I don’t know about you, but I feel like the world we live in is constantly telling us to override our own basic needs – we don’t eat when we’re hungry, or we eat when we’re not hungry, we don’t go to bed when we’re tired, and we keep pushing until burnout. Most of us don’t even know what we need because we don’t take the time to pause and listen.

We keep our promises to everyone else in our lives, except ourselves. We are slowly but surely eroding the trust that we once placed in ourselves. We can’t count on ourselves anymore – maybe we expect others to keep us accountable or we end up blaming others when things don’t turn out how we expected. It can feel like we’ve lost our power and like there’s no point even trying. We feel stuck in a funk and overwhelmed. 

Looking back on times when I experienced depression in my own life, I know deep down it was a result of ignoring my own needs and consistently letting myself down. I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough – because I wasn’t doing the things that mattered to me. I always felt unmotivated and unaccomplished – because I wasn’t moving towards my own dreams and goals.

Do you have a habit of letting yourself down?

How much do you think it contributes to feeling depressed and overwhelmed?

Learning to trust myself was a big shift for me. Self-trust is knowing that you have your own back. It’s knowing that you can take care of yourself. It’s knowing that you can understand and satisfy your own needs.

What does looking after yourself mean?

• making (even tiny) commitments (to yourself) and following through with them.
• setting goals and backing yourself.
• trusting that you know best what’s best for you

It is also celebrating yourself when you honor your needs and meeting yourself where you are at – without judgment, without beating yourself up.

Start with the tiniest things, and repair the trust you have in yourself. Be proud of yourself for honoring your commitment! You’ve got this!