Habits to incorporate in your routine to focus on yourself

December 11, 2021

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Habits to incorporate in your routine to focus on yourself

Habits to incorporate in your routine to focus on yourself: More often than not we are too preoccupied with thinking of other people’s judgments of us. We don’t focus on ourselves. There is a growing need of getting external validation, which leads us to no longer caring about our own opinions and views of ourselves. Thus, it has become essential to shift the focus from other people onto ourselves.

So if you want to focus on yourself then incorporate these 4 habits in your routine from today.

EXERCISE

The first thing that you need to do in order to work on yourself and shift the focus from other people to your own self is to exercise daily. Physical activity not only helps you to stay active and feel but also boosts your mood and changes your perception about yourself.

Plan for your “escape behaviors.”

What are escape behaviors? Stein defines them as “those things you do to alleviate the stress or boredom that crops up whenever you have to work on a specific task or assignment.” They vary from person to person but can include things like mindless snacking (I do that), getting sleepy, checking your email (guilty!), checking social media, or suddenly getting very sleepy.

The key to dealing with escape behaviors is to anticipate them because you know yourself well enough to know which are likely to crop up during any given workday, Stein writes. If you’re liable to get sleepy, try switching to a standing desk for a while (I find upbeat music helps too). And have tea or water on hand because sleepiness is often dehydration in disguise. If you’re liable to snack, prepare a reasonable portion of a healthy snack to keep by your desk for that day. If you’re tempted to read email or check social media, anticipate that by turning off notifications. Consider signing out of your email program while you’re focused on other work, and/or putting your smartphone someplace out of reach.

START JOURNALING

Maintaining a journal is a great way to keep track of your emotions and feelings. You will be able to gain awareness about your goals, your thoughts and your aspirations that you may or may not have focused on due to your preoccupation with other things.

Introspect

Introspection is basically the activity of spending time with yourself. Keep away all distractions such as the phone or your laptop and shut the door of your room to simply spend some quiet moments with yourself.

Fall in love with yourself

You can never truly focus on yourself if you do not learn to love yourself and accept your flaws wholeheartedly. Don’t try to change yourself and celebrate yourself.

Surround yourself with positive people

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” said American author and entrepreneur Jim Rohn. This is precisely why you should carefully consider who you’re spending time with. Let go of relationships that bring you down instead of lifting you up. And spend time with people who know how to nurture and share happiness.

Master the art of listening

Effective communication is crucial when it comes to cultivating personal and professional relationships. And listening is central to communication. Pay attention to what others have to say. It’ll not only make others feel valued but will also help you understand them better and gain a fresh perspective. Don’t try to monopolize the conversation or fake attention while your mind is busy figuring out what pizza you should order for dinner. Listen to what they have to say and what they really mean and take note of the non-verbal cues as well. The more you listen the more you’ll learn.

Habits to incorporate in your routine to focus on yourself

Invest in self-care

Taking some time off to unwind can do wonders for your mood, mental health, and self-esteem. Do at least one thing every day that makes you feel good. Listen to music, learn a new skill, take a long bubble bath, or prepare a nice meal. Whatever floats your boat!

Developing these habits require determination, oodles of patience and constant effort. Maybe it’ll take just a few weeks or maybe more than a year, it doesn’t matter how long it takes to build the habit as long as you don’t give up.