Relationships are one of the most fulfilling parts of life. They teach us, inspire us, and bring us so much joy.
However, the hard truth about relationships is that they change.
People come and go, priorities shift, and sometimes, even the bonds we thought would last forever evolve into something else.
While it’s important to nurture the connections we have with others, there’s one relationship that will never leave your side: the one you have with yourself.
Learning to be your own best friend can change your life in beautiful ways.
It means becoming the person you can always rely on, the one who knows your deepest thoughts, fears, and dreams, and still loves you unconditionally.
When you prioritize this relationship, you create a safe space within yourself to navigate life’s ups and downs.
You stop depending on others for validation or happiness and start finding those things from within.
Being your own best friend empowers you to face challenges with resilience and celebrate victories with genuine pride.
It’s about creating a safe and supportive space within yourself where you can fall back during tough times, celebrate your existence, and just enjoy being alone.
So how do you do it? Let’s find out!
12 Amazing Ways To Be Your Own Best Friend
1. Speak Kindly to Yourself
Imagine if your best friend constantly criticized you, pointed out your flaws, and rarely said anything nice.
Would that feel good? Probably not. Yet, so many of us talk to ourselves like that every single day.
Being your own best friend starts with learning to speak kindly to yourself.
Replace harsh self-talk with encouraging words.
For instance, if you find yourself thinking, “I’ll never get this right,” reframe it to, “I’m learning, and progress takes time.”
Instead of saying, “I look terrible today,” try, “I’m doing my best, and I deserve kindness.”
Instead of saying, “I’m such a failure,” tell yourself, “I’m learning, and it’s okay to make mistakes.”
These shifts in language might seem small, but they can make a huge difference in how you perceive yourself and your abilities.
Practice self-compassion, especially when things don’t go as planned. Over time, your inner voice will become one of support rather than criticism.
2. Spend Quality Time Alone
We often equate alone time with loneliness, but being by yourself doesn’t have to feel isolating.
In fact, spending quality time alone can be incredibly fulfilling. Use this time to do things you love or to simply reflect.
Go for solo walks, enjoy a cup of coffee, and travel by yourself.
You could take yourself on a solo picnic to enjoy nature, try a new recipe just for the fun of it, or spend an afternoon exploring a museum.
Even small activities like journaling your thoughts, watching a movie you love, and creating something pretty with your hands can help you reconnect with yourself and rediscover your passions.
Might help: 41 Interesting Things To Do Alone To Embrace Solitude
3. Set Boundaries
Good friends know how to set boundaries, and being your own best friend means doing the same for yourself.
Protect your energy by saying “no” to things that don’t align with your values or make you feel drained.
It can be challenging to set boundaries with close friends or family members who may have certain expectations of you.
But saying no to attending a social event when you’re emotionally or physically exhausted allows you to recharge and show up better in the future.
Similarly, declining additional tasks at work when your plate is already full can prevent burnout and improve your productivity in the long run.
This might feel tough initially, I won’t lie, but this is how you practice protecting your inner peace at all costs.
Boundaries aren’t about shutting people out; they’re about respecting yourself enough to prioritize what’s important to you.
Remember that you can’t show up fully for others if you’re constantly neglecting your own needs.
4. Celebrate Your Wins
When was the last time you truly celebrated yourself?
We’re often so focused on the next goal that we forget to pause and acknowledge how far we’ve come.
Whether it’s something big like getting a promotion or something small like making it through a challenging day, take the time to celebrate your wins.
Treat yourself to something special, write down your achievements, or simply say, “I’m proud of you.”
Celebrating yourself reinforces the idea that you are worthy of joy and recognition.
5. Prioritize Self-Care
Your best friend would never let you run on empty, so why would you do that to yourself?
Self-care isn’t just about bubble baths and spa days (though those are great too).
It’s also about unconventional practices like starting your day with mindful breathing, writing letters to your future self, and taking time to organize your space so that it feels good to be in it.
These unique approaches can be just as soothing and beneficial for your well-being.
It’s about taking care of your mental, physical, and emotional health.
Eat nourishing foods, move your body in ways that feel good, get enough sleep, and take breaks when you need them.
Self-care is a form of self-respect, and it shows that you value your well-being.
6. Be Honest with Yourself
True friendship thrives on honesty, and the same goes for the relationship you have with yourself.
Be honest about your feelings, desires, and even your mistakes.
For example, if a certain job or career path no longer aligns with your passions, you need to acknowledge this truth to yourself.
Even though it might feel daunting, it can lead you to explore opportunities that truly resonate with your authentic self.
Self-honesty allows you to step out of denial and into growth, creating a path that feels more fulfilling and genuine.
It’s okay to admit when you’re struggling or when something isn’t working.
Self-honesty allows you to grow and make choices that align with who you truly are.
