How to invest in yourself
In life, you can invest your money or your time.
Both money and time are valuable, so the aim is to use it to gain back more than what we put in (this is our return on investment). And one of the best investments you can make is in yourself.
This is not a classic #selfcare post, where we talk about bubble baths and face masks (even though I am a huge advocate of a soak in the tub, and silky skin). This instead is a focus on the different ways you can invest your time and money into YOURSELF to help you live your best life.
In a world, where we have instant access to looking at other people; their achievements, their skills, their seemingly-perfect-airbrushed lives…. It is important we fill up our own cup first and say “I am important. I am worthy. I am willing to give myself the energy I need to create the life I desire”. It is a powerful message to the universe!
So let’s take a look at some of the ways you can invest in yourself:
Creativity
When we are kids, we play, we paint, we create – all without a care in the world. Then somewhere along the way that gets lost and playing is no longer on our list of to-do’s.
Being creative has incredible long-term effects in our lives; we can enter our flow state which is a breeding ground for inspiration and new ideas.
A while back, I was feeling a real a lack of motivation and inspiration, so I bought a pack of colourful acrylic paints and would paint in the evening just for fun. Sometimes the final product looked like a 4-year old had been let loose on my paper, but I didn’t care! I had so much fun doing it, I learnt to create without needing it to be perfect and that has done wonders for me – a recovering perfectionist!
Invest your time – Set aside one evening a week in your schedule to create and play in a way that helps you get into your flow state e.g. cooking, drawing, painting, gardening.
Invest your money – Consider an activity or event that is based around creativity e.g. a pottery class or a candle making workshop
Knowledge & education
Improving your knowledge can come in many forms such as learning a new skill, doing a course to gain a qualification, attending seminars and workshops, or going back into higher education.
Ask yourself, is there anything you are really interested in, that you would love to learn more about?
Not only does this give you the opportunity to meet and interact with new people, it also might help you get a promotion at work, or get you started on a new career path.
Remember though, if the idea of studying or learning something new scares you, know that it does not mean you have to quit your job and go back to school. You can find a way of learning something new on a scale that fits your lifestyle. And we live in a time of the internet – how lucky to have immediate access to information about basically everything and anything (What did we do before Google?!).
Invest your time – Dedicate 15 minutes in your morning routine to watching a YouTube video or reading a book on a topic you want to learn more on
Invest your money – Sign up to a course online at places like Udemy or SkillShare
Physical Health
Did you know that our brains are directly connected to our guts?
This is why when we feel a certain emotion, it can have an effect on our physical bodies. For example, when we get scared (an emotion in our brain), we experience that sicky-anxious feeling in our stomach (in our gut).
What we put in our bodies is important because it impacts how we think and feel (CRAZY). When you make healthy choices to eat food that is full of nutrients and fuels your body, you will feel like you have more energy and like you can think clearer and that filters into every element of your daily life!
The chances of making every single meal and snack a healthy one are not realistic so find the balance of nourishing your body and treating yourself now and again so you are not being restrictive.
Along with your food, investing in your physical health is so important. We are with our bodies 24/7 for the rest of our lives and neglecting it can really catch up with us and can make life a struggle.
It is a total privilege to be able to exercise and if you are fortunate enough to be able to do, you should be utilising it. Moving your body every day, whether that is by going to the gym, for a walk, doing some yoga, or whatever works for you, will release happy hormones in your brain to help you feel amazing.
Invest your time – Take time to meal prep for the week ahead to make it easier to make healthy choices, or spend time doing exercise that is free e.g. running or walking outside
Invest your money – Get yourself a gym membership or a personal trainer to hold you accountable, and buy nutritious food that will make you feel good
Mental health
Life can feel overwhelming and stressful at times. Research shows that poor mental health can have a detrimental effect on your physical health and quality of life.
No matter how important the thing you are stressing over is, nothing beats the importance of our own mental health.
Investing your time and money into looking after your well-being will have the biggest return on investment – tune into how you are feeling and acknowledge what you might be going through. You can do this by taking 5 minutes out of your day to sit with yourself.
Only you know how you are feeling and coping. Sometimes you can put in place tools and practices that will help you improve your mental health, and sometimes you might need to reach out to a friend or a professional to receive better support.
For me, reading self-help books has been one of the biggest helps with my own mental health. I have learnt about how to react and respond to certain situations that might have previously caused me to feel overwhelmed.
Invest your time – Every night spend 10-20 minutes journaling how your day has been, and how you feel, and practice gratitude for what you currently have in life
Invest your money – Start working with a therapist or a with a coach in an area of life you want help in e.g. a Money coach, a Life Coach, a Confidence coach etc.
Final thoughts
If you invest in yourself, you will not be disappointed by the results.
Becoming the best version of yourself will help you create the life you crave and desire – and what is more rewarding than that?
