How often do you spend money on yourself? And when you spend this money, what is it normally on? Something I’ve learnt, in the last year in particular, is the power of investing in yourself, financially.
Making this kind of physical investment into your personal development holds a huge amount of power. It’s a mini declaration of self-belief and self-worth. You are saying you are worthy and deserving.
Before I go on, I want to acknowledge that this post is being written from a place of privilege. It’s written by someone who has the luxury of being able to spend money on themselves in this way and I know not everyone is in the same boat.
I also know that there are many ways you can invest in yourself that don’t involve money (time, self-care etc.) but for the purposes of this post I’m keen to explore the financial side… and in particular, those who don’t prioritise themselves.
There can be lots of things holding you back from spending money on yourself. Maybe you think there are more important things to spend your money on. Maybe you don’t believe it will be worth it. Maybe you don’t think you deserve it.
If you believe this to be true, I want you to know that this could not be further from the truth. You are worthy. You are capable. You are deserving.
When you financially prioritise yourself, your health and your personal growth, incredible things can happen.
And the thing is, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do this - you could start with exploring the huge amount of free content available to you online (blogs, podcasts, free e-courses). And when you feel ready to start investing a bit more, take a look at these ideas.
Some of the best investments you can make:
Counselling
Yes, you can get counselling on the NHS and this is a great place to start - you all know by now I had a great experience last year with CBT through the NHS. But, for some people the services offered on the NHS aren’t quite right, or enough. Some of us need more or different support.
For this, you may well have to go private and pay for counselling. The price of this will really vary depending on the counsellor you see, but I think investing in your mental health is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
The company I work for run Counselling Directory - a website where you can find private counsellors in your area and find lots of helpful information about mental health. I also wrote an article for Happiful magazine (made by the same company!) which includes questions to ask yourself when searching for a counsellor which may be helpful.
Coaching
I feel like coaching is having a bit of resurgence at the moment, and that’s a great thing in my eyes. Hiring someone to help you move forward, make things happen and support you can make such a difference. I had a one-off session with Jen Carrington last year and it really helped me find clarity in what I want to do career-wise.
In fact, I’m such a fan of coaching that I’ve started training to become one myself… so keep an eye out for further announcements on that!
Workshops, conferences and retreats
Connecting with and learning from other people in the real world (especially for freelancers and those who work online) is so, so valuable. Last year I went to Blogtacular, a blogging conference that really opened my eyes to the potential blogging has and connected me with some utterly lovely people.
This year I’m going back to Blogtacular and also to a one-day workshop, ‘Write yourself home’, with Sas Petherick and I cannot bloody wait. Not only will I get to meet some friends I’ve met through Instagram, I’ll get to soak in the knowledge and wise-ness of Sas all day.
There are some other amazing events and workshops being held by some of my favourite people online this year, including:
- Out of the woods workshop from Simple and Season
- Capsule wardrobe masterclass from Jessica Rose Williams
Courses/education
Expanding your knowledge, widening your skillset and simply learning helps us grow and develop. We can discover new passions, move forward in our career and take back a little control of where our life is heading.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sara Tasker’s Bloom and Grow Instagram course last year - it inspired my creativity and helped me meet some lovely people, totally worth the financial investment.
Of course, you don’t have to spend money here. There are some great free e-courses available and websites likeCoursera and Future Learn. Invest your time and enjoy learning again.
Travel
Seeing the world and exploring other cultures is one of the best ways to spend money in my opinion. You make memories that’ll last a lifetime and grow in confidence. I think solo travel is especially good for this, I went to Thailand for a month in my early 20s alone and to Costa Rica for two weeks in 2016.
Both of these trips scared the hell out of me, but the experiences I had and the amount of growing I did while there was worth every penny and moment of doubt.
Books
Buying and reading books is a simple and cheap(ish) way to invest in yourself. I’m currently reading three books (one fiction, one nonfiction, one textbook) and I really love the different learnings I’m getting from each one.
Aside from these three books, I have a ‘to-read’ pile staring at me from my desk and a never-ending wish-list on Amazon, so I’m keen to prioritise reading this year and soak up all that knowledge and inspiration.
Last year was probably the first year I really started investing in myself and I feel like I’ve totally caught the self-development bug. At the end of the day it’s all about what you want to prioritise.
If you have the money to invest in yourself, but don’t - I would love to know, what holds you back? Let me know in the comments.
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