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If you’re a person who’s always supporting others, meeting other’s needs and interests, and keeping your promises and word to others but neglect your needs and interests, never support your dreams, or keep your words and promises you’ve made to yourself, these are signs that you’re not showing up for yourself like you do for others. This can be a problem, but no worries it is fixable. In this article, we will discuss 20 small ways you can show up for yourself each day that’ll make a huge difference in your life. So, continue reading to find out!
What Does it Mean to Show Up for Yourself?
Showing up for yourself is an act of self-love. It is prioritizing your needs, goals, and well-being. Advocating for yourself is honoring yourself by keeping the promises you’ve made to yourself. It is treating yourself with the same amount of care and attention you give to others.
The Benefits of Showing Up for Yourself
- Improve Mental Health: Putting your needs first reduces stress and anxiety and promotes happiness.
- Clearer Direction: Prioritizing yourself puts you on the right path to accomplish your goals.
- Increase Confidence: Meeting your needs can boost your confidence.
- Stronger Relationships: When you show up for yourself, you are likely to show up for others and have better relationships.
Why is it Hard to Show Up for Yourself?
- Guilt: Society deems prioritizing yourself as selfish. As a result, this can cause you to feel a sense of guilt. However, showing up for yourself is not selfish but an act of self-love.
- Overcommitted: Being overly committed to fulfilling other’s needs can cause you to neglect your needs and interests.
- Fear of Failure: You might feel afraid to show up for yourself because you don’t want to let yourself down or fear that you won’t live up to your expectations.
- Lack of Awareness: You might not be aware that you aren’t showing up for yourself.
How to Show Up for Yourself?
Step 1: Recognize Your Needs
Do you feel unfulfilled? Which area/s in your life are you neglecting? Whether it’s eating a little healthier or starting that cycle bar class you’ve been promising yourself, identify the areas in your life you have neglected and pour more into them.
Step 2: Set boundaries
If setting boundaries is nonexistent to you, then chances are you are not showing up for yourself. To avoid getting drained, stressed, and tired know your limitations. In addition, stay committed to yourself and the promises you’ve made to yourself by setting boundaries even if you might let someone else down.
Step 3: Create Intentional Habits
Advocating for yourself is also about building habits that align with your values and personal goals.
Step 4: Be Patient with Yourself
Progress takes time. Therefore, completely showing up for yourself won’t happen overnight so take micro steps each day and be patient. Whether it’s taking a five-minute walk or waking up 30 minutes earlier, these are all small steps of self-advocacy. Remember little progress is still progress and is better than no progress. Also, celebrate your achievements each day.
Step 5: Seek Support
Showing up for yourself, especially if you haven’t before isn’t easy. Therefore, seeking support from friends, family members, or a mentor can be ideal for keeping you on the right path and providing you with the help you need.
20 Simple Ways You can Show Up for Yourself Every Day
1. Create a Morning Routine
Our morning determines how our day will be. Hence, create a morning routine that prioritizes self-care and that energizes you. Consider incorporating journaling, meditating, going to a yoga class, or reading into your morning routine.
2. Drink Water First Thing in the Morning
Instead of making coffee or tea your first beverage of the day, consider drinking water first. After 8 hours of not drinking water, our bodies can become a little dehydrated. Therefore, drink a glass of water first thing each morning to rejuvenate your body. This small action can make a huge difference in how you look and feel.
3. Reflect on Your Daily Needs
One of the ways to show up for yourself is knowing your daily needs and meeting them. Ask yourself, ‘What do I need right now?’ Then, honor that need by providing it for yourself.
4. Visualize Your Future Self
Every morning before you start your day, visualize the person you want to become. What does a typical morning look like for her? What does her day consist of? Studies have shown that people who visualize their future selves often discipline themselves in making wiser choices aligning with the person they want to become, which is essential to showing up for themselves. Therefore, today, make a conscious decision to visualize your future self and show up as her.
