Not only is self-esteem a hot topic in psychology study, but it is also something that almost everyone deals with, and even struggles with, at times in our lives.
Self-esteem can change from day to day and from moment to moment. When your sense of self-worth is strong, you may feel that nothing can ever make you unhappy. Soon after, you can have a rush of unfavorable thoughts.
Following a stellar post, you might start scrolling through social media with a healthy amount of confidence, but soon after, you feel it diminish. Several times a day, perhaps even in the same hour, you may notice a change in your self-esteem.
What is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem refers to the level of our positive self-evaluation. It is based on comparisons with others and expresses how much we enjoy or like ourselves. Self-esteem is frequently a product of one’s own judgment, making it a self-created emotion.
Self-esteem may have an effect on many aspects of our lives, including our ability to make decisions, assert ourselves, try new things, learn from our failures and more. Our whole mental health depends on our learning how to build healthy self-esteem.
Why is Self-Esteem Important?
Self-esteem is crucial since it forms the basis for everything you do, from routine tasks and activities to long-term objectives. While everyone has self-doubt from time to time, low self-esteem can lead to:
- lacking ambition
- nervous or sad
- feeling unmotivated
- unable to handle life challanges
- having bad thoughts and feelings about your body image
Ways to Improve Your Self-Esteem
Feeling like your self-esteem could use a little boosting? Instead of moping about how miserable you feel about yourself, here’s how to feel at ease and stay comfortable in your own body.
1. Stop being a people pleaser
Those who lack self-confidence may feel compelled to comply with requests. They frequently prioritize assisting others over their own mental well-being.
Being easily overwhelmed as a result might affect both your personal and professional life. That in turn leads to a great deal of tension.
While being supportive and helpful when you can is good, if you base your worth on how much you do for others, your self-esteem will eventually suffer. Develop the ability to refuse others.
2. Avoid negative self-talk
We frequently forget about our strengths since we focus so much on our weaknesses. Our sense of self-worth may be negatively impacted by this style of thinking. The very next time you find yourself thinking negatively, stop for a second to realize what you’re doing. Find facts to refute these ideas and challenge them. This will change the way you think and help you develop a good self-image.
Don’t be too harsh on yourself. You may mock yourself or make jokes about your flaws. You may say, “I don’t deserve anything better,” for instance.
3. Give up worrying about what people will say
You will never feel free to be totally yourself while you are worried about what other people will think of you. Decide firmly that you will stop caring what other people think and that you will start making decisions based on what you want, not what you believe other people want from you.
4. Do not compare yourself to others
Your success and sense of value shouldn’t be dependent on how well you’re doing compared to other people. There will always be someone who is better at something than you, but it doesn’t suggest you aren’t competent or sufficient at what you do.
On social media, people don’t always display their genuine selves. So try to avoid comparing yourself to others when you’re browsing your Instagram account. You’re comparing yourself to a fantasy, and that will either result in excessive effort or despair.
Take a step back and recognize your differences from others, but keep in mind that your success is not in competition with theirs.
5. Accept your flaws
Nobody is perfect. We all wish we could change certain aspects of ourselves.
You should categorize your flaws into two groups in order to stop these flaws from damaging your self-esteem:
- those that can be improved upon
- those that cannot be improved upon
You’ll begin to feel at peace with yourself and spend more time concentrating on your strengths than your weaknesses once you’ve learnt to accept yourself for who you are.
Be the best version of yourself at all times, but acknowledge that perfection is an impossible ideal.
6. Think of the qualities you value most about yourself
It can be difficult, even unpleasant, to sit down and consider your positive sides. However, improving your self-talk can be done by recognizing your strengths or other aspects of yourself.
What is it that you admire and respect? When you notice that your mind is filled with negative thoughts, keep in mind these qualities. Keep your mantras personal to you and steer clear of generic ones.
7. Make a list of your achievements
Write out your accomplishments after giving them some thought. Make a list of all the things you did that you are proud of and all the things you did well. When you need a reminder that you can complete tasks and do them effectively, refer back to your list.
8. Celebrate your wins
You should celebrate every victory because they come in many shapes and sizes. Have you used constructive self-talk today? Have you overcome a fear or banished some unfavorable beliefs?
Accept and embrace those sensations of assurance and pride. It will boost your self-assurance and demonstrate how improving your self-esteem makes you feel more at ease with yourself.
9. Get rid of negative people
To let go of negative thoughts is one thing, but have you considered doing the same with negative people? Your mood and sense of self-worth are significantly influenced by the individuals you spend time with.
You’ll have low self-esteem if people continuously point out your weaknesses, make fun of your errors, or make you feel insecure. However, letting go of those influences will make room for more uplifting remarks and kind words to boost your self-esteem. It’s also challenging to see past someone’s harmful tendencies after you’ve identified them.
Spend time with those who are glad to be there. Spend no time with those that mistreat you.
10. Go beyond your comfort zone
People with poor self-esteem frequently shy away from possibilities and difficulties. Fears or self-doubt may be at blame for this. But whenever you do something, no matter how modest, you demonstrate your ability to persevere under challenging circumstances.
Get uncomfortable by trying something new, meeting someone new, or taking a radical approach to a situation. Confidence begins at the edge of your comfort zone.
It’s not necessary to put yourself in situations that are extremely uncomfortable in order to step outside of your comfort zone. It indicates that you’re willing to take risks even in stressful conditions.
11. Face your fear
Allow yourself to experience fear, but proceed nonetheless. Self-esteem is commonly found in the dance between your greatest fears and your deepest ambitions.
12. Accept failure as part of growth
When you fail, it’s common to punish yourself harshly. However, it might help you maintain perspective if you can change your way of thinking to see that failure is an opportunity to learn and that it is essential to learning and growth. Also keep in mind that failure is a sign of effort.
13. Help someone
Help others by employing your talents, skills, and abilities. Directly assist someone, provide them with useful information, or instruct them in what they desire to learn. Give someone what you are good at doing as a present.
14. Read or watch something inspirational
Reading or watching something encouraging and uplifting can help you feel better about yourself, which is a terrific method to boost your self-esteem.
15. Always remain a student
Consider yourself to be a constant learner. You should approach whatever you do with a student’s attitude, or what Zen Buddhists refer to as Shoshin, or “beginner’s mind” — one that is free from bias, receptive, and eager to learn.
16. Do what makes you happy
You’re more inclined to think positively if you spend time doing the things you enjoy. Make an effort to plan some me-time each day. Make time for whatever makes you happy, whether it’s reading, cooking, or simply lounging on the couch for a while.
17. Draw a line in the sand
Setting up personal boundaries is the best method to discover your sense of worth. Be aware of your limits and how you want to be treated when they are crossed. Avoid letting other people exploit, abuse, or control you. To be confident, one must uphold strict boundaries.
