Who is your closest friend? If anything other than “I am” was the first name that sprang to mind, you’re missing out!
I understand it’s standard advice to “be your best friend,” but what does this mean? What’s more, how can we create a more solid and loving bond with ourselves?
Let’s examine how you can become your true best friend to become a more confident and self-assured individual.
Perks of befriending yourself
As you grow older, you discover that you are the only person who can genuinely make you happy. You will never be satisfied or whole because of someone else, whether your spouse, partner, friend, parents, siblings, boyfriend, girlfriend, or any other family member. It’s a bit gloomy to think about, but there’s something great waiting on the other side.
You will learn to treat yourself like any other buddy once you become your best friend. You’ll also discover how to build a genuine relationship with yourself and stop relying on others for affection and attention.
- Creates self-awareness.
It’s possible to live without truly understanding who you are. Even if you are well aware of the details of your life and preferences, you are much more than just the times, dates, and activities of the day.
You have a more profound self-awareness when you probe deeper and consider your mind and soul. Gaining insights about yourself and improving your understanding of others can be accomplished through meditation and other attentive activities.
- Builds self-esteem.
Do you generally view yourself negatively or as deserving of respect, dignity, and love? You might not be able to earn the respect of others if you don’t respect yourself.
Your interpersonal interactions, both personal and professional, might be more one-sided. A piece published by the American Psychological Association examines the relationship between positive relationships and self-esteem.
Each element might have a good or negative impact on the others. Increasing your self-respect will help you avoid dominating others or letting them control you, among other things.
- Improves relationships with others.
Your previous relationships will suddenly improve once you find your best buddy. Because you’ll have begun to fix anything inside of yourself that is far and disjointed, you won’t have any strained or distant connections any more.
You must first learn to be your best friend and love yourself unconditionally if you desire stronger, deeper connections. If you follow this advice, your relationships with other people will flourish and be lovely; they won’t feel laborious.
- Inspiration to follow passion.
You may not be living a life that is rewarding in part because you are unaware of your passions. What inspires you, and what gives you a sense of purpose? You can focus on your dreams and get more clarity through mindful activities and meditation.
Your inner voice will intuitively direct you to the things that make you happy. A faithful best buddy would support you and not get in your way. You may be the obstacle to success, thus you need to adapt.
Consider that you have a fulfilling career that has kept you relatively comfortable. However, you sense that something is lacking. You may have found the bravery to pursue a long-held dream or change careers.
Signs you’re a stranger to yourself.
- Constantly feeling lost and confused.
You are unsure of your priorities. You are uncertain of your objectives. You are unsure of your intended destination. You are unaware of your interests.
Likely, you don’t know who you are if you struggle to formulate a clear vision for the future. You might even hold restrictive attitudes about your worth or your potential.
- Unable to make crucial decisions.
You frequently change your mind because you are unsure of what you desire. You’re pursuing one item one day.
You’re seeking something different the following day. One day, one thing or one person piques your curiosity.
The next day, you have entirely new interests in things or people. Nothing can keep you from giving up. Your opinions are constantly shifting.
- You lack confidence.
You may stand in your absolute power when you know who you are and adore that person. Holding your head high will cause life to react to you.
Knowing who you enable you to present yourself to the world as you desire. When you don’t know who you are, you constantly doubt your abilities and yourself.
You lack self-assurance. You lack self-confidence.
- Settling for things you don’t like.
Knowing who you help you identify your goals. You are unwilling to accept anything less than what you believe you are due.
You are unaware of your birthright if you don’t know who you are. You don’t need a particular amount of honor and deference.
Whatever you can get, you accept. You choose the simplest solution.
6 tips to try & befriend yourself
Because it might be challenging to tell who your true friends are sometimes, you should discover some fantastic strategies for being your own best buddy.
Spending time alone can sometimes be necessary to understand who loves your friendship. But the most important thing is to value oneself.
Let’s go through some fantastic techniques to be your own best buddy to aid you in this discovery.