It might be uncomfortable at first, but the more you practice it, the more freeing it becomes.
7. Practice Forgiveness
No one’s perfect, and that includes you. Holding onto guilt or shame over past mistakes only weighs you down.
Try this exercise: Write down the mistake and then list the lessons you’ve learned from it.
Once you’ve done that, tear up or burn the paper as a symbolic gesture of letting go.
This practice can help you release lingering guilt and focus on moving forward with a lighter heart.
Being your own best friend means forgiving yourself for the times you fell short and understanding that growth is a journey.
When you mess up, remind yourself that you’re human. Apologize to yourself if needed and focus on how you can move forward.
Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting; it’s about releasing the hold that the past has on you.
8. Learn to Enjoy Your Own Company
When you’re your own best friend, your own company becomes a source of joy rather than discomfort.
Find activities that you genuinely enjoy and make time for them.
Fun activities like painting, hiking, baking, and trying out DIY projects can be a big source of happiness and self-discovery.
Experiment with different hobbies until you find ones that truly resonate with you.
Read a good book, take yourself out for dinner, and try new things whenever you get the chance.
The more you enjoy being with yourself, the less reliant you’ll be on external validation. You’ll discover that you’re pretty great to hang out with!
9. Set Goals and Pursue Them
When you’re working on a goal that means something to you, you put all your faith in yourself.
For however long you pursue this goal, you stick by your side and act as a friend to yourself.
This is why you need goals! Pursuing goals makes you believe in yourself, and that’s a powerful form of self-love right there.
Set goals that challenge you, excite you and add value to your life.
These could be personal, professional, or creative goals — whatever gets your motivation flowing and makes you want to show up for yourself.
Break your goals into actionable steps and use a journal to keep track of them and keep yourself motivated.
When you succeed, you’ll celebrate with yourself and enjoy the satisfaction of getting something monumental done.
And if you fail (which might happen since failure is a natural part of life), you’ll learn to hold your own hand and pick yourself back up again gently.
So, in either case, you’ll get to be a good friend to yourself while pouring into your productivity. Awesome, right?
10. Be Patient with Yourself
Friendships take time to grow, and so does the relationship you have with yourself.
If you are to become your own best friend, you’ll need loads of patience and trust in this purpose.
Be patient as you navigate this journey of self-love. You’re not going to have it all figured out overnight, and that’s okay.
Allow yourself the grace to learn, stumble, and get back up.
Trust that you’re exactly where you need to be, and focus on making progress with yourself.
It might take time, but in the end, you’ll find yourself closer to yourself than you’ve ever been.
And the beautiful self-companionship that you’ll gain from this journey will be everything.
Related post: How To Connect With Yourself: 14 Ways To Build Inner Connection
11. Protect Your Peace
Your mental and emotional well-being should be a top priority to you, no matter what stage of life you’re at.
And for that, peace needs to be a priority too, because it’s the foundation for good mental health.
If you’re not at peace with yourself, it’s going to be very hard to maintain a good relationship with yourself.
You can protect your peace by being mindful of what (and who) you allow into your life.
There should be no clutter in your personal and work spaces. Everything you possess should be of value and make you happy.
Any item that makes you feel anxious on the inside or does nothing good for your space should be ditched or at least put in its rightful place.
Coming to the people in your life, you need to surround yourself with people who make you feel good, and avoid those who cause stress and negativity.
This also means limiting exposure to things like social media or news that might leave you feeling drained.
Create a space, both physically and mentally, that feels calm and supportive to your inner self, and discard everything that feels like dead weight.
12. Be Your Biggest Cheerleader
Your best friend would hype you up when you’re feeling down, right? So why can’t you do that for yourself?
Nobody can support you better than you can, even though it might not feel that way if you’ve never cheered yourself on before.
Start by boosting yourself for things done well, even if they’re small things like getting the laundry done and doing a workout.
Smile at yourself in the mirror, write love letters to yourself, and tell yourself that you can do anything in life (because you actually can).
When self-doubt creeps in, counter it with positive affirmations. Write them down, say them out loud, and believe in them with all your heart.
Be your biggest cheerleader by focusing on your strengths and reminding yourself of all the things you’ve overcome.
The more you cheer yourself on, the more confident and capable you’ll feel, and the easier it’ll be to be a very good friend to yourself.
Ready To Befriend Yourself?
The aim of this post is not to get you to shut out others or become overly self-reliant.
By asking you to be your own best friend, I am just asking you to build a strong foundation of self-love and support so that you can show up as your best self in all areas of your life.
When you learn to be there for yourself, you’ll find that your relationships with others become even more fulfilling.
Pick one or two of the ideas from this post to practice this week and see how it feels to befriend yourself.
Over time, you’ll create a friendship with yourself that’s unshakable.
Trust me, there’s no better relationship to invest in than the one you have with yourself.
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