When someone tells you just to be yourself, what does that mean to you? The notion seems easier than it does before you actually try and put it into practice; but, if it were that easy, there wouldn’t be so many people out there entering “how to be yourself” into their Google search bar every day.
The truth is that being yourself means presenting your authentic self to the world, which can feel terrifying at times. There are likely many instances where you have hidden your true self from the world that the other reason you struggle to answer this question is that you are not even 100% sure who that person is.
You might not know who the real “you” is yet, but you know whether any of this sounds like you, and if it does, we’re here to remind you that it’s okay if the thought of being yourself sounds risky. Nevertheless, if you want to know how to be happy with yourself, you must understand how to be yourself, and to be yourself, you have to be happy with yourself.
If you are ready to know how to be yourself, all you need to do is follow these 10 practical steps.
How to be Yourself
1) Take responsibility
Let’s start with exactly where you are. Apart from the factors that were out of your control, acknowledge that where you are now is a result of how you have responded to all factors. We’re not trying to be too hard on you by saying this – only reminding you that you can learn how to be happy with yourself, and the first step is to acknowledge that you get to make that choice.
2) Don’t procrastinate
The truth is that many of us hide from our successes because deep down, we know that the thing we are most hesitant about now could be the most important thing we ever do in our life. When you hide from your calling, talents, or skills, you hide from yourself and forget how to be yourself.
You may have so many things to accomplish, and you feel overwhelmed that you resolve to do nothing at all instead. Move in the direction of what scares you or makes you hesitate. It will not overwhelm you if you think about your goal or vision in terms of doing just one thing every day.
3) Focus on you
Forget what other people say because there will always be someone who doubts you or questions your motives. More often than not, if someone is saying something about you, they are saying it behind your back because they believe their words to be more accurate about themselves than about you.
In either case, you shouldn’t let other people dictate your progress and how you feel about yourself. Remember your why and that what you are doing is about self-growth, which doesn’t impact or concern anyone else anyway.
Stop people-pleasing
Saying yes to everyone all the time is incredibly tiring. And, it may seem counterintuitive, but it will not get you where you want to go. If you are busy going to great lengths to avoid conflict, apologizing to others, or digging for validation, you will not reach your highest potential.
You will begin to lose yourself if you become too caught up in what makes other people happy, rather than seeking how to be happy with yourself. Start speaking up for yourself and get in the habit of saying no when you need to.
Know your values
Sometimes human beings resist change despite being more than capable of it. Remember that how to be yourself involves accepting your values or when your beliefs have changed. If you pretend to agree with ideas that others support just to be liked or out of fear or being outcasted, you will be acting in a way that goes against your values and does not align with who you are.
Stop comparing yourself
If you genuinely want to know how to be happy with yourself, note that one of your biggest pitfalls will always be comparing yourself to others.
We are all guilty of those moments scrolling through social media, putting ourselves down because someone seems to be happier or have more than we do. If you are continuously lusting over someone else’s life, you will never know how to be yourself.
Express your individuality
So many of us live in fear over what people or friends would think or say if we showed sides to ourselves that they have not yet seen. There is something scary about sharing something we like that’s different from others’ interests, and being considered weird or worse, having our comment lead to radio silence.
However, this is all the more reason to be confident about what makes you unique, because you have interests that other people won’t even take the time to learn more about. If you have been wondering how to be yourself, the best things you can do are the things that make you happy. Feel free to wear the clothing and listen to the music that suits you, because at the end of the day your happiness is what matters.
Surround yourself with the right people
We all know those people who, after every time we hang out with them, make us feel less and less like ourselves. Some of these people are toxic, yet some are just so different from you that they make you feel like you are not adequate; as a result, you forget how to be yourself or how to be happy with yourself because you feel the need to strive to be less like you and more like them.
Take a good hard look at who is in your circle now – do you feel at ease expressing who you are, or do you feel tension and judgment?
Focus on your strengths
If you are struggling with how to be yourself yet continually focusing on your weaknesses and personal setbacks, then that is your answer right there. Your mindset is everything, and you should center it around your strengths and favorite qualities.
If you are going to move forward with your life being happy with yourself, you cannot get hung up on your failures, or you might just stop liking who you are. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive for improvements, but you need to celebrate your wins to see how awesome you are. Acknowledging your strengths will make you want to keep being you!
Enjoy your life
Hopefully, by now, you have a much better idea of how to be yourself and why being yourself matters. For any of you still feeling stuck on how to move past your fears and hesitations to just learn how to be yourself, here is one final and fun tip – enjoy your life!
Allow what brings you joy to guide you daily, and you will never feel lost. Slow down, spend some time exploring different things, and the rest will fall into place.