Kathy Hamilton I recently came across this idea via a Gretchen Rubin podcast. The idea is simple, do something now that will make your future self happier. Sounds easy right?
Self-Care is a bit of a buzzword at the moment. Most of us are guilty of ignoring ourselves in favour of prioritising other things that need to be done. However, it’s important to your mental and physical health to take some time every now and then to take care of yourself as well. This is where the idea of to do something nice for your future self comes in.
How can you do something nice for your future self?
I know what you’re thinking, how can you do something nice for your future self? What version of future are we talking about? And more importantly, how can you do something in the present that will make the future you happier/ more relaxed/ less hurried?
Should this nice act be over and above the every day expectations? Is going to bed at 10, because you know 8 hours of sleep benefits you, being kind to your tomorrow self? Or is that just getting the right amount of sleep? We all need to eat, sleep, breathe etc. so you might decide getting sleep isn’t doing something nice, it should just be normal. (P.S I totally think prioritising extra sleep counts)
The example that Gretchen gives is setting a timer on the coffee pot so that it’s ready with a lovely, warm cup of coffee when you wake up in the morning.
Think of it this way, if you would do something nice for someone else, it probably counts as a way to do something nice for your future self. I love this idea because it’s basically a reminder to be nice to yourself as well. It doesn’t have to be much but it’s that little extra something that helps a bad day become a good day. Or makes you think I am so glad that I don’t have to do X or Y later.
Some Ideas
So what can you do? I don’t know about you, but I loved the sound of this when I heard it on Gretchen’s podcast, but I was a little stumped for ideas. So, I thought it might be nice to add some here to help you do something nice for your future self.
1. Buy yourself a gift voucher
One way to treat your future self is to buy a gift voucher. You know, the ones that are always sat at tills that you buy in a panic when you remember it’s your friend’s birthday tomorrow? A gift voucher is an ideal way to treat your future self because it’s almost like protection against a rainy day (or empty purse). Think of it as a ‘bad day’ treat fund. How happy will your future self be to duck into your favourite café after a terrible day at work, and treat yourself to that big, calorific coffee you usually overlook ? The same works with books/clothes/music…you name it.
2. Prep breakfast ahead of time
Inspired by Gretchen’s coffee suggestion, why not prep yourself breakfast the night before so that all you need to do in the morning is roll out of bead and grab it. There’s plenty of options out there (Pinterest is a gold mine) but some perfect prep ahead breakfast are:
- Overnight Oats recipe here
- Breakfast Muffins recipes here
- Breakfast frittatas recipe here
- Smoothies recipe here
3. Plan a ‘Me Day’
This is one of my favourite ‘do something nice for your future self’ ideas. At some point in the year it’s wonderful to take a day off to do what every takes your fancy. Almost like a holiday at home, it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy yourself. And it doesn’t need to be packed full of activities, if you want to binge watch that series on Netflix without any interruptions, go for it. Having the plan in place means you get to look forward to your me day and do something nice for future you at the same time.
Whatever you decide to do, the key is to treat your future self. So, whether that’s deciding to take a shower in the evening so that future you can enjoy ten extra minutes in bed, or planning a holiday that you can look forward to all year it all counts.
