Write down the names of people you feel attachment to—parents, siblings, friends, and anyone else who has a pull on your heart. If you think about the person often, and you’d miss them if they weren’t there, you probably care about them. You don’t have to love or even like them to care. By the same measure, write down things besides people you care about. Don’t write down the things you should care about, just the things you actually do. Maybe your life is better because you play soccer, or you can’t imagine a world without Warcraft. Maybe you care about poetry, or you love a certain movie star. There’s no limit to how long your list can be—write it all down, big and small. Be honest with yourself as you make your list, and don’t leave anything out. Maybe you’ve been conditioned to act like you’re “above it all,” or to hide the things that make you tick. People will try to tell you what you should and shouldn’t care about, but you’ll have to learn to ignore them for the sake of your own happiness. And in most cases, sticking to your guns and expressing that you care will eventually win others’ admiration. [2] X Research source
Do you spend your free time calling someone for a long chat, texting your friends, or writing comments on Facebook? This might show that you care about social connections, staying in the loop, and strengthening your relationships. Maybe you spend your free time working on your art - writing, music, painting, or whatever moves you. Or perhaps you spend it running, lifting, gardening, or cooking. If it’s something you’re doing of your own accord, you probably care about it. What you read about or watch can also help you define your interests. For example, if you read world news every day, you probably care what’s happening outside your local sphere. Even the TV shows you watch can point to what you care about. Look for common themes or genres you gravitate toward.
Which people do you think about most as you’re falling asleep? Whether thinking of them makes you feel good or bad, the fact that they’re in your mind means you care about them. Do you have thoughts about what you’re looking forward to, or what you aren’t looking forward to about the next day? Sometimes cares take the form of worries. If you realize that right before you fall asleep you’re worried about how you’ll perform during tomorrow’s presentation, you might be worried because you care so much about it. [4] X Research source
For example, maybe the sight of your little sister being teased causes you to feel a burning urge to step in and protect her. Or perhaps you learned that the river in your city is being polluted, and you feel moved to participate in a river cleanup or find another way to stop pollution in your area. [5] X Research source Less serious investments count as caring, too. Maybe you watched a hilarious stand-up routine and fell into a Youtube rabbit hole watching every routine the comedian has ever recorded, or you read a news story about a cat that saved its owner from a fire and clicked over to several more articles on the subject.
Depression has been described as feeling like you just don’t feel anything or care about anything—you’re empty. [6] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If this is how you feel, and you’re trapped in a state of not feeling or caring, look into getting treatment for depression. [7] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Mental Health Informational website from U. S. government focused on the understanding and treatment of mental illness. Go to source With proper treatment, you’ll be able to experience emotions and caring once again. [8] X Research source
Sometimes taking things personally might mean you have to be outside the norm. For example, maybe a group of people in your English class never do the required reading. They think it’s ridiculous to waste time reading novels, and they sit in the back of class chatting and texting instead of paying attention. If you care about getting a good grade, and you see the value in studying literature, you’ll have to be brave enough to do your work and pay attention in class, even if it doesn’t win you points with your classmates.
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Instead of instantly dismissing something new to you, give it a chance to move you. Instead of acting like you don’t care about things, try talking proudly about what drives you. Frame what you care about as something to show off instead of something to hide.
For example, it might be tempting to ignore the feelings of sadness you have about your grandmother who is in a nursing home and loves when you come to visit her. But when you let yourself care, when you have the courage to deal with the sadness and go visit your grandmother, you won’t regret your decision to follow your heart.
In romantic relationships, people often hold back emotionally because they’re afraid of being hurt. No one wants to be in the position of caring more than the other person. Caring takes courage. It requires putting yourself out there, even if you’re not sure what you’ll get in return.
Going through the motions can put you in closer proximity to something or someone you normally wouldn’t have the chance to get to know very well. For example, maybe you don’t feel very strongly about your next door neighbor, but you shovel her driveway when it snows, just to be nice. After awhile, the polite conversations the two of you have, which were sparked by your courtesy, could lead to a truly caring relationship. Going through the motions can also help you learn more about something, leading you to care. You might think you don’t care at all about biology, but you’re doing your best in class so you can get a good grade. After studying hard and engaging in class discussions, you might find that the subject is actually compelling to you.
Practice self-care on a daily basis to keep yourself in good physical and mental health. Do things every day to help you feel less stressed out and more self confident. Many people find that simple things like eating wholesome food, getting some exercise and treating themselves every once in a while make life feel more positive overall. Set goals and stick to them. Part of caring about yourself means caring what happens in your future.
