5 Ways To Invest In Yourself In Under 5 Minutes
Whether you want to do something or not, you’ve already made a choice. You’ve made a choice to do the action that was lingering over your head, or you chose to ignore it and procrastinate a little longer. Either way, you’ve made a conscious decision that didn’t really feel like one did it? Now think of how many times you’ve had this little argument in your head with yourself. What are you thinking and contemplating about? What is taking up the most head space? Is it your job, family, worries, to-do lists? In most cases the items that take up the most head space are the ones that will affect you psychically as well. And more often than not these thoughts never revolve around ourselves. I don’t mean the things that you have to do and can’t stop thinking about but simply you.
We live in a time where technology reigns supreme, we love the idea of wellness and well-being, and can tie anything we want to a cause or cause for action. Our behavior is affected by technology, and the sublime ‘think machine,’ more and more each year. Simply put, it’s exhausting.
Running ourselves down, work burnout, general feelings of stress—all of these are now the new resting emotions. In a world where your place in society is to contribute and curate content and produce, produce, produce…it can be hard to remember that we aren’t superhuman, we can’t do it all, and that we should be validated for the ways this pressure affects us.
Something I’ve learned lately is that investing in yourself doesn’t have to be an extravagant act. It could be as simple as taking a brief moment to be alone with your thoughts. It could be to write down a list of dreams or things you hope to accomplish. It could even be (wait for it) a compliment to yourself (unheard of oh my!). I use to think that investing in yourself meant going to a spa, changing something drastic about your appearance, or simply put just some yoga. The biggest investment you could making going into this next decade is in yourself, because at the end of the day you are the only one who can change and lead your life in the way you want it to feel. You are the only person on Earth who has the ability to change your life. We all have influences but only you can take that inspiration and turn it into action.
So with this context in mind, I want to share with you the 5 simple tactics I have been using to invest in myself a little more. These can all be practiced in as little as 5 minutes…that’s 5 minutes of your time that you can spend to give yourself the attention it deserves from the universe. Pretty sweet huh?
Be alone with yourself
To be alone with yourself is to truly be yourself. Take the time to relax in the silence of your thoughts and ask to yourself, what is making me stressed? What is giving me joy? What is something I want and what is something I need? Take a brief moment to only focus on your active thoughts, harness them, and allow them to be recognized.
Phone on Do Not Disturb
When you’re at work, in a meeting, on the subway, at lunch, or simply in the middle of a task, put your phone on Do Not Disturb. If you aren’t planning to use your phone in the next 30 minutes, then put it on Do Not Disturb. Getting rid of notifications, calls, and other needless alerts will allow you to be more present in the task or environment in front of you. Stop connecting with IQ and start with EQ.
Be conscious about Social Media
I truly don’t know why we are still having this conversation, but for the love of all things social media is not real life. If something gives you fomo, look away. If something crushes your self-esteem, look away. You must remove all of the toxicity in your life to allow yourself room to grow. If it isn’t purposeful then it won’t add to your purpose. Period.
Write down a goal
Investing in yourself isn’t just a mindset, but it is a way to set yourself up for your life. In whatever form you wish, write down a goal that you have. Seeing your goals and being able to attain them gives you a sense of purpose and accomplishment that is irreplaceable. It could be as small as “mail that package to so-and-so” or as big as “develop my 10 year business plan,” but whatever it is, write it down. Collect them in one space and watch how they come and go.
Call someone
If there is anything this world has shown it’s that time is fleeting, things can be replaced and that people cannot. I challenge you to call someone once a week (once a day if your up for it). Call someone and check in with them, ask how they are, have a genuine conversation. This type of connection is one that can be both calming and fulfilling. It’s always nice to be reminded that someone can be reached outside of the web—and you’ll be investing in meaningful relationships.
Again, these are a few ways that I have found to invest more in myself and my time. Simple acts lead to larger actions, so if you make yourself a habit now you will learn to become your priority later.