5 Tips for Better Self-esteem
In a society where we are constantly surrounded by the portrayal of perfection in other people’s lives, it can be hard to feel content with ourselves and what we are doing with our own lives. Low self-esteem works itself into a number of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, and substance use. Changing how you perceive yourself can, at first, seem like a daunting task, but like anything else in life if you put in the effort and give yourself time to adjust, raising your self-esteem can have monumental effects.
How do we get ourselves to this self-assured state? This article is dedicated to giving you five tips that will help raise your self-esteem and guide you towards a better, introspective lifestyle. However, it is very important to work yourself up to these points, as it is not possible to change drastically overnight. All change is slow and requires consistent effort, but is completely doable for anyone! You could start by picking any one of the following or try to tackle all of them slowly.
1. Avoid Comparisons
Remember that your circumstances are different from the person next to you. Each individual has their own set of difficulties in life. No matter where you look, it will always seem like someone else has it better than you do, which can lead to a cycle of self-destructiveness as you try to be better than others. The best way to approach this is by only comparing yourself to one person: yourself. By taking perspective of yourself, you can evaluate how far you have come as individual, approach who you want to be, and strive to be that person.
2. Mindfulness
Catch yourself when you start thinking negatively. For every negative statement that you think about a scenario, try to come up with something positive to counteract it. By doing so, you can restructure how you approach events in your life and break free from cycles of negative thoughts. This is a good approach if you find yourself reacting negatively towards certain events.
3. Self-appreciation
It is important to acknowledge your own struggles and growth. Take some time every day to think of how you have evolved as a person and appreciate something about yourself. If you find that difficult, start out slowly by thinking of something positive every day or every few days. Work yourself up to writing three aspects of yourself that you appreciate every day. You can record your responses and on days where you are having difficulties, you can inspire yourself by reading them.
4. Be kind to others
How we treat others can be a reflection of our own self worth, and helping others can actually make you feel more positively about yourself. You don’t have to put yourself completely out of the way to help someone, but you can do small things like encouraging someone when they are down, helping them carry something, or even holding a door open for them.
5. Positive Input
This might be difficult, but it is important to identify what in your life might be causing you to be unhappy. Are you surrounding yourself with people and activities (like browsing social media) that you make you feel less worthy about yourself? Make an effort to cut out those mediums of negativity in your life. If you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to do so, focus on improving your approach to those scenarios with a more positive mindset and strengthening your relationship with yourself. Try introducing more positive influences in your life instead, through friends, shows or books that make you feel more positive.
Whether you think you lack self-esteem or not, these are good general tips to improve your overall life satisfaction or to help yourself during trying times. No one’s life runs a smooth course; therefore, it can always be soothing to take a step back and put some effort into yourself.
