Eat like you love yourself.
Move like you love yourself.
Speak like you love yourself.
Act like you love yourself.
And most importantly…say YES to yourself…and to new adventures.
I started my week by saying yes to this outfit from @monarchmaven! You already know I’m a lover of all things athleisure wear! Recently though, I’ve been trying to find some fabulous rare gems from small businesses. I majorly scored on this one! Let’s empower, support and lift each other up!
Continuing on with our YES theme…here are 12 other things you should absolutely say YES to (be sure to check on #12)!
- A day spent in your pajamas. Do you have a to-do list for Saturdays? Do you set an alarm? No judgment -– we all have things to get done. But it’s also totally acceptable to spend hours lying on the couch binge watching Netflix or multiple football games or whatever you had on before you took an unplanned nap.
- That brownie bomb ice cream sundae. It’s calling to you (loudly) from the dessert menu, but you don’t want to be the one to suggest it. Realize that everyone else at the table is thinking about it too –- and even if they’re not, they’re not going to decline an extra spoon. Order it and you’ll be doing everyone a favor. You’ve worked hard for it so it’s time to treat yourself!
- Some help. You want to believe you can handle everything, from getting your work done to running those seven errands. In the meantime, your husband is going to be right by the dry cleaners and could easily pick up your clothes. Why make things harder on yourself? Accept a little assistance and volunteer to help him another day.
- Vacation days. You worry about being out of the office (or working from home), how it will look to the boss, whether you’ll have to dump some of your work on your already-overburdened co-workers. Here’s the thing: Your company gives you these days, but no one is going to beg you to take them. It’s up to you to look at the calendar, find a time that works and take the days you’ve earned. You might feel a little anxious when you leave the office before your trip, but remind yourself that everyone needs time off and taking it will probably make you a more productive employee when you return — not to mention a happier human being.
- A long phone call with your friend or family member who lives far away. It’s certainly much easier to text and @ and write on walls, but these options can’t compete with the back and forth of a real conversation. Especially during these times when we can’t physically see our friends and family as often. The “your turn, my turn” setup of electronic communication makes the organic flow of a conversation impossible. You’re much less likely to talk over one another as your excitement about a memory escalates or catch each other’s contagious laughter. LOL doesn’t count!
- Your naturally wavy hair. Many of you use the flat-iron or blow-dryer every single day — in fact, many of your friends don’t even know what your non-heated hair looks like. If that’s what makes you feel ready to face the day, carry on. But if you’re doing it because you think it makes a better impression on others, you may be wasting your time. Skip the straightener for a few days, and rock those pretty waves.
- An electronic diet. Okay, I’m guilty of this one! It’s unrealistic to forgo technology entirely these days, but a short break can help you refocus on the important things happening in your life away from your many screens.
- A completely unnecessary but completely awesome outfit. You should never have even tried it on. You were hoping it wouldn’t fit, and that would answer the question of whether to buy it. Of course, it had to look fantastic — so flattering and so unlike anything in your closet. Now, definitely don’t buy it if that will mean you can’t pay the bills. But otherwise, if you find an outfit that makes you feel confident and attractive, it might be worth the splurge. After all, no one is going to admire the outfit you almost bought.
- Lunch away from your desk (this goes for whether you’re working at the office or remotely from home). You think you have way too much work to take advantage of such a luxury but, I’m willing to place a bet that nothing will fall apart during that short time and stepping away will help you refocus and renew.
- An uncluttered inbox. Deleting all of the junk seems like a humongous endeavor given the volume that comes in every day, but there’s no way you need 44,711… 44,712 … 44,713 … there’s no way you need all that email. Starting fresh with zero — or at least only items from the past month — will make you feel more in control.
- Dinner with an elder in your life. If your grandmother has been telling you she wants to treat you to a nice meal, stop putting it off and take her up on it. There’s probably a lot about your family you don’t know, and she just might surprise you with some of her stories. If you don’t have grandparents or aren’t close to them, consider spending time with the parents of a friend or making friends of your own who have a decade or four on you. Their memories and wisdom are enough to fill several dinners.
- The idea that things are going to work out. There will always be things that make you anxious, and some decisions will, in fact, be life-changing. But realize that even if you do try to plan everything perfectly, you will inevitably face challenges you couldn’t have predicted. Have enough faith in yourself and the people in your life to believe that, no matter what happens, you’ll figure out how to deal with it and go from there.
What else should we start saying yes to?
