Read this if you’re down on yourself, feeling lonely, depressed, or ready to give up on your dreams! You’ll love the boost to your self-esteem!
It’s time to boost your self-esteem and realize that YOU are a beautiful, unique, talented creation of life and belong in a life filled with love for yourself and those around you.
Here are ten ways to boost your self-esteem right now:
Try these things to take good care of yourself.
“Look for something that makes your day every day, and soon enough, every day will be filled with things that make your day.” – Kristen Butler
1. Compliment yourself.
The love you send into the world has to come from somewhere, right? It comes from within you, and you’ve GOT to practice the self-love you deserve. This is especially important when you’re giving your love to others. One great way to provide yourself with love is through a practice called “mirror work,” taught in depth by Louise Hay. Walk right up to the mirror, and compliment yourself – it’s as simple as that. It could be anything from “Your hair looks great today” to “I love the authentic, beautiful, unique person you are!”
2. Stop comparing yourself to others.
“I cannot say this too strongly: Do not compare yourselves to others. Be true to who you are, and continue to learn with all your might.” – Daisaku Ikeda
Your self-esteem is your unique piece of the Universe. Our world is one big jigsaw puzzle full of details that fit together in many ways, but you are only one piece and must play your unique part. When you compare yourself to others, you undervalue who you truly are. Realize your true self-worth. It may even help improve your net worth!
3. Smile more often every day.
Smiling is essential to happiness and improved self-esteem. Studies show that smiling more (even if forced) can genuinely decrease stress and have many other benefits. Not only will your mood rise, but you’ll also do the same for others; remember, as we empower ourselves and smile more, we shine a light for others to follow. They will also permit themselves to smile more.
Even if for no other reason than you are still here, smile!
4. Be gentle to yourself.
Be gentle with yourself – you can’t change where you are right now. You can only change your perspective on it to shift yourself into a different and hopefully more favorable place in the future. Also, remember to be kind to others – what you say to others, you say to yourself. Go into every situation to improve others’ day through kindness and compassion, and you’ll see that the energy is returned exponentially.
5. Focus on how far you’ve come, not how far you have to go.
No known force in this world can move an entire mountain without breaking it down into pieces first. Nonetheless, it’s the pieces that you’ve transferred that remind you how far you’ve come. The finish line will always be there, waiting for you to cross it, take a deep breath, and keep going.
6. Reach out and get support.
Having positive relationships with open communication channels is healthy and needed for positive progress. Whether through your local community, family, friends, online, etc., a strong network will hold you accountable for your health & well-being. It will provide you with genuine and caring people you can count on if life takes a negative shift. (Don’t forget about the incredible Power of Positivity community that will shine for you every day! )
7. Look for unique things that make your day.
Acknowledge the things that make your day, whether that’s thanking someone verbally or thanking God. Allow gratitude for the positive in your life to fill your spirit and nourish your body with energy and love.
8. Eat healthy and organic whole foods.
Eating healthy foods has multiple benefits, including better health, better moods, and a happier digestive system that will thank you for eating this way. You’ll even be seeing more favorable numbers on the scale! So get that special dinner outfit out of the closet and hang it on the wall for motivation – you’re on your way!
9. Stay active every day.
Much like the laws of inertia work, activity is required to stay on top of your game. Physical, mental, and even spiritual activity all count – for flowing water is filled with vibrancy and life while stagnant water is the opposite. You can exercise, do yoga, use apps for self-development, meditate, or even just read a few chapters of your favorite book to stay active.
10. Do what makes you happy and follow your passion.
Life loves when we are passionate because we’re in our happiest and most creative state. Passion with the right action leads to creation that exceeds our expectations. When we follow our passion, and it truly feels right in our heart and mind, we can always be assured we’re on the right path. It’s not always perfect or easy, but it is worth it.
7 Signs of Low Self-Esteem
1. Avoiding Problems in Life
If you have low self-esteem, you may think you cannot handle life’s problems. Dealing with daily stresses can seem overwhelming, so escapism becomes more appealing. While some people who avoid difficulties in life aren’t suffering from low self-esteem, it can present itself in this manner.
Rather than facing your fears, you’d rather shirk responsibilities and stay in your comfort zone. This certainly makes for a more relaxing, easygoing lifestyle, but it won’t help you grow.
2. Withdrawing from Friends and Family
Another common sign that someone has low self-esteem is social isolation or withdrawal. If you have a negative view of yourself, it bleeds over into every facet of your life. You may not think you’re worthy of any relationships, and isolate yourself from others to avoid rejection. Those with low self-esteem often have few friendships and aren’t close with family members.
3. Under or Overachievement
It may seem counterintuitive that overachievement could signal underlying self-esteem issues. After all, many people identify themselves by their financial status or accomplishments in our modern world that stresses productivity over all else. However, working yourself to death could point to deep insecurity, as you must prove your worth to feel accepted.
Unfortunately, it never feels like enough, no matter how much work you do. That’s because the root issue of low self-esteem hasn’t been brought to the surface. Until you deal with your feelings of unworthiness, you’ll never feel satisfied despite your many achievements and abilities.
On the other hand, some people choose to cope with low self-esteem by doing as little. They don’t believe they can achieve much in life, so they do the bare minimum instead. Those with a negative self-image may not even think they’re worthy of better opportunities in life. So, they become stagnant and indifferent about their station in life.
4. Indecisiveness
Low self-esteem may manifest as a difficulty in making life decisions. Since insecure people don’t usually trust their instincts or intuition, they don’t feel comfortable making choices. They may pass this responsibility to others they deem more adequate or competent. They can avoid taking the blame if something goes wrong, lifting a massive weight off their shoulders.
Being indecisive could stem from early life trauma, perhaps because their parents criticized them too harshly. As such, they learned to become passive as a survival instinct. They’d instead not make any decision than make the wrong one and get yelled at.
5. Anxiety, Depression, or Other Mental Health Problems
Sadly, many people with low self-esteem also suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. Studies have found a link between an unstable self-concept and maladaptive behaviors such as violence, aggression, hopelessness, and substance abuse. There’s also a strong association between poor self-image and eating disorders, manic episodes, and personality disorders.
Self-esteem helps buffer stress and mental health problems by promoting resilience and positive coping skills. Usually, low self-esteem results from frequent adverse experiences during childhood and bullying from peers. Studies show that we inherