(Inside: I am no expert in self-improvement, but I sure know that feeling better starts with treating yourself better. This is How to Be Your Own Best Friend.)
Women in general – and moms especially – tend to put others first. We’re always sacrificing. Our best friends say things like “You deserve to be happy” and “It’s okay to feel the way you do.”
They validate us and reassure us that it’s okay to think of ourselves every now and then.
As much as best friends are amazing and everyone should have one, you’ll be so happy if you learn to be your own best friend too.
Here’s how to Be Your Own Best Friend–because you deserve that, for freaking real.
How to Be Your Own Best Friend
Share your secrets.
There’s no one you can trust to keep their mouth shut more than yourself! I’m not suggesting you walk around talking to yourself (at least not in public!).
However, writing in a journal and getting your feelings on paper can do wonders for your mental health and well-being.
Also, writing out your feelings can sometimes make things clearer.
If you’re wondering what to do about a current problem, journal the pros and cons and read them over.
You may just find that the answer is right there in front of you! You can also ask your other best friend for her opinion, but before you do that, try asking yourself.
After all, even your best friend doesn’t know you as well as you know yourself.
Spend Time With Yourself.
Any relationship needs nurturing to stay afloat.
Just like you’d make time to spend with your best friend, you need to make time to spend with yourself.
Maybe that means you get up early to watch the sun rise. For some, time spent with yourself is reading a great book. Maybe time for yourself is an exercise class you’ve wanted to take.
If you’ve got a husband and kids, it may seem a little bit strange – or even selfish – at first, but in order to be your own best friend, you have to take the time to get to know yourself.
Time spent alone will allow you to do that.
Stop judging yourself.
If your best friend were sitting next to you, you would not look at her and say “You look so fat in that top.”
Therefore don’t look in the mirror and say the same thing to yourself.
You don’t look at your best friend and see her imperfections because you love her.
When you love yourself, you won’t see your own anymore, either.
Buy yourself gifts.
If it were your best friend’s birthday, you’d buy her a gift, right? So why not buy yourself one? No one on Earth could pick out a better gift for you than…you!
So if you’re at the store and happen across a book you’ve been dying to get your hands on, grab it for yourself! Of course, you don’t have to wait for special occasions.
If you’re at the mall and see a pair of shoes you love, it’s totally okay to give yourself an early Christmas present.
Be silly.
What kind of things do you do with your best friend?
You watch TV until the wee hours of the morning, sing real loud in the car without judgement, and take magazine quizzes.
Maybe you like to try out new restaurants together or take rides in the car for no reason. You can do all of those things with yourself, and you should.
Sure, rocking out to your favorite song alone in the car may get you an odd look from the guy in the lane next to you, but who cares?
Life is too short to worry about how you look to strangers. Have fun with yourself. As long as you’re not doing anything dangerous, there’s no reason not to do it.
Give yourself a high five!
Okay so maybe you can’t high-five yourself, but if you do something great, congratulate yourself! You deserve credit for being awesome!
If your best friend did something worth celebrating, you would encourage her to celebrate.
So when you do something worth celebrating, you should celebrate your accomplishment too!
Maybe it’s a small celebration, like treating yourself to a mani-pedi.
Maybe it’s a huge celebration like buying yourself a new car because your promotion allows you to afford it. Either way, go you!
You can even be nice and invite your other best friend to the party!
Being your own best friend may sound a little silly and feels strange when you first start but it makes perfect sense.
No one knows you better than you.
Now is the time to have a great relationship with yourself.
The more you practice, the better you’ll get at it!
Don’t forget to pin this so that you can find it again, too–because you know you’ll need a little reminder…
