sibling is struggling with their body image, and your co-worker has marriage problems.
But you’ll never see it. Why? Because people don’t broadcast their issues. We only show what we want people to see.
So keep that in mind whenever your insecurities get the better of you and remain confident in your ability to do well.
You’ll get there, one way or another. The longer it takes, the more you’ll appreciate it when it happens.
See also: Accept People For Who They Are Instead Of Trying To Change Them
Stop rushing
It’s okay that you’re driven and ambitious. It’s actually pretty awesome. But don’t go against yourself.
The moment you sense your body is giving out, give yourself some much-needed rest. Rushing anywhere won’t give you what you want.
Whether it’s toward your goals and dreams, or literally rushing through life, stop it. You’ll drain yourself and it’ll become so difficult to see things clearly.
Instead, slow down on all fronts. Don’t rush through the streets, but walk slowly. Don’t rush to get an important project finished, rather give yourself time to be thorough.
Don’t think that by getting there faster it’ll be better. Quite the contrary. Do things slowly but surely, and the end result will be much more to your liking.
I always used to be in such a rush. I walked fast, talked fast, and had to get everywhere before anyone else.
But ever since I learned to enjoy the process every bit as much as the end result, I’ve been much more at peace with myself.
It’s like being overcome with serenity. What’s meant for you will always find its way back to you. If it doesn’t, good riddance.
Be in touch with your emotions
To live for yourself is to be authentic and always loyal to your true self. No matter how hard it is sometimes, it’s better to be genuine than to fake it.
Don’t push away negative emotions about something. It’s okay to feel that way. Embrace it and accept it.
We’re only human, and negativity is a part of life. My advice is to try to put it on paper. It might help you deal with your thoughts more easily.
Write down how you feel and try to get to the bottom of it. Why is something bothering you so much? Is your mind trying to tell you something? Are you on the verge of a breakthrough?
Only you know. Process how you feel and if you need to, talk to a close confidante. There is no shame in airing your emotions to someone you trust.
We all have hidden thoughts. It’s all about having the right people around who’ll understand them. Those who make you feel bad for how you feel aren’t good people to have around.
Surround yourself with kindness, open-mindedness, and brutal honesty. No sugar-coating and sweet words.
Personally, I love having people around who’ll tell me how it really is. No matter how messed up I think my feelings might be, they’ll always stay around.
They keep me grounded. And these people are the only ones who have your best interest in heart. Those who can tell it to your face instead of behind your back.
See also: Everything You Need To Know About A Transactional Relationship
Stop dedicating your time to things that don’t make you happy
This is the crucial step in learning to live life according to your own dreams, wishes, and passions.
Stop doing what someone else thinks should make you happy, and do what actually makes you happy. Rid yourself of your everyday habits if they don’t bring you joy.
Just because you’re so accustomed to doing something, doesn’t mean you should keep doing it. Live the kind of life you’ll be proud to tell your grandkids about one day.
Pursue what makes your heart skip a bit. Take up dancing, learn how to ski, adopt a dog, or sing your heart out.
What’s the point of life if you’re so dedicated to doing things you can live without? Instead, find your passion and make it real!
Trust me. It took me so long to figure this out. But ultimately, it’s priceless. Who cares what others think? It’s not their life, but yours.
Stop paying any mind to those stifling your growth and start creating your own path to a happy life.
It’s really simple. Ask yourself what the most important things in your life are. After pinpointing that, focus your attention on doing things that are linked to those things.
Let go of boring habits, people you don’t really like, and hobbies you stopped enjoying a long time ago. For once, just be happy.
Be happy in your own skin
This is the key to a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life. Learning that your happiness is in your own hands.
Another human being can add to it, but if you’re not content on your own, something’s not right. I used to be plagued with insecurities and obsessed over my shortcomings.
I hated my hair, my skin, my loud voice, and my outgoing personality. I hated being single and only felt fulfilled with a man. But when I kept feeling a void no matter my relationship status, I realized something.
How can I ever be happy with a man if I can’t stand being on my own? Am I that bad of a company?
Of course, I wasn’t. I simply never allowed myself an opportunity to see how amazing I truly am. I was so adamant to be around a guy that I failed my own self.
I had to learn to live for myself. Not for my boyfriend, or my parents. I am the way that I am. Loud, chatty, out there, and extremely opinionated.
I don’t sugar-coat things and I’ll always initiate a conversation even when I shouldn’t. I’ll sing my heart out in full restaurants when my song comes along and I won’t apologize for it.
Why should I? I love myself and I’ll never deny myself an opportunity to feel happy. People are overly focused on censoring their little quirks and unpopular opinions, but why?
Celebrate them! It’s what makes you unique. There is no one else out there who can do what you do.
So what if your friend doesn’t agree with your opinion? So what if people think it’s weird you can just burst into song randomly?
To me, those are the best kind of people! Unapologetically loyal to their true selves. Once you understand the importance of authenticity, I promise, you’ll never go back.
Forgive yourself
For all the times you kept clinging onto the wrong people. For every time you went against yourself to please someone else.
Forgive yourself for not always having your well-being in mind, and for lashing out at your friends during a dark time. Your mistakes don’t define you. It’s how you deal with them that matters most.
And it’s extremely important to learn the art of forgiveness. Sometimes, we find it easier to forgive others, than to forgive ourselves.
By dwelling on past mistakes you’re focused on the problem, instead of the solution. You’ve learned your lesson and you’re allowed to move on.
Living for yourself is important so that you don’t realize one day that you’ve lived a life full of regrets.
All you can do is learn from the past and strive to do better in the future. And in the meantime, be kind, gentle, and take it easy on yourself.
You’re probably doing much better than you think you are. And every mistake has helped shape who you are today; smarter, wiser, and more cautious than ever before.
The power of positive thinking does wonders for your mind, body, and soul. So I encourage you to come up with one positive thing about yourself every day.
This will keep you motivated, goal-oriented, and conscientious.
After all, this life is all you’ve got. You might as well make the most of it!
See also: Powerful Ways To Increase Self-Love And Stop Feeling Unwanted