- Try something you’ve never done.
We do many brand-new, unusual things with a potential friend in the early goings of a friendship. Make sure to take new actions if you want to strengthen your relationship with yourself. Excite you during your time with us.
Fear will become less of a barrier as you get better at trying new things and less of a speed bump. After that, you can unleash your adventurous side, and let’s face it: our adventurous selves are thrilling and wonderful. We are more likely to succeed when we approach new tasks with a sense of adventure, which gives us more confidence as we take on the next challenge.
- Be forgiving when making mistakes.
When we disagree with someone we care about, we experience all the feelings and emotions, and then we start choosing to forgive and move on.
But do we do the same thing with ourselves? How many of us continue to dwell on our previous transgressions?
It’s time to release yourselves from responsibility for existing as humans. Make it a point to forgive yourself right now. Let the past instruct you. When you have contempt for the person you used to be, it is impossible to appreciate yourself truly.
You can release yourself by forgiving.
- Take yourself on a date.
No matter your personality type—introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between—critical it’s to feel at ease by yourself.
Aim to have fun with it! Visit places and go at your own pace. After seeing a movie with a friend, watch it again by yourself. Bring a book to your preferred coffee shop and enjoy the atmosphere there.
Try different things to see what more you can think of.
- Praise your achievements.
Be sure to pause and acknowledge the things you did well. When you achieve something, clap yourself on the back. Failure to recognize your accomplishments will make the subsequent attempt more difficult.
- Have quiet time for reflection.
We converse with ourselves regularly, just as we converse with those around us. What do you constantly think to yourself about yourself?
You are far harder on yourself than on everyone around you. Just take note of that. Don’t punish yourself for punishing yourself.
The key is awareness. Redirect it to something loving and positive by being aware of it. Talk to yourself like you would a child or a close friend.
- Remind yourself of your self-worth daily.
You matter, you are significant, and you have something extraordinarily priceless and singular to contribute to this world—even when it doesn’t feel like way.
Just like you would remind a friend, keep in mind this. Become your own biggest fan. Encourage yourself to succeed. People will believe in you if you believe in yourself.
Books on self-compassion
The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery
This book is about sabotaging oneself. Why do we act in specific ways, and how to stop working in such ways permanently. Conflicting needs that coexist lead to self-destructive acts. We fight change because of this, frequently to the point where it seems completely pointless. But we may move out of the way into our potential by gaining essential knowledge from our most harmful behaviors, developing emotional intelligence by better understanding our minds and bodies, letting go of the past at a cellular level, and learning to act as our highest potential future selves. The mountain has served as a symbol for monumental struggles for ages, particularly those that seem insurmountable.
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself
Dr. Neff’s extraordinary book provides exercises and action plans for dealing with every emotionally taxing struggle, whether it be parenting, weight loss, or any of the numerous trials of daily life. More and more psychologists are moving away from an emphasis on self-esteem and toward self-compassion in treating their patients.
How to Be Happy in Life Alone: How to Be Your Own Best Friend and Still Live an Amazing Life
Most people who live alone are beginning to feel stressed by their loneliness now that the world is at a stop. Those who had been prospering now feel alone and alone. Women, in particular, are now reduced to solitude after spending time with others.
Although living alone can have adverse psychological and interpersonal effects, finding happiness is still possible!
You can enjoy being by yourself!
Authentic: How to be yourself and why it matters
Throughout our lives, we are driven by the desire for authenticity. People aspire for an integrated life in which their thoughts and actions represent who they are, and their words and deeds reflect who they are.
As a pioneer in authenticity research, Stephen Joseph created a test that has come to be regarded as one of the most reliable measures of authenticity. He did this by drawing on the well-established field of positive psychology. His and other researchers’ findings show that people let down their guard in interactions where they feel accepted, understood, and respected. They inevitably assess themselves psychologically, make room for new information, and live more realistically. Furthermore, according to the most recent research, sincerity is the path to genuine happiness.