5. Indulge in Movement
Showing up for yourself is as simple as taking a 15-minute jog each evening. You don’t need to be a gym girlie to incorporate movement into your everyday life; you can do things that you enjoy, such as pilates, hiking, or simply dancing in your living room.
6. Nourish Your Body
Eat balanced meals that energize you. Incorporate fruits and vegetables in your diet to get the proper intake of vitamins and nutrients you need. Also, cut back on greasy and unhealthy foods. And avoid skipping meals.
7. Dress to Feel Good
Wear clothes that make you feel confident and express who you are. Wearing what makes you feel good can put you in a good mood and make your day better. So, today, wear that shirt you were waiting for the ‘right time’ to wear.
8. Declutter Your Space
Decluttering your space can help you mentally and make your environment more welcoming, so take a few minutes today to tidy up your living area or workspace.
9. Make Time for Hobbies and Learning New Things
Showing up for yourself also means doing the things you love and expanding your knowledge. Moreover, having hobbies and learning new things can bring more meaning to your day.
10. Romanticize Your Day
Savor the beauty in each day by romanticizing it. Whether it’s lighting a candle, taking a soothing dim-lit bubble bath, or having lunch at a cute spot you’ve wanted to try, romanticizing your day is an ideal way to show up for yourself.
11. Limit Social Media
Too much social media can cause brain fog if overly used. Moreover, mindlessly strolling can take up time from things that are important to you. Therefore, try limiting the time you spend on social media by substituting it with something productive like going on a walk or reading a book. Also, consider downloading an app that can restrict the amount of time you spend on social media daily.
12. Spend Time Alone
You might ask ‘How is spending time alone showing up for myself?’ Well, spending time alone helps you to reconnect to yourself, think clearly, recharge, and reflect on the moments of the day. So, find somewhere quiet (even if it’s in your car) to revamp with yourself.
13. Say No
Stop being afraid of saying no to things that don’t align with your values, don’t fulfill you, or you’re just not interested in. The reason why a lot of us are unhappy is because we say yes to doing things that we know we don’t want to do and that prevents us from showing up for ourselves. Hence, the next time you’re invited to an event or asked to do something you don’t want to do, simply say no.
14. Be Your Own Hype Man (or Woman)
One of the ways you can show up for yourself is by being your own hype man. It is essential each day to keep yourself motivated, especially on days you need it the most. Therefore, speak kindly to yourself, and encourage, uplift, and motivate yourself.
15. Take Small Steps That’ll Bring You Closer to Your Goals
What is a step you can take today that’ll bring you closer to your goals? Do it by taking action.
16. Invest in Personal Growth
Whether it’s reading a self-help book, or an article(like this one), or listening to a podcast, doing something each day that’ll help you to evolve as a person is a way to show up for yourself. However, instead of just consuming consider putting what you learn into practice.
17. Practice Self-compassion
Today, avoid beating yourself up when something doesn’t go as planned. Instead, acknowledge that you’ve tried and tomorrow is an opportunity to try again. Give yourself grace.
18. Celebrate Your Small Wins
Reflect on each day by acknowledging your small wins and celebrate them. Progress is motivating, whether it’s big or small so honor your wins.
19. Create a Nighttime Ritual
End your day off with a calming and soothing nighttime ritual. You can read a book, drink hot tea, meditate, or spray your bed with lavender spray. Hence, you will erase the worries of the day away and prepare yourself for a good night’s rest.
20. Go to Bed on Time
Show up for yourself by making sure you get sufficient rest. Studies have shown that we need 8+ hours of sleep to recharge our minds and bodies. So, tonight instead of spending time scrolling on social media, consider making an effort to go to bed at least 30 minutes earlier.
Wrapping Things Up
Today, take a moment to reflect on areas of your life that are neglected and where you need to show up more. Maybe it’s setting boundaries or starting the yoga classes you’ve been promising yourself that you would start. Take a small step today to show up in that area of your life by using one or more of these ways you can show up for yourself. Remember advocating for yourself is an act of self-love and you deserve the love and energy you put into everyone else.
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