How To Improve Self Esteem With 11 Simple Rules
Sometimes bad things happen to us, and as a result our self esteem is dragged down with them. It is quite normal to start doubting ourselves, and wonder if we’re not good enough, especially if there is someone in our lives telling us such things. However, it is not healthy to linger in that state, as low self esteem can lead to a loss of confidence, lower task performance, lower success rate, which all combined can cause depression.
It is a vicious circle, and should not be allowed to even come into existence. In further text you will find ways how to improve self esteem and get yourself right back on track.
Check Out Ways For Building Self Esteem From The Ground Up With These 11 Simple Guidelines Anyone Could Follow
What is self esteem anyway? To put it simply, it is how much you appreciate yourself, as you are, with all the virtue and vice, strength and weakness. It’s is related to, but not the same thing as self confidence. And sometimes it may happen that people do not have the adequate level of self esteem, some having too much of it, others not nearly enough. In this article, we will talk about ways to improve self esteem and help yourself be happier and more content in life.
Think Positively
It is quite common for people with low self esteem to be their own worst critic. They tend to judge themselves harshly, far more so then they would judge other people. This kind of negative thinking brings down your self esteem level, try to avoid it. Every time you have that little nagging voice inside your head, criticizing you without end, try to shut it out. Instead, try to be constructive. Focus on more positive thoughts, like your successes.
Block negative input
Sometimes there are people in our lives we hold dear, but are a negative influence on our self esteem. It could be an overly criticizing parent, always discontent with our achievements, always pushing for more. Or a friend, who jokingly makes fun of the way we dance, unaware of the impact of what they’re saying. While constructive criticism is a good thing, too much criticism can lead to lower motivation levels, lower self esteem, lower work or school performance.
How to develop self esteem when someone is constantly putting you down? Try and block out all that overly negative feedback. Try not to take it to heart when someone is bashing you, Tell yourself: “Okay, but that’s just their opinion, not a fact about myself. I am not defined by other people’s opinion of me”.
Be realistic about yourself
As human beings, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. It’s what gives us a personality, and our depth as people. It is extremely important that you know yourself well enough to be able to pinpoint your stronger and your weaker sides. For the purpose of developing self esteem, try to make a list with an equal number of both.
So, for every weakness you enlist, you must provide a strength to counter it. It doesn’t always have to be big, for example “good listener” can be a valid strong point.
Give up on perfection
There is no such thing as perfection, and the sooner you deal with it, the better. It is something that cannot be expected even from robots, let alone flesh and blood people. Avoid setting the bar too high for yourself. Rather, go for something more attainable, something that is actually possible to accomplish.
So when working on something, do it until you meet the task requirement, not your own. One of the best ways to build self esteem is actually accomplishing something, which you cannot do if you are chasing after perfection.
Do not compare yourself with others.
There are always people out there who are ahead of you in some way. It’s also important to remember that while someone is better than you in one thing, there is probably something in your life where you are ahead of them. It’s all very relative, and ultimately pointless. For example, you may compare yourself to someone who is better looking, or richer, only to find out that they also have issues with building self esteem due to a bad relationship, and aren’t nearly as happy as you imagined.
Another reason to stop comparing yourself to other is that it will decrease your stress levels. You will stop feeling pressured by other people’s success, and won’t feel like you are falling behind and need to hurry up.
Expand your comfort zone.
One of the ways to build self esteem is stepping out of your comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be a big step, just go and do something you’ve never done before. Surely there are things you always wanted to do, but somehow never did, and now is the time to get on that. With every new experience your comfort zone widens, and with it your self confidence and self esteem.
Learn a new skill
Mastering something new is great for developing self esteem. So take up anything that interests you, be it drawing classes or a programming course, or even a foreign language, anything goes as long as you are doing something that is both enjoyable and useful for your self enhancement.
Accept your mistakes
If you are trying new things, keep in mind that mistakes can and probably will happen. It is unrealistic to expect from yourself or anyone else to get everything right the first time. Instead of considering your mistakes failures, rather look at them as learning experiences, and try to take each mistake as a lesson, so you can actually draw benefit from it.
Think about your achievements
We tend to always be focused on the future, disregarding our past successes. Take some time to reflect on the things you already accomplished, and what skills you must obviously possess to have done it. When someone congratulates you on something you’ve done well, don’t downplay it or disregard it; take full credit for your effort.
Take care of your appearance
What we see when we look at ourselves in the mirror is very important when it comes to building self esteem, in women especially. With this in mind, try to dress in a manner that makes you feel good about yourself. Do your hair the way you like it. Your image should be your own creation, and it should make you feel satisfied and confident.
Remember, of all the possible ways how to build self esteem, none are quick fixes, but you can be sure that if you take these pieces of advice, eventually you'll be facing solid results. They will require some effort and some time. But bear in mind that you are your own greatest investment, and that your happiness and success are well worth any and all time, effort and anything else you put in.
