Each of us has a sense of self-worth. Our thoughts influence our self-esteem in nearly everything we do. Having good self-esteem is important since it helps you make positive decisions, fosters healthy relationships, and allows you to deal with difficult situations. However, before dealing with low self-esteem, you need to figure out its underlying cause.
Why Do We Have Low Self-Esteem?
According to a study, 87% of those who have been bullied felt it negatively impacted their self-esteem. A low sense of self-worth can negatively affect your mental health, decision-making about your appearance, and ultimately, your future. While it can be hard to like every aspect of your appearance, getting stuck on negatives can seriously undermine your self-esteem.
If you want to change, you have to believe it deep down. It isn’t always easy to change, but it is possible. Here are our top tips for building and improving your self-esteem.
1. Challenge your negative self-image
You should replace your negative thoughts with positive ones that highlight your strengths. Identify at least three things you excel at and write them down.
2. Help someone in need
A friend, family member, or classmate may be struggling with their work or have difficulty in school. If they need advice, you could give it to them, or you could listen to their problems. Do something to help someone else for a week without expecting anything in return, and you’ll see how much our confidence rises.
If you’re interested in pursuing your career in helping people improve mental health, enroll in psychiatric programs. Nursing is the best way to go about it. Did you know that online psychiatric nurse practitioner programs help you quickly start your career like any traditional program?
3. See a Professional
It is common to have negative feelings about yourself sometimes, but if these feeling persists, you are likely to have low self-esteem. Recognizing the signs is important so you can build your confidence back up to where it should be.
The first step is to seek professional help to understand your condition. Getting better self-esteem requires addressing the factors that affect it, and a mental health professional can help. Having a positive self-perception is key to achieving your maximum potential and fulfilling your life goals.
4. Look after yourself
Exercising and eating well boost endorphins, the body’s natural opiates, which boost moods, relieve stress and help you feel better. Taking a jog around the block, spending time amidst nature, or doing a little dance in your bedroom can help you boost your self-esteem.
5. Take a break
Having a constant sense of stress can lead to low self-esteem. You are more likely to lose confidence and become preoccupied with negative thoughts if you are too tired, which can affect your productivity.
Taking a break from your busy schedule and doing something relaxing is the best way to reduce stress levels. Try to exercise, be social or enjoy many of your favorite activities. You can either go bog and plan a vacation or enjoy the simple pleasures of life, such as meditating, playing games, dancing or singing, whatever suits you.
6. Set a goal
Whenever possible, consider what you would like to accomplish. You should then set realistic goals for each day and write down all your accomplishments to track your progress.
A simple example would be finishing a project or cleaning up (and what a challenge that can be!) When you cross off everything on your to-do list, you’ll feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
It’s important not to get bogged down by the list; you may not get it all done on some days, and that’s perfectly acceptable! Everyone has off days, so maybe you should make a shorter list for tomorrow and see how it goes?
7. Look at things differently
Consider tricky situations from different perspectives. Replace thoughts such as ‘why should I bother?’ with ‘I can only find out if I try. A more realistic view of a situation will allow you to see that you can actually achieve what you want – you just need to be a bit more positive!
You will eventually default to this attitude if you do this every time you have a negative thought, and who doesn’t like a go-getter? To overcome low self-esteem, we sometimes must think and try different things.
8. Be open to new experiences
Our brains are amazing at learning new stuff, and the more new stuff we learn, the better we get at it and the more likely we are to find something we are passionate about.
We all need a creative outlet; music, art, cooking, games, sewing, and web design. There are plenty of ways to go about that, too; just watch some tutorials on YouTube or take an online course. It’s all there waiting for you to gain more knowledge – all you need is to look for it.
9. Surround yourself with positive people
We all have friends who don’t always make us feel good, and that’s okay. You just need to surround yourself with people who care and appreciate you more. It doesn’t even have to be your friends — it could be a neighbor, family member, or an online friend.
If you have someone in yourself that makes you feel more pressured and stressed out than good, then it’s time to cut that toxicity out of your life. Consider putting distance between yourself and those who make you feel bad about yourself.
Although it may seem tricky at first, even if a person is the coolest kid at school or the coolest person you know, you shouldn’t hang out with them if their actions hurt you. In the long run, strengthening relationships and friendships will make you feel better about your life.
10. Accept yourself as you are
There is no perfect person. Everyone has flaws and issues. Your ‘flaws’ or imperfections make you unique, so learn to accept and love them.
Confidence comes from self-acceptance. Thank people when they compliment you rather than brushing them aside or countering them with a negative comment.
11. Remind yourself of what makes you feel good
Memories are a great way to remember all the fun things you’ve done. Why not make a display in your bedroom with photos of precious moments?
Almost everyone has a camera in their pocket, so take more pictures!
Capture those unforgettable moments with you and your friends, with family, and you’ll realize how much you accomplished this year when you look back at them!
Conclusion
It is important that you feel comfortable with and embrace who you are to live a confident life. Get in touch with a therapist or counselor to find out how you can boost your self-esteem. Understand what triggers these bad thoughts and adjust your behavior to deal with them. It is also possible to get anonymous answers from digital mentors or others dealing with similar issues. Once you have an outlet for negative thoughts, you can trace your triggers and channel them into positive actions. Try and do anything you can on this list to empower your growth and boost your self-esteem!
