How to Increase Your Self-Esteem

There seems to be quite a few people who suffer from low self-esteem. Low self-esteem can hamper us in many ways. It can result in a lack of confidence to go after that job that you wanted, or that person that you have seen around. It can make us depressed and want to give up on the things we want in life.
There are several things you can do to boost your self-esteem. One way is to avoid negative self-talk. Calling yourself stupid won’t help. You may have done something that wasn’t the best idea, but it doesn’t make you stupid. Think about how you would react to someone else in the very same situation. Chances are that you wouldn’t be nearly as harsh to someone else as you are to yourself.
Another thing that can be helpful is to connect with people who love and support you. Tell them how you are feeling and listen to their positive affirmations. Avoid spending time with negative thinkers – it can affect how you think, and positive thinking goes a long way.
Focus on your positives. Make a list of things you like about yourself. I suggest writing down three things every morning that you like about yourself. Review your list every evening as an affirmation. It will get more challenging as the days go on, but searching for the positive in you can be very rewarding.
Learning to be more assertive can also be helpful. It certainly isn’t a bad thing to be helpful to others, but knowing when to say “no” means that you are less likely to be taken advantage of. This includes setting boundaries, such as when and how you are able to help when asked. What this means is taking control of your own decisions.
Challenge yourself with something that interests you. Be realistic – don’t set the bar so high that you are bound to fail, but make it challenging so that you can feel good about yourself for the accomplishment. Try a new recipe, sign up for a class, learn a new language. Small accomplishments can have a big impact on your self-esteem. Remind yourself that you don’t have to be perfect at something – probably no one but you expects that!
Learn to accept compliments. Often people with low self-esteem shrug off compliments. You need not say more than “thank-you” to the person giving you the compliment, but let it sink in – you deserve that.
Take good physical care of yourself. Get proper rest, eat right and get some exercise. These things seem small, but they can go a long way to helping your self-esteem.
If things get too much to handle, seek professional support. There are various types of support such as counselling and therapy.
Positive self-esteem is important to good mental health – and you are worth it!