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10 Great Ways To Be Selfish Without Being A Jerk

This matters to me because as a husband, colleague and housemate, I’m bound to interact with other people on a daily basis. It probably matters to you as well because, although it’s OK to be the nice sociable person most of the time, some days you just want to focus on yourself without overdoing it. So are there ways of making sure that “me, myself and I” are all as happy as those around us?

1. Say “no, because.” This way you can protect what you care about and sound reasonable to the other person.
2. Wake up before others. This will allow you to do your thing without upsetting anyone’s plans.
3. Give yourself a present. Every day, once a day. Just like agent Cooper said. That means you don’t break the bank and you still get rewarded.

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4. Write five or six positive sentences just about you when the day is done. This can be something you’re grateful for or happy about, praise or motivation. Because it’s writing, this can be as intimate as you wish.
5. Smile to yourself in the mirror. Sounds crazy, but consider this:how many times can you see yourself smiling? Doing this means you’ve found the easiest way to cheer yourself up.
6. Send an email to future self. More in the crazy vein, I know. This little website lets you do it. The result? Warnings, pep talks, perspective. Whatever you want.
7. Rule your breaks. A big one here. Make sure you’re the one in charge of your downtime. Eating, relaxing or sleeping on someone else’s schedule just makes you more stressed.
8. Give yourself grace periods. I’m guilty of demanding big things and hard work from myself. But thankfully I’m also good at recognising when there’s no way to get something done. Or when I’m not in my best form. If you absolutely must work, save a batch of rainy day tasks for those easy times.
9. Enjoy the silence. This applies to everyone, but introverts know this especially well. Alone time is precious, and silence is energy. Don’t be ashamed of seeking it out. If you’re surrounded by party people, work on good excuses (frank ones work).
10. Have one hobby you can enjoy like a twelve-year-old. Sailing does it for me: I don’t care how serious you want me to be, if you put me on a boat I will have all the fun I can get. Everyone has that. We all go crazy for this one special thing. What’s yours, and (provided it’s safe and legal) how will you get it?

If you’ve got a good thing to add to the list, we’d love to know about it. Try the comments below the post!