I was thinking about this the other night how do I show myself that I care about myself. This might be a strange concept for some, typically in life, you are trying to show your partner, friends, and children how much you value them but rarely do you think about valuing yourself. Well, I think it is time! Self-care has become a mission of mine over the past couple of months mostly because it was something I realized I was withholding. I was constantly striving for “confidence” but I wasn’t putting any action steps into taking care of myself in the process. I was thinking this “striving for confidence” was the answer and that external things would create that confidence for me, but what I needed to learn was confidence is built from inside yourself and I needed to learn how to take care of myself. Once you take care of yourself you are able to show up with your best foot forward and feel that confidence in your life.

For most who do not know there was a period of my life where I struggled with severe depression. During this time any self-care I had learned along the way went right out the window. So once I started my wellness journey it was starting at the ground level. Here are some ways you can show yourself you care & are valued:

1. The first thing I did was quit the job that I hated!
2. The second was I moved home! (Thankfully I have the best parents and they welcomed me with open arms!)
3. I got a life coach. (Going through depression I realized I did not want to live my life this way so I went and got help. This could be through a life coach, therapist, or counselor.)
4. Ask for help when you need it.
5. Get a consistent hygiene routine (showering every day, brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing? If you would have asked me three years ago if I flossed every day I would have laughed at you, now my teeth don’t feel as clean without it!)
6. Eating three solid meals a day! (This one took me forever to learn!)
7. Workout routine
8. Beauty routine (I used to break out all the time, and sometimes I still do but not nearly as bad. Why because I finally started a face washing routine. It took me a long time to find products that I liked and now every night I remove my makeup, use a cleanser, serum, and moisturizer. It makes me feel fabulous every time!)
9. Dressing to impress me! (This one I have struggled with for a long time. I always used to dress down because I wouldn’t want people commenting on how I looked.)
10. Making relaxation a priority (taking a bubble bath, painting your nails, walking through nature, reading a book,praying or meditating, yoga, call up a friend and chat for a little, I love having candles lit every day when I get home from work I light my fall scented candles and relax from the day!)
11. Making time for interests & hobbies (My dad is always a great example of this. I told him I wanted to start making more friends and he said I should join some activities and meet some people. It took me a while to get out of my comfort zone, but now I am in a church group and a kickball league and meeting amazing people! I not only am doing activities that I enjoy but the added benefit is meeting new friends!)
12. Putting money in your savings account.
13. Give yourself compliments! (YES I WILL SAY IT AGAIN! GIVE YOURSELF COMPLIMENTS!!!! If you did something awesome at work celebrate that if you are looking fabulous wink at yourself!)
14. When you commit to plans (with others or with yourself) follow through on them. (I still struggle with this give yourself some grace through this and take baby steps!)

Here is a list to get yourself started. Think about different ways you can start to show yourself you are valued and try to do one a week to start. Start adding them into your life. Please note this is a process, I still struggle with showing myself this care. But when you start doing these things for yourself you are showing yourself that you matter. When you show yourself that you matter you start to gain confidence.

XO,

Ellie Curry