What is self-esteem?

Self-esteem is how we as humans value and perceive ourselves. This can go a long way to have a positive or negative impact on us and even the way we relate with others.

What can cause low self-esteem?

Low self-esteem is a worldwide problem. Society tends to demand too much from us. Those stronger of us survive while others start believing they are weak, unsuccessful and miserable. If you are unsure of yourself, it is time to develop high self-esteem and adopt new habits.

If you are currently dealing with low self-esteem, you may feel a bit lost and confused, and that is okay. This feeling is needed. Sometimes you need to experience pain in order to feel stronger tomorrow. Yet, you may wonder where to find that strength and power to wake up confident in the morning.

Tips for improving your self-esteem

Self-esteem is from my point of view is the way you view yourself and your abilities. It can be high, low or somewhere in-between. While everyone occasionally has doubts about themselves, low self-esteem can leave you feeling insecure and unmotivated. You might be able to identify a few things that are affecting your opinion of yourself (maybe you’re being bullied, or you might be feeling lonely), or it could be a mystery. Either way, there are heaps of things you can do to improve your self-esteem.

1. Stop making yourself your second priority

If you wear yourself too thin, you should stop it as soon as possible. Stop pleasing others. Stop neglecting yourself. Say no when needed. Carve out more time for yourself. Once you make yourself your very first priority, you will have time to feel proud of your achievements thus begin respecting yourself.

2. Fill your mind with positive affirmations

Accept compliments. Be happy for your achievements. Set goals and tell yourself that you will definitely reach all of them. If not, you will find another way. Live in harmony with your flaws. There is nothing wrong with you. Each drawback is a sign that you are special. Start each day with telling yourself positive things. That will make a difference in your entire day

3. Do not be your own enemy

Rather than discover your shortcomings, explore your best traits. Help yourself to be the best version of yourself. Take care of your health. Eat whole food, stay hydrated and get enough sleep. When you feel healthy, you look healthy. You make correct choices and feel power that helps you stay confident about yourself.

4. Do not let anyone cripple your spirit

People would never ever talk about you, gossip about you, and never ever try to bring you down, if you were not successful. They simply envy you. Whatever they say, do not let their words ruin your spirit and hurt your soul. Drop them. Spend more time with those who lift your spirit and make you feel awesome.

5. Do not ignore criticism

Nobody likes or wants to be criticized. Sometimes, criticism is useful, though. Pay attention to what others say. Don’t take it personally. Use any criticism for educational purpose. Just like mistakes and failures, it helps us become better. If you feel that someone’s criticism has no sense, forget and move on. Your time is more precious than their negative words.

6. Don’t compare yourself to others

It can be really tempting to measure our own worth against other people. So what if your friend is awesome at table tennis and gets great marks? You just need to figure out what your niche is. Everyone is great at something - what are your strengths?

7. Exercise

Exercise helps to improve your mood. End of story.

8. Don’t strive for perfection

It’s really great if you want to do things well, but keep in mind that perfection isn’t possible. Check out one person’s story of coming to terms with their sweet imperfection.

9. Do things that you enjoy

If you’re doing things that you enjoy you’re more likely to be thinking positively. Schedule time for fun and relaxation into every day.

10. Celebrate the small stuff

Start small and work your way up – you can’t expect any huge progress to be made overnight.

11. Be helpful and considerate

Not only is helping people a great way to boost the moods of others, but you might find that you feel better about yourself after doing something particularly excellent.

12. Surround yourself with supportive people

Don’t hang around people who bring you down. Find a group of people who make you feel good about yourself and avoid those who tend to trigger your negative thinking.

Summary

• Self-esteem is your opinion of yourself.
• Everyone lacks confidence occasionally but people with low self-esteem are unhappy or unsatisfied with themselves most of the time.
• It takes attention and daily practice to boost a low self-esteem.