When it comes to feelings of self-worth, nothing is more important than our own opinion. However, having a high opinion about ourselves, who we are and what we do is unfortunately something that a lot of people in today’s society either miss or have too little of.
While everybody occasionally has doubts about themselves, low self-esteem can leave us feeling unmotivated and insecure and negatively affects pretty much every aspect of our lives, including our health, relationships and our career.
The good news is though, there are plenty of things we can do to improve our self-esteem, feel better about ourselves and become more resilient. Of course, we have to put in the work, develop and maintain healthy emotional habits and stay consistent, but the return on the investment will be so worth it in the end.
Here are our TOP 10 strategies to instantly boost your self-esteem and feel better about yourself.
#1 Change Your Story
We all create a story or narrative about ourselves that shapes our self-perceptions, which is the foundation of our self-esteem. When we want to change our story, we have to investigate where it came from and what messages we are internalizing. Automatic negative thoughts like ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I’m fat’ are thoughts that we have learned over time and we can unlearn them. Start by creating a new narrative and think about what you wish you believed about yourself. Then create positive affirmations around those thoughts and repeat them every single day. The power of positive affirmation will help you to over time change your story and boost your self-esteem.
#2 Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Comparing ourselves to others is a self-destructive habit we can never win. We can always find someone who has it better in life than we do and there are always people who are ahead of the game. However, when we compare ourselves to others, we usually compare ourselves to their highlight reel that they present to the world, forgetting that they have dark sides as well. Replace this bad habit with something more positive. Compare yourself to yourself and look how far you’ve come. Focus on yourself, what you’ve accomplished, what results you have achieved and how you have improved. It’s a win-win, because you raise your self-esteem and at the same time motivate yourself.
#3 Exercise
There is a lot of research on the link between high self-esteem and exercise. Working out on a regular basis empowers us both physically as well as mentally. Especially lifting weights can give our self-esteem a big boost, because we can calibrate our accomplishments. Besides, exercise organizes our day around self-care, which also includes proper diet and adequate amounts of sleep. Drop one task from your to-do list every day and replace it with something fun or relaxing and you will see the positive impact it has on your self-perception sooner rather than later.
#4 Learn Forgiveness
Look at your life and identify the one person you haven’t forgiven. Is it an ex-lover, a family member or even yourself? Holding on to resentment and bitterness from the past only keeps us stuck in a cycle of negativity. However, if we can learn how to forgive ourselves and others, we free ourselves from that negativity and can improve our self-esteem because we connect to our innate loving nature, which promotes acceptance of others as well as ourselves, despite any flaws or mistakes.
#5 Take a 2-Minute Break for Self-Appreciation
This is a fun and simply habit that if you do it for a month you can make a huge difference. This is how you do it. Take a couple of deep breaths to calm your mind and slow down and then ask yourself what it is that you appreciate about yourself. Write down three things that come to mind and remember, those things don’t have to be big. This practice won’t just boost your self-esteem in the long run, but it can also instantly lift your mood and fill you up with positive energy.
#6 Let Go of Perfectionism
Perfectionism is one of the most destructive thought habits we can have. It can paralyze us into inaction and if we procrastinate, we won’t get the results we want to achieve and with that our self-esteem sinks even more. Instead of striving for perfect, opt for good enough. Of course, you don’t want to use ‘good enough’ as an excuse to slack off, but realize that if something is good enough, you achieved what you wanted to achieve. And remember, perfection hurts you and the people around you. Having this as a reminder in your head will prevent you from setting unrealistic expectations that only stop you in your tracks.
#7 Be Kind Towards Others
When we are in a cycle of low self-esteem it can be challenging to see anything or anyone outside ourselves and we are only focused on our own perceived limitations. But when we actively seek out the opportunity to do something kind for someone else or our environment, we can instantly shift our focus. Not only will your negative obsessive thoughts about yourself stop, you will at the same time start to think more positive about yourself.
#8 Change Your Scenery
A fun and awesome way to break the cycle of low self-esteem is to do something completely out of your usual realm. It can be as simple as taking a different route to work in the morning, exploring a different area of the city you live in or working at a cafe instead of the office. Change up your environment, do something you’ve never done before and with that refresh your mind, which will break negative thought patterns. We tend to create our own little bubble of life and neglect to see what the vast universe has to offer. Get a new perspective by changing your scenery and you will be inspired to make positive changes in your life to build self-esteem rather than dwelling on the negative.
#9 Write Down Your Accomplishments
Think about all the accomplishments you have been able to achieve so far and get out a pen and paper and write them all down. It’s pretty simple, but as the list grows, you will realize that you have been able to accomplish some pretty impressive things so far and you are capable of achieving even more. This practice can help you to feel really good about yourself and your accomplishments and with that you can tune into the parts of yourself that know that you are capable, worthy and extraordinary.
#10 Simplify Your Life
Our environment is a reflection of our internal world. Just as we hold on to negative emotions, feelings, thoughts and beliefs that don’t serve us, we also often hold on to material possessions that don’t serve us and actually weigh us down. Take a weekend and go through your stuff and see if you can eliminate some items that hold you back. Do you have things that hold sentimental value, but no longer have the same meaning? Do you have clothes you haven’t worn in years? Get rid of everything that doesn’t serve you anymore, have a yard sale or donate those items to charity. Free up some space and with that fee up your life.
We are all born with equal worth as human beings and the belief that we are anything less is a false belief that we have learned and programed ourself with over time. With consistent work and self-compassion it is possible to unlearn those destructive patterns and beliefs and recognize our own self-worth that already exists within us.
TELL YOURSELF A DIFFERENT STORY
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked
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