How to be your own BFF

You’ll get more done, have more fun and ultimately feel better about yourself. We put together some tips for being a better friend — to yourself.

Take yourself on a date

Why wait for someone to take you out when you can go by yourself? If there’s somewhere you’ve been itching to try (a new restaurant, café, museum) it can be a great experience to go solo. It’s always fun to have other people around, but by taking yourself on a date, you’re proving that you want to do things just for you, that make you feel good. Besides, the more you’re able to do things on your own, the more confident you’ll become.

Pay yourself daily compliments

Who doesn’t love to hear they look great or that they’re smart, funny and interesting? Don’t just accept compliments from others — become your biggest cheerleader. Start every day by writing down one thing you love about yourself. The more you do it, the better you’ll feel about yourself over time.

Stay active and put your health first

One of the best ways to be a better friend to yourself is to focus on healthy living. Commit to being active (even just walking 30 minutes a day is a great start), ditch bad habits and make healthy eating a priority. Summer is a great time to get healthy — it’s gorgeous outside, plus farmers markets full of fresh fruits and vegetables abound.

Focus on what you love about yourself

It’s so easy to focus on what we think is negative (I’m too short, I’m too tall, my hair isn’t straight enough, etc.), but the real key to being your own BFF is to focus instead on the positive. What do you love about yourself? Your sense of humor? The fact that you’re a great listener? Your quirky haircut? There are bound to be tons of great things you have going for you. Make it a point to focus on those.