Being a photographer and running my own business can be overwhelming and stressful at times which is why it’s so important for me to ACTIVELY make myself a priority every. single. day.

You ready? Here we go.

1. Set Boundaries:

You can’t say yes to everyone and everything. You don’t want to run yourself to the ground or burnout. Overextending yourself and your time is not healthy. Boundaries are important!  It’s beneficial to have limits with yourself and others! Setting and maintaining a boundary may be hard. But do you know what’s even harder? Constantly putting your needs aside to please others.

2. Put your health first:

Let’s run through the tips for optimal health, shall we?

-Make sure to schedule enough time in your day to get a good night’s sleep (7-9 hours)

-Practice selfcare everyday even if it just means taking a shower or meditating for 10 minutes

-Take daily vitamins or supplements as needed

-Move your body, even a short walk and some fresh air can really change your mood

-Tell yourself that you LOVE yourself. Seriously, it helps.

3. Do what you love:

We only get one life to live, make sure yours is filled with things you are passionate about! It’s been said that when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. Cheesy? Yes. Accurate? OH YEAH. When we do what we love, we also inspire others to make their dreams come true.

4. Stick to a schedule:

Your time is precious! Having a schedule will allow you to use your time productively by minimizing distractions. Schedules and to-do lists help you to stay on track and get everything you need to get done so that later you are not stressed and rushing to complete tasks last minute (I’m looking at you miss procrastinator).

5. Practice Gratitude:

Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to focus on the positive things in your life and keep a healthy mindset. What are you grateful for today? The act of writing it down shifts our attention to focus on positive emotions. I personally know that I am not the “journal every day” type so I stick to Sundays. Every Sunday, I reflect on the week and vent it all out. It is a huge help for me to process through the emotions I had that week.

6. Believe in Yourself:

You were waiting for this one, weren’t you? Everyone says it, people roll their eyes, but it wouldn’t be said by a bazillion entrepreneurs if it wasn’t true. Know that you are enough. You are badass. You were put here for a purpose. Truly know that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. You just have to take one step forward first.

7. Surround Yourself with Positivity and Positive People:

The things you watch, read, listen to, and especially the people you give your time and energy to all affect you immensely. You attract into your life what you are focused on. Keep your focus on positive and good things and you will attract more of that in your life. Energy is contagious! Surround yourself with positive people and it will reflect back in you.

What do you do to make yourself a priority? Are there other things you incorporate into your life that I didn’t mention? I’d love to hear how you keep yourself first.

Much love,

Anna