It may seem like a selfish gesture to put yourself above others, but sometimes it can be helpful. Have you ever been in a situation where you feel over-extended? You do so much for others but get so little in return? Life needs to have balance. Your life needs to have balance; an even amount of giving and take. 

Take nature, for example. When life is destroyed, more life grows. When predatory animals hunt and kill, they do it out of necessity, and they only take what is needed. Humans fail to have this same ideology. We are greedy and tend to take more than needed from others.

So, what does it mean to love yourself before anyone else? Most simply, take care of yourself before you take care of others. Why is this important? Well, how can you take care or love someone if you can’t take care or love yourself? Self-care is beneficial for personal growth.

With that in mind, don’t forget to give back once you benefit from your self-care. Humans need connection. We thrive off of it. That’s why we search for love, friendships, partnerships, and like-minded people because deep down, in our basic structure, we need those connections. Just be mindful of the toxicity that comes with over-extending yourself to please others.

It can be hard to pull away from someone who isn’t keen on providing your life with balance, but it’s needed. People surround themselves with how they truly feel on the inside. That’s why we go through so much with relationships and friendships because we sometimes feel unworthy of what we truly want and how we truly want to be. Let me tell you something, you are worthy, and you deserve it. So never settle just because it’s easier or comfortable.

There are certain things you can do to develop self-love and establish a balanced life for yourself.

1. Exercise Regularly

Exercising is a powerful tool to help boost your confidence and help with personal balance. Not only does it help with your health, but it also establishes a new identity for yourself, a positive one. Don’t start off doing everything under the sun when exercising, or you probably won’t finish what you started. Always start small and work your way up from there. Exercise twice a week, then three times a week, and then four times a week. Be sure to incorporate days of rest within the week to help with the process. You can exercise Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, then rest Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Whatever works best for you.

2. Practice Meditating Daily

Daily meditation can be extremely beneficial to your personal growth. How often do you meditate or if you meditate at all? Meditating daily helps you recharge. There are so many forms of meditation you can start with. A quick Google search should suffice in finding the right one for you. I recommend white light meditation, grounding meditation, and chakra cleansing/aligning meditation. All are pretty simple and straight forward. Below are videos of guided meditation that are good to start with. 

White Light Meditation: For the protection and blocking out negativity.

Grounding Meditation: For detaching from the negativity around you.

Chakra Cleansing Meditation: To realign your chakras to help with ailments, re-balancing your energy, and opening yourself up spiritually.

3. Have Purpose

Having a purpose means you know exactly what you want out of life and strive to get there. People tend to get lost in their everyday struggles and forget about their dreams, goals, and aspirations. This isn’t a good way to live your life. It won’t be easy, but accomplishing your goals can be done. Be honest with yourself, and I mean truly honest. What do you want? Where do you want to be in your life? How can you get there? These are the questions you should be asking yourself. You should write down three goals you would like to accomplish. Once you do this, also write down the steps required to complete these goals. They don’t have to be big nor hard. For example: say you want to be more productive, have a better-paying job, and travel more. Simple right? Now write down the steps that are required to reach those goals. For example:

1. Be more productive: don’t hit my snooze button, exercise more, eat healthier, better time management

2. Get a better job: update my resume, learn a new skill, apply for a better job, open a business

3. Travel more: work for me, $30-$50 in my savings account from each check, don’t spend unnecessary money, etc.

Those are just examples but don’t be afraid to dream big. When you take action, you can accomplish your dreams. It won’t magically happen for you.

I would also suggest creating a vision board. Vision boards are a great way to manifest change in your life. Don’t know what a vision board is or how to make one? This video is a great way to learn how to: Create A Vision Board.

4. Know Your Worth

Last but not least, know your worth. What does that mean? You are worthy of everything you ever wanted. You are beautiful. You are successful. You are worthy of enjoying an abundant life. Some so many people lack worth because they honestly believe they’re unworthy. That’s not true. Who says you can’t be who you want to be. Who says you have to conform to society around you? Who says you have to follow the status quo? True worth comes from acceptance. The ability to accept your flaws. The ability to accept your dreams and goals. The ability to accept you can’t please everyone. The ability to accept you deserve the best life possible. Know your worth. Never settle out of comfort because you will always end up regretting that decision. Strive for greatness because you worth it.