Self-esteem is a hot topic right now, with parenting guides encouraging parents and children to encourage self-esteem early in life. It is easy to see why: people who have a high self-esteem are more happy and more successful.
What happens if you don’t feel confident in yourself? It is not too late. If you are struggling with low self-esteem it can be difficult to improve your self-worth. This takes time and dedication.
There are steps you can take to start your journey. Here are 12 easy ways to increase your self-esteem.
1. Make Yourself A Priority
We are taught from a young age that prioritizing our own needs is selfish and that others’ needs are important. But making your own needs a priority is the only way to have self-esteem.
What does it look like to prioritize your own needs in the real world. This means focusing on your own needs and not ignoring them in order to please others.
It can be difficult to recognize your own value, especially if you have children or work in a stressful environment. But once you do, you will begin to see that you have value.
2. Stop Being A People Pleaser
Aesop once stated, “He who attempts to please everybody pleases no one.” This applies to you too. If you try to please everyone all your life, you will never find happiness.
People pleasers are known for making others feel superior and pretending to be other people. You can see how pretending to be able to do things you aren’t capable of or to have certain qualities to convince others you’re acceptable can affect your self-esteem.
In essence, you are telling yourself that your self-worth is not good enough. To improve your self-esteem, you must stop focusing on what others expect of you and start being who you are.
3. Find Yourself
You may not be able to recognize your true self if you have spent your entire life pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to please other people. You have the chance to discover your true self!
Focus your attention on what drives you and gives you joy. Although it may seem strange at first, there are no wrong emotions in this situation. They all contribute to authenticity and self-esteem.
4. You Can Talk To Yourself
A healthy self-esteem is built by analyzing your thoughts and talking to yourself.
Everybody talks to themselves in some way. The language we use can give us a lot about how we see ourselves. Negative self-talk (i.e. Accusing yourself of being ugly or unlikeable can create a feedback loop that causes your self-esteem to drop, which in turn leads to more negative self-talk, and so forth.
It is possible to stop the negative self-talk by being kind to yourself and encouraging positive thoughts. Write down something positive whenever you feel the need to counter negative thoughts. Write down your positive qualities until you can make positive self-talk a habit.
5. Do Not Beat Yourself Up About Your Mistakes
Humans are often more hard on themselves than they are on their loved ones . Many of our mistakes are seen as moral or personal failures.
We are all human and we all make mistakes. Instead of viewing your mistakes as a personal punishment, see them as opportunities to grow. You can improve your self-esteem by simply changing your thinking.
6. Recognize Your Successes
You should also acknowledge your accomplishments. Many of us tend to minimize our achievements.
We tell ourselves that it wasn’t so big. It was possible for anyone to do it, which can lead to low self-esteem and feelings of not having achieved much in our lives.
Celebrate your achievements if you want to improve your self-esteem. Recall the person you were a few years back and how you have changed. You’ll be amazed at the things you accomplish when you write down your successes.
7. Be Grateful
A healthy self-esteem is about being grateful for what you do have. While some people place their self-worth entirely on what they have, others will always have more than you, be it more money or better looks.
Instead of dwelling on the things you don’t possess that others have, be grateful for what you do have. Be grateful. Gratitude is a way to be happier in your life. It will make you more confident and happy.
8. Encourage A Positive Attitude
Positive thinking is key to changing your self-talk and focusing on your successes rather than your failures. It can be hard to maintain such a positive outlook, since our brains are naturally inclined to focus on the negative rather than the positive.
To foster a positive outlook, you must first associate with positive people. Negative people will only bring down your self-esteem. Positive people will only make you better.
9. Be Firm In Your Decisions
You can also cultivate positivity by fully committing to your actions. After you’ve decided on a course, don’t waste energy second-guessing and self-doubt. You can use that energy to research the best way to accomplish your task.
If you allow self-doubt to set in, you’re telling yourself you don’t consider yourself a competent adult capable enough to make the right decisions and complete a task successfully.
By committing to your decisions, you can increase your self-esteem and eliminate any doubts or insecurities.
10. Learn How To Say No
Learning how to say no is an important aspect of setting yourself apart and making your decisions a priority. You will teach others how to say no and show respect for your boundaries.
Steve Jobs’s quote that emphasizes the importance and value of saying no is one of my favorites. People think that focus means saying yes, to whatever it is you are focusing on. It’s not. This means that you will not accept any of the other great ideas. It is important to choose carefully. I am just as proud of the things that we haven’t done than I am of the things that I have done. Innovation is saying no .”
You can substitute happiness for focus and you will have a winning strategy that works for all aspects of your life, not just for business.
You can teach others to respect your boundaries and affirm that you are allowed to have both needs and boundaries. It is also important to avoid getting stuck in tasks that drain your energy or make you feel negative.
11. Give Generously To Others
You don’t have to make your needs a priority or learn to say no to things you don’t want to do in order to improve your self-esteem. Humans are social creatures, and it is possible to have low self-esteem if you don’t make meaningful connections with others.
Many people find that helping others makes them feel fulfilled and gives them meaning.
Give to charity if you have the resources and time. Volunteer your time for a cause that you are passionate about. Or donate blood to the local blood bank.
12. Love Yourself
A person with high self-esteem means that they love themselves. This does not mean that you should love yourself like Narcissus did for his reflection. It means that you need to see yourself as someone who is valuable and worthy.
You live a happier life when you love yourself. You can take care of your body by working out regularly and eating the right foods . Your mind will be well taken care of with positive talk and healthy social interactions.
In other words, even if your self-esteem is low, you can start building it today.
You might find some of the twelve activities difficult initially due to ingrained behaviors that have been developed over a lifetime. But if you continue to practice them every day, you will begin to notice an improvement in self-esteem.