7 REASONS WHY PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST ISN’T SELFISH

It’s about high time to put YOU First.

Sounds completely opposite of everything we have been taught growing up, but it’s true.

When you can truly put yourself first, and love yourself unconditionally, not only do you reap the benefits mentally, physically and soulfully…everyone else does too!

Here’s exactly 7 reasons why:

1. You become more giving.  When your mind, body, and soul feel full and content, you end up expecting and wanting less of others. You have filled up your own cup so that it’s full and ready to give to the next person who needs it.   Let’s say your boyfriend is going to be home late after a long and stressful day at work. You’ve spent the evening making your favorite dinner and watching reruns of your fave TV shows. You’ve had plenty of time to put your own stressful day behind you.  Then the BF walks in and he’s grumpy. Work didn’t go well. He’s hungry and wants you to make him a snack because he just wants to collapse on the couch and play video games.  It may seem contradictory but putting yourself first can work wonders in your relationships.

  2. Your happiness is contagious. This saying is a cliché because it’s so true. When you’re around someone who is a Debbie Downer those negative those feelings will start to rub off on you.  The good news is that the same goes for positivity. When you make the time to decompress and recharge, others will feed off those vibes and adjust their moods accordingly.

  3. You will motivate others. When you focus on your self-care, you will start to feel more energized. You will inspire yourself and start thinking of dreams and goals that you want to accomplish. You’ll start to inspire those around you to do the same.  When others see you accomplishing your goals – they’ll start to think maybe they can too. Your self-care can have quite the ripple effect!  

4. You have more energy. An important aspect of self-care is keeping yourself healthy – mind, body, and soul. You’ll have more energy for all you set to accomplish! No more excuses as to why you can’t keep up!  

5. You’ll be more forgiving. When you take time for yourself, you exercise more patience and learn that everything has perspective—one which you can more easily keep in check with reality. Taking time for yourself will make you more understanding when life throws its lemons at you. It’s up to you to make it a great batch of lemonade.  

6. You pace yourself to avoid burnout. You push through it all. You stay determined to be that person that can handle everything on her own. Burnout is a real thing. Either you get physically sick or you lash out and feel like totally throwing in the towel because it’s too much.  Don’t let this happen. Love yourself enough to take time for YOU.  

7. You will be an inspiration. When you’ve got it all together, people notice. They’ll think: “How does she do it all and without complaint?”   And you’ll know the answer is “selfish” and they might not understand. They might judge you if they knew you left the kids with dad on Saturday so you could go see a movie by yourself. But little do they know, they’ll want what you have, and if you tell them your secret – it might just inspire them to do the same.  

Make being selfish a priority in your life-after all, you owe it to yourSELF.