How to Put Yourself First this Holiday Season

self-care isn’t selfish!

Prioritizing yourself is necessary to living a healthy, happy life, but I feel like it’s often seen as a negative thing. 

It’s time to change that narrative!  Let’s start putting ourselves first and foremost, and we’ll see how our lives can benefit! (:

how to put yourself first this holiday season

set boundaries

I think boundary-setting is something that is becoming more and more of a hot topic – and for good reason!  Boundaries are a great way to let people know what you are comfortable with, and it’s wonderful to set those expectations for yourself as a sign of self-respect as well.  

Know – or learn – what makes you feel uncomfortable, and plan what to say or do if you find yourself in that situation.

Let’s say you struggle with body image and someone makes a passive-aggressive comment about your looks… you can say something like, “I don’t appreciate your comments,” or, “I’d rather you not talk about my body.”  You can also set a boundary by just leaving any situation that doesn’t make you feel good.  

Do whatever you are most comfortable with in terms of how you choose to set your boundaries.

recognize your needs

In order to truly prioritize yourself, you have to understand what your needs are.  What are your non-negotiables?

For many people, it might be working out.  For others, it might be getting 8 hours of sleep every night, or going to therapy.  Maybe one of your needs is eating breakfast as soon as you wake up, or having 20 minutes of alone time at the end of the day.  

Whatever your needs are, make sure you prioritize them in order to prioritize yourself!

recognize your wants

In addition to meeting your needs, it can be extra helpful to recognize and meet your wants in order to truly prioritize yourself.  

Wants, unlike needs, may be negotiable.  But that doesn’t mean they’re not important!  It just means they might not be necessary as often as your needs.

For example, a want might be getting your nails or hair done, going out to eat, taking yourself on a date, and things like that.  Things that you love and want to do, but you don’t have to do them every single day in order to reap the benefits.

By recognizing your wants, you will be able to put yourself first and truly get the most out of your time. (:

nourish yourself

In order to nourish anyone else, you have to take care of yourself first!!  If we aren’t prioritizing ourselves, we won’t be able to put our best foot forward in anything that we do.  

So make sure you’re meeting all your needs and wants, but also be kind to yourself. 

Eat nourishing foods.  Drink your water.  Do all the things that make you feel alive.

Dance around to your favorite songs, speak highly of yourself, go for  a long drive somewhere beautiful, call up your friends… do those things that make every day a little more special. 

I hope these tips on how to put yourself first this holiday season – and the rest of the year – were helpful!  Channel your inner badass and make yourself a priority… you won’t regret it. 

If you enjoyed this post, I’d love for you to share it with others so everyone can learn how to put yourself first this holiday season! (: