Being someone who has that ‘sacrificing’ nature can feel like quite a burden at times. You would love to put yourself first but immediately feel selfish when you start to prioritize yourself. You are not alone. There are many people out there who are either suffering from this or have already changed themselves to the point where they can put themselves first without feeling selfish or guilty. With that in mind, read on to discover how you can do the same for yourself:

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy from my link I might make a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay. See the full affiliate disclosure here.

Focus on your health

Start first with the most basic yet important aspect of your life: your health. Get yourself some proper sleep, eat healthy food, and schedule those doctors appointments that you’ve been putting off. These are just some examples that should get you off to a good start. Once you are in the habit of attending to your own health, you’ll soon start to notice that the universe doesn’t collapse when you decide to take the day off or put yourself first over others.

Ditch Perfection

While most people would recommend that you strive for perfection, if you’re a nurturer it’s the opposite that would do you more good. Striving for perfection often means you’ll end up doing most of the work, even at times when it isn’t necessary. I’m not saying that you should stop trying to get things perfectly done, but you shouldn’t push it too far when they aren’t. More often than not what you have already done will suffice. Try to be ok with that.

Do What Makes you Happy

Once you start doing the little things, it’s time to take it a step further. Make a bucket list, if you haven’t already, and start dedicating time from your life to it. While it’s preferable that you work on this list alone to get the true sense of prioritizing yourself, it doesn’t hurt to do it with a companion. It doesn’t have to be anything extraordinary, either. You can start small such as reading a book or watching a movie that you’ve been wanting to see. The little things will add up!

Learn to Say No

This simple, two-lettered word can be the most difficult to say if you’re the type of person who just can’t deny when someone asks for your help or a favor. Don’t be afraid of hurting or upsetting someone else if you can’t or don’t want to help out. As long as you’re kind and polite in your response, they will understand. If they don’t, you don’t owe them an explanation or an apology. You get to choose how much you want to give.

Love Yourself

In the end, you need to work on learning to really love yourself. Start by being happy with who you are and make your peace with the fact that you have your limitations. Once you do this, you can truly begin to love yourself and you will help others because you want to, not because you have to.