

4 Ways To Make Yourself Your Number One Priority
Sis, you gotta match your words with your actions. If you say it's all about you, then you need to be living in that truth and not just yapping off. We know you walk around with the "S" on your chest because you're a badass superwoman but after you're done taking care of everyone else, how are you personally feeling?
As amazing as it is to be a woman who can multitask and help aid others, we also have to learn how to not deplete ourselves and pour just as much into the development of self as we do others. It's OK to be a little selfish at times when it comes to prioritizing the things that make you happy. We only have one life to live and if we aren't putting ourselves first and making strides to keep a cooler head, then are we really living our best lives?
4 Ways To Make Yourself A Priority
1.Learn to Say “NO”
Say it loud and say it proud: "NO". You're not obligated to give your time and energy to everyone and everything. It's okay to turn down a night on the town or to tell your friends or family that they can't borrow money from you. Regardless of whatever reason applies to why you have to say "NO", if it has to do with giving yourself peace of mind, then go for it.
We are not robots and although we all have a number of roles we play in life, the role of being your happiest self comes above all. So next time your feeling overwhelmed, used, or just plain-out tired, tell those bug-a-boos "NO", you can't do whatever it is that they need or want you to do.
2.Self-Care Routine
Oh, you fancy huh? Nails done, hair done, everything did! Something magical happens to us ladies when we are looking and feeling our best. We literally transform into the best version of ourselves when we take look in the mirror and start feeling ourselves. Knowing just how bomb it makes us feel, we should always set aside time each month to treat ourselves to a moment of bliss.
It's not about keeping up with the Joneses but more so about keeping high morale about self. Rather you indulge in spa time, make hair, nail care, and a fitness routines, or change the batteries in that cucumber-shaped device in your nightstand, we've all gotta commit to doing something that keeps us feeling like a brand new woman. You are fine and divine so treat yourself boo!
3.Set Goals
We've gotta pave the way for ourselves because nothing in this life is guaranteed unless we go out and get it. It's all about having a plan and sticking to it, nothing more and, for certain, nothing less. We've all heard the phrase "grab life by the horns" and well, in this case, that's exactly what we need to do to get what we desire out of this crazy thing called life. Being realistic about our time, money and life circumstances is where you first need to begin. If you want something, you have to put the work in. Start by setting a start and end date and write down the steps that it's gonna take you to get to that goal you're trying to reach.
Say, for instance, you want to pay down debt to buy a condo, car, or house. Figure out what you owe, how much monthly you can afford to pay towards lowering the debt and implement a timeline. When you have a vision, a plan, and are taking action towards whatever goal it is your trying to meet, it empowers you and gives you a feeling of comfort that you can do whatever you set your mind to, even if it takes you some time to get there. Once you start something, stick to it. You've got this girl!
4.Find A Hobby
Simply put, do what makes you happy. It can feel like there isn't enough time in the day to balance the kids, catch up with piping hot tea your friends need to spill, and find a healthy balance between work and play. But if I'm keeping it all the way 100 with you, we find time for who and what we deem important, and our sanity should be at the top of that list.
Having a hobby is so much more than just occupying your free time, it's a time where you truly are enjoying the things that you are passionate about and bringing out the best in you. Having a hobby allows you to tap into that inner-child that you may have lost touch with and nurtures the hell out of it. It's all about foundation when it comes to being our best selves; and when we make time for the things that are the core of who and what we stand for, it keeps us feeling fully aligned.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
The Art Of Saying "No" To Things You Don't Want To Do
In Case You Didn't Know, Self-Care Is For Men Too
Self-Care Isn't Supposed To Be Pretty
How 4 Professional Millennial Women Navigate Career And Self-Care
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Featured image by Shutterstock.
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Corein Carter is a Los Angeles-based blogger, content creator and podcaster. The New Jersey native has had a love affair with words since she began penning poetry in high school and later went on to study journalism at WSSU. The self-proclaimed "Naturalista" embodies all things spiritual, plant-based, and self-care in both her daily life and through writing. You may recognize Corein's captivating voice and well-rounded perspectives from her fast growing podcast "Play on Words". Follow her journey on Twitter and Instagram @inlivingcolored.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Why Do Millennials & Gen-Zers Still Feel Like Teenagers? The Pandemic Might Be The Reason.
There’s nothing quite as humbling as navigating adulthood with no instruction manual. Since the turn of the decade, it seems like everything in our society that could go wrong has, inevitably, gone wrong. From the global pandemic, our crippling student debt problem, the loneliness crisis, layoffs, global warming, recession, and not to mention figuring out what to eat for dinner every night. This constant state of uncertainty has many of us wondering, when are the grown-ups coming to fix all of this?
But the catch is, we are the new grown-ups.
As if it happened without our permission, we became the new adults. We are the members of society who are paying taxes, having children, getting married, and keeping our communities afloat, one iced latte at a time. Still, there’s something about doing all these grown-up duties that feel unnaturally grown-up. Enter the #teenagegirlinher20s.
If there’s one hashtag to give you the state of the next cohort of adults, it’s this one. Of the videos that have garnered over 3.9M views, you’ll find a collection of users who are overwhelmed by life’s pressing existential responsibilities, clung to nostalgia, and reminiscent of the days when their mom and dad took care of their insurance plans.
@charlies444ngel no like i cant explain to her why i had to buy multiple tank air dupes from aritzia #teenagegirlinher20s #fyp
The concept of being a 20-something or 30-something teenager is linked to the sentiment of not feeling “grown up enough” to do grown-up things while feeling underprepared and even nihilistic about whether that preparation even matters.
It’s our generation’s version of when we ask our grandmothers how old they are and they simply reply with, “I still feel 45,” all while being every bit of 76 years old. In this, we share a warped concept of time while clinging to a desire for infantilization.
Granted, the pandemic did a number on our concept of time. Many of us who started the pandemic in our early or mid-20s missed out on three fundamental years of socialization, career development, and personal milestones that traditionally help to mark our growth.
Our time to figure out and plan our next steps through fumbling yet active participation was put on pause indefinitely and then resumed provisionally. This in turn has left many of us hanging in the balance of uncertainty as we try to make sense of the disconnect between our minds and bodies in this missing gap of time.
Because we’re all still figuring out what the ramifications of being locked away and frozen in time by a global pandemic will have on us as a society, there really is no “right” way of making up for lost time. Feeling unprepared for any new chapter of life is a natural rite of passage, pandemic or not. However, it’s important to not stay stuck in the last age or period of life that made sense to us because self-growth is the truest evidence of personal progress.
So whether you’re leaning on your inner child, teenager, or 20-something for guidance as you fill the gap between your real age and pandemic age, know that it’s okay to grieve the person you thought you would be and the milestones you thought you’d hit before you ever knew what a pandemic was. If there’s anything that the pandemic taught us, it’s that we have the power to reimagine a better world and life for ourselves. And if we tap into our inner teenager as a compass, we can piece together our next chapter with a fresh outlook.
Sure, we’ve lost a couple of years, but there are still some really amazing ones ahead.
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