14daysofselflove ❣️

Self-care/love is not just about what you do, but also what you STOP doing.
There are many habits and behaviors that can slowly eat away at your mood, your contentment, your health, and more. Taking sensible care of ourselves means learning to identify these things, and to stop doing them.

Down below I will be discussing one of the most harmful habits that many of us maintain: Spending time with toxic people.😳
So, what’s a toxic person?

Essentially, that’s anyone who consistently makes you feel worse about yourself. Perhaps they are judgemental, maybe they are unkind, or maybe they are selfish. Unfortunately, many of us continue to put up with such people, simply because we have become used to their treatment of us. Or perhaps out of a misguided sense of loyalty.🤦🏾‍♀️

Either way, this can eat away at your self-confidence, cause stress, and ultimately make you less happy and successful.
The problem is how to get away from someone who is deeply ingrained in your routine!

👉🏾The first thing you need to do is to identify these people and to recognize that they won’t change. Too often, we think that we can change people by changing the way we treat them. In truth, most people are very much set in their ways. It’s unlikely they’ll ever change, and certainly not through the influence of a friend or acquaintance. You simply can’t afford to wait.🤷🏽‍♀️

With that out of the way, it might still be hard to completely stop seeing someone. If they work where you do, or if you have mutual friends, then it can be tough to go ‘cold turkey’ as it were. (but don’t give in)

Instead, then you might do better to simply create boundaries. (y’ all know how I feel about boundaries) If this person lets you down, then learn to stop expecting things from them. If they are unkind, then try to avoid alone time.

You might have to see them in group settings, but you don’t owe them anything, and there is no reason for you to spend time with them one-on-one.

You have given this person chances, and you don’t owe them anything. You can’t ‘fix them,’ so you MUST not let them harm you. Keep your interactions to a courteous minimal, and don’t be afraid to coldly cut them off…
You’ll find that life becomes MUCH easier when you do.

Baby Steps my dear..

Olivia B. Shepherd ❣️