Many people think frequently of how they could be a better friend to those close to them but rarely think of ways they could be better friends to themselves. It’s important to be a good friend to yourself and take care of yourself. After all, you’re stuck with yourself your whole life.
In this article, we’ll tell you five ways you can start being a better friend to yourself, because, let’s face it, you deserve it! Who better to give you the perfect friendship and support system for you. Let’s get started!
1) Treat Yourself How You Would Treat Your Best Friend
When times get tough, we’re typically hardest on ourselves. During these tough times, it’s important that you pause and think, “how would I be treating my friend if they were in this situation?”
You can’t hold yourself to impossible standards and expect to succeed or be happy. Be fair to yourself and be a good friend to yourself; you deserve it. In treating yourself like a friend, you should take a gentler and more supportive approach. You should strive to be more understanding and supportive in these tough situations.
2) Motivate Yourself As You Would Your Friends
When someone you are close to is struggling or hurting, you offer them motivation and support; so why wouldn’t you do the same for yourself? You need motivation as much as anyone else. Who better to provide that motivation and support than you?
It can be awkward and difficult to do this at first. To assist you, here are a few starter phrases for examples to help guide you in the right direction:
● Sorrow, pain, and suffering are a part of life
● This is a sorrowful or painful moment of suffering, it’s not my whole life
● Will I be compassionate enough to myself?
● Will I be the friend to myself that I need?
3) Forgive Yourselves
Why would you hold yourself to impossible standards? It doesn’t help you to improve yourself and frankly, does far more harm than good. You have to forgive yourself as you would your friends.
You are not a bad person, you just did a bad thing or got yourself into a wrong situation; you deserve forgiveness as much as the next person. You have to forgive yourself in order to move forward and improve.
4) Meditate
Meditation is like allowing yourself the time to review the situation and listen to yourself, much like you would a friend in their time of need. By sitting in quiet, mindful reflection, you can listen to yourself and review the situation.
You deserve to give yourself the time to be heard. Listen to yourself, your inner thoughts, and your body. Take care of you.
5) Take Your Own Advice
When your friends are struggling, you likely advise them to lean on their friends and loved ones who offer them support and love in their times of need. You probably also advise them to take time to figure out themselves and how they feel about the situation.
Have you considered doing that yourself?
You have to take your own advice if you want to be a better friend to yourself. Most often, the advice you give is the advice you need yourself.
Being a better friend to yourself is important to your mental health and to support yourself. In being a better friend to yourself, you can offer an unmatched level of support and friendship, since you are the most capable person to customize support for yourself.
