Self- esteem is a sense of satisfaction that comes from recognizing and appreciating our worth, loving ourselves, and growing personally. It is not a term that includes comparison or competition. With high self-esteem, we learn to recognize and experience our worth.
In this article, I will discuss 11 ways so you can learn to raise your self-esteem, whether you are a man, a woman, a child, or a teenager. Even if you feel bad about yourself, there are several actions you can take to start changing your life.
It is essential for psychological well-being, and therefore certain habits and actions must be changed to recover and elevate it. Without it, life can be harrowing, not all needs are met, and the full potential is not fulfilled.
What Is Low Self-Esteem?
Low self-esteem is a negative concept of itself. Answer the question how do I feel about myself?
The key to improving self-esteem is to change the way you interpret your life: analyze your negative interpretations of events and create new thoughts and goals that foster the growth of your self-worth.
These are some of the benefits of having good self-esteem:
- You will have more emotional stability: when you have a reasonable opinion of yourself, you will not need the approval of others, and you will not always think about what people think of you. In general, external events will not affect you as much.
- You will obtain more significant achievements: when raising your self-esteem, it is more likely to go after challenging goals to achieve because you will believe that you can reach them. Therefore you will act with more motivation.
- You will be more attractive: people with high self-esteem feel little needed, and that is attractive. People who are related to you will feel a pleasant experience, and you can also contribute more.
- You will be happy: one of the bases of happiness is having good self-esteem. You can meet all the conditions you are looking for, but if you do not feel good about yourself, you will not be happy.
- You will have better personal relationships: when you feel good about yourself, you will add more value to others, you will be more pleasant, and you will infect your well-being.
- Those are some of the advantages of having positive self-esteem. And how can you raise and strengthen it? Here are some of the habits that you will have to work on to begin building appreciation and appreciation for yourself.
11 Ways To Boost Self-Esteem
Destroy Your Critical Voice
The main person responsible for low self-esteem is the inner voice with which we say negative things to ourselves.
Yes, everyone has a negative critical voice, although some people are more aware than others. It is the voice with which you speak destructive thoughts to yourself, such as:
- You will never do well.
- You are worse than he/she.
- That person doesn’t like me.
To have self-confidence in you, then it is essential not to accept these thoughts and replace them with more positive ones that help you feel better.
To do this, try to attend to your thoughts and if you see any negative, ask yourself.
You can also create a word to stop destructive thinking when you detect it: STOP!
In short, it is about being aware of your critical voice and not being influenced by it, replacing those thoughts with more constructive ones.
Do Not Seek Approval From Others
Seeking the approval of others is something that, if we are not aware, we continuously do. Examples:
Put on clothes, thinking about whether others will like it.
Make important decisions based on the opinions of others.
We are not saying our opinions because we think that they will not please others.
When you are going to do anything or make a decision, ask yourself if you are thinking about what others will think.
One way to work on this point is to show yourself against someone’s opinion. Always assertive and polite.
Self-Affirmations
Affirmations will help build your self-esteem, and you simply have to repeat them a few times throughout the day. Example of self-affirmations?
- I like myself, and I accept myself.
- I do not seek the approval of others.
- I am a person of value, and I have the right to be happy.
- I continuously experience positive feelings.
So that you don’t forget this habit, you can write down the phrases that serve you best on a card and read them in the morning and at bedtime.
Do Sports And Take Care Of Yourself Physically
We are pretty much aware of the fact that our physical appearance influences our self-esteem. With a good shape, you will look better, and your self-esteem will rise.
If you are not used to exercising or going to the gym, start slowly with 10-15 minutes a day and gradually increase the time. You will see that it will become a positive habit that you will enjoy; remember that with a sport you release endorphins (wellness hormones).
Socialize
Social support is one of the essential shock absorbers of stress. The people around you serve as emotional support, to give you help, to have fun and to learn from you. That if they are reasonable and positive people. Negative people will probably lower your self-esteem.
Make A List Of Your Achievements
0
This action is one of the ones that work best. Sometimes we think that we cannot achieve something or that we do not have the capacity for it. For example:
- We cannot pass an exam.
- We can’t lose weight.
With a list that reminds you of your previous achievements, you will remember that you can achieve what you set out to do. They don’t have to be great achievements like winning a championship. An example would be:
- I passed the career/vocational/preparatory training.
- I learned to play tennis.
- I learned to read English.
- I got selected to work in my current position.
Make a list of that and keep it in a visible place so that you read it often. That will make you make positive representations and enter a state that increases your self-esteem.
Make A List Of Your Positive Qualities
Be generous and honest with yourself by listing your most notable positive qualities. If you don’t know where to start, ask a trusted friend. There have to be at least ten qualities. It’s normal if you feel like you have a hard time making a list because most people focus on their negative traits and forget the positive ones. Example:
- I’m a worker.
- I know how to listen.
- I’m educated.
- I have a good relationship with my family.
- I’m in shape.
- I am empathetic.
- I’m kind.
- I’m open-minded.
- I am responsible.
- I’m active.
Stop Being A Perfectionist
Perfectionism is one of the most destructive traits because with it we want to be something unattainable, and although we continuously improve, we are never happy.
Also, when you want to make everything perfect, you will freeze when you see errors, you will leave everything for later, and you will not get any kind of results. All of this will lead to a decrease in your self-esteem.
How to stop being a perfectionist?
- Set limits to finish things: because sometimes we try to make everything perfect, in the end, it is postponed and never ends. If you set a deadline, you will be forced to move on and finish things.
- Change your standards: perfectionism comes from the “everything has to be perfect without failure” thinking. However, you can also think in another way that will also lead to good results such as “I’m going to try hard and do my best.” If I make a mistake, it is reasonable, and I can always learn from it.
Take Care Of Your Non-Verbal Language
Here I am referring to both your facial expressions and your body postures. Smiling and laughing will make you feel happier and showing expansion postures (with open arms and not shrugged) will make you feel with the highest self-esteem.
Accept Yourself
.gif)
Accepting yourself as you are is necessary to have healthy self-esteem and be happy.
That does not mean that you cannot change, be ambitious, and improve your life.
It means accepting your defects, physical, abilities, or aptitudes, and from there working to improve.
In any type of situation in which you feel bad about yourself, follow this process:
- Become aware of the situation in life: it is necessary that when you feel bad, you become aware of it.
- Face it: accept the fact you feel bad, it is reasonable, and you do not have why to punish for it.
- Acts: what can you do for a better feel?
“If you do not like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude” –Maya Angelou.
“Once we accept our limits, we go through them” –Albert Einstein.
Change Expectations For Gratitude
Having expectations can only lead you to be unhappy, to believe that you cannot get what you want, and to be continually dissatisfied with your results.
Also, you will not live in the present, which is essential to be happy, take advantage of your time, and realize your negative thoughts.
Instead of having expectations about the future or people, be grateful, feel gratitude for your life, for what you have. In this way, you will enjoy yourself and your life much more.
