Healthy Ways to Focus on Yourself

Here's something personal that you might or might not know about me.

Throughout July and August, I went through a mild stage of depression. I could not eat well, it takes me forever to fall asleep, I dreaded waking up every single morning. I was just in a very bad place because even though things around me seemed alright, things with my personal self was just completely off.

I tried to brush it off by keeping myself busy. Only to find out that I was getting more and more unproductive each day. Writing - the thing that I love to do most - didn't excite me anymore. That's how bad of a state I was in. 

But I'm not here to share my sob story with you. 

I found ways to actually get better. However, it's no easy task, if I'm being completely honest with you. It took a month or so of time alone, of figuring things out, of not thinking, of being around good company, etc. Trust me, it will and it can happen. All you have to do is focus all the energy on yourself. 

Here are just a couple of healthy methods that actually helped me out during my rough time: 

1. Pick ONE thing you love about yourself

And just keep focusing on that. If you love making people happy, keep focusing on that. If you love how you look, keep focusing on that. Just pick ONE thing and focus your energy on that. 

2. Stop comparing 

The absolute worst thing to do is to compare yourself, your success, your status to others. Why do you put yourself through that? Just stop. RIGHT NOW!

3. Visualize success

It can be any kind of success. You - getting out of bed feeling energetic is already a success. Small things. They are success too. Picture what you want to achieve at the end of everyday and focus on that. 

4. Smile

When I went through depression, I found it very difficult to smile. Even to give a fake smile or a fake laugh was difficult. But the real trick here is to find ONE thing that makes you happy everyday - a cat video, sitcoms, etc. And make sure it's a genuine. Look yourself in the mirror and see how beautiful you are when you smile. 

5. Don't be too hard on yourself

If it doesn't work out today, let it go. Try again tomorrow. There's absolutely no need to be hard on yourself. What's the point? Ask yourself that. 

What are your healthy ways of focusing on yourself?