15 Tiny Ways To Show Up For Yourself Every Day
Have you forgotten what it feels like to put yourself first in all aspects of life? Well, showing up for yourself every single day could be the key to living a more intentional, happier life.

Showing Up For Yourself: What Does It Mean
To show up for yourself means that you choose to prioritize your needs, self-care, well-being, and personal growth above all else. You navigate the world as your authentic self while utilizing your intuition and awareness as your guide.
You honor your values, voice, mind, body, and spirit.
Why I Started Showing Up for Myself
1. I was sick of people taking advantage of my kindness and thinking they could walk all over me.
I’m quiet and I tend to stick to myself. And unfortunately, that makes me an easy target for people’s misbehavior.
2. I was done with the exhaustion of giving my all to situations/people but never receiving that amount of energy in return.
Since deciding to actively show up, I’m happier and more confident in who I am. I love the person I’m becoming.

15 Ways to Show Up For Yourself Daily
Here are 15 small, actionable ways to show up for yourself each day.
1. Begin Your Day With an Intention
As soon as my feet hit the floor each morning, I start thinking about how I would like my day to go. What kind of mood do I want to be in? What would I like to accomplish today?
Answering these questions helps me set an intention to navigate my day.
Crafting Good Intentions Table
Intention Tip | Explanation |
---|---|
Make it Positive | Focus on what you’d like to do instead of what you don’t want to do. |
Make it Personable | Choose an intention that you have control over. |
Make it Specific | Be clear about what you intend to do. |
2. Choose an Affirmation of the Day
Engaging in positive self-talk through affirmations is another way to show up for yourself. I believe that creating your own affirmations works best because they come from your mind and will likely resonate with you more.
However, you can start with some more generalized affirmations like I am worthy or I embrace change.
If you need some help generating affirmation ideas, read my post on affirmations for embracing change.
3. Seek Out Opportunities to Learn and Grow
Life has so much to offer. So, seek it out! Show up for YOU by investing in your personal growth. Let your curiosity guide you.
Read that book. Take that course. Listen to that podcast.
I’m a very curious person, so I’m always trying to learn something new to figure out how I can use it in my personal life.
4. Stand Up for Yourself and Voice Your Viewpoint
Learn how to speak up for yourself. Your viewpoint matters and what you have to say is just as important as what anyone else has to say.
As someone who struggled with people-pleasing for a very long time, I understand how difficult it can be to stand up for yourself. But isn’t also difficult to just sit there and watch people mistreat you just because they think they can?
I remember speaking up for myself at work. There was a situation in which someone was assigning me tasks, but then completing those tasks themselves. Leaving me out of important conversations. Giving me bits and pieces of information that left me unable to thoroughly complete my job. I kept a paper trail of these instances and had the opportunity to speak on it. And I’m so proud of myself for standing up for what I knew was right.
5. Take an Empowerment Moment
For a quick boost of energy, take a moment to empower and hype yourself up by doing something that makes you feel pumped up and alive.
This could be something as simple (but fun) as a dance break while blasting your favorite song.
6. Say No to Protect Your Time and Peace
Don’t forget to honor your boundaries by saying no to things that don’t serve you or to things that you just don’t want to do.
While we’d like to have energy for everything, it just isn’t possible. Save your efforts for things that matter the most to you.
If you have difficulty deciding what you should or should not take on, try listening to your intuition for guidance.
7. Prioritize Nutrition and Physical Well-Being
When I eat well, I feel good.
Maintain your health by eating healthy foods, drinking water, and moving your body.
But well-being is also about balance – so don’t forget to treat yourself to your favorite foods and snacks.
8. Live in the Present Moment with Mindfulness
Taking mindful moments to live fully in the present can have great benefits for your mental health. Take a moment to breathe deeply and ground yourself in the present.
Appreciate the beauty of the here and now.
This is hard to do when you’re feeling stressed and upset about something. In situations where I’m unable to focus on the present, I turn to the Balance app for some guided meditation.
9. Tidy and Organize Your Most-Used Space
Where do you spend the most of your time? This space deserves your insightful attention so that its environment supports you in a way that improves your overall well-being.
It’s kind of hard to clear your mind or do important work in a space that doesn’t help you thrive. Try keeping your space clean.
You could also safely light a candle or burn incense while listening to soothing music to improve the atmosphere.
10. Do Brain Strengthening Activities
I love challenging the way I think and keeping my brain strong. I don’t do these activities just for the brain benefits though, I truly find it fun and rewarding.
Some of my favorite brain-boosting activities:
- Sudoku
- Word searches
- Playing with a Rubix cube
- Assembling a puzzle
11. Connect With Someone Close to You
Showing up for others is another way to show your commitment to yourself and your needs. By deepening the relationships you have with others, you are building a circle of support.
Regularly reach out to the people you value in your life. Send a thoughtful text message or make a quick call.
And when they reach out to you, give them your undivided attention and listen to what they have to say.
12. Work on Your Passion Project
Can you guess what my passion project is? If you guessed this blog, you are correct! I work on it every single day.
Make time for your passions even if you can only dedicate 10 minutes to it each day.
If you don’t have a passion project, I recommend finding one. You could paint, write a poem, or even try your hand at photography.
13. Take Accountability for Your Life
If you only take away one thing from this post, remember this: You’re in control of your life and the decisions you make.
That means that you hold the power to create change in your life.
Sometimes we get so caught up in life and expectations that we FORGET that we are in control.
Start holding yourself accountable to make different decisions, follow new paths, and experience new things.
14. Build in Moments to Reset and Recharge
Be intentional about hitting pause throughout the day. You need time to rest and relax to prevent burnout.
So practicing self-care is a must. Take a deep breath or step out to get some fresh air during the day.
And in the evenings, unplug from the media, read a good book, or watch your favorite show.
One of my favorite acts of self-care is taking a nice, warm bubble bath at least once a week. Depending on my mood, I’ll light candles and turn on music. My favorite thing about the bubble bath is how calming it feels to be engulfed in the water and bubbles. It makes me feel serene and stress-free.
15. End Your Day With Self-Reflection
Taking some time at the end of the day to reflect on lessons learned, emotions, and what went well builds self-awareness. And with this awareness, you can make each day better than the last.
Journaling can help you keep track of your experiences.
Here are some journal prompts I created to help you get started:

Things to Do When You Can’t Show Up
When showing up for ourselves, some days will be more challenging than others. On those days, here’s 3 things you can do:
- Be gentle and show yourself some self-compassion.
- Seek personalized help from a therapist or counselor.
- Stay positive and keep going. Change takes time.