In honor of mental health awareness month, we will be covering mental health topics from a few different angles. In this post, we want to focus on how making yourself a priority is important to your overall mental health. Here’s a great quote on the topic:
“Make yourself a priority. At the end of the day, you’re your longest commitment.” – Unknown.
Why Is It Important That I Prioritize Myself?
To be very blunt about it – no one else is going to look out for you the way you can look out for yourself. I know this statement sounds harsh, but it is true. Parents, significant others, close friends, etc. – if you are lucky enough to have these types of amazing people in your life, then you know that they will help look out for you. But even with their help, you still have to stay vigilant about making yourself a priority. They won’t be around for every tough situation you face. And not every person you encounter is going to be as caring and kind as your loved ones, so you have to learn to stand up for yourself and make yourself a priority.
Isn’t It Selfish to Put Myself First?
Sometimes this can be difficult to do! From a young age, we are taught so many rules about being kind to others. We are taught to take turns and to share. We learn that it’s important to be kind, caring members of a community and to give back to others, especially those less fortunate than us. It is ingrained in our minds to do right by others, and to put others needs in front of our own. We believe following these rules makes us a better person.
Then, if we don’t follow these rules of putting others first, we may fear being labeled as selfish, which we typically associate as being bad or a negative thing. We feel like we are doing something wrong. We may even label ourselves as a less than great person. And we don’t want others to think of us in this negative way.
But, making yourself a priority isn’t about throwing all those societal rules out the window. And it doesn’t automatically make you a selfish or bad person. Instead, it is about focusing on your priorities, and reorganizing them, to ensure you have more time and energy to spend on things that are important to you. Most importantly, you need to know that you can still be a good person, while also making yourself a priority.
Tips for How to Make Yourself a Priority
Start by making a list of your priorities, not just in your head, but by actually putting them down in writing. Typically, this is easier if you keep the topics broader. When you are finished, try to rank them in order of importance to you. Goals such as spending more time with your family, getting healthy or losing weight, learning a new skill set or getting a better job all often tend to rank pretty high on the list.
And if you are having difficulties building or ranking your list, consider reaching out to friends and family for help. They can often help you put things into perspective.
It’s Time to Start Prioritizing Yourself
Now, comes the most difficult part – you need to start taking action – and start working towards your priorities. You may need to figure out how to cut back in other areas to start putting yourself and your top priorities first. And tracking your progress is important. It’s often easier at first, as you are more likely to start on the tasks you find most enjoyable.
But, you also have to put in the work on the less enjoyable tasks related to your top priorities. For example, if you want to get healthy and lose weight, you may enjoy researching new healthy recipes to try, or grocery shopping for healthier foods. But you will also need to put in the time and energy to prepare those healthy recipes. Plus, when you are exhausted after a long day at work and just want to order a pizza, you have to remember your goals. An occasional cheat day is fine, but if ordering a pizza becomes a habit, getting in the way of achieving your desired goal(s), then you need to refocus and get back on track.
Having Difficulties Putting Yourself First or Staying on Track?
Making yourself a priority requires modifying your mindset and that isn’t easy. If you are having difficulties making the necessary changes or staying on track, you may want to consider mental health counseling from Elemental Mental Health. Dr. Alyx MacTernan, a licensed professional counselor can help you reframe your mindset and work to overcome obstacles standing in your way. Plus, having a coach in your corner is usually immensely helpful and can sometimes be the difference between giving up or reaching your goals. Complete the website contact form to request more information.
Elemental Mental Health provides secure online counseling services to residents of Florida, Georgia and Texas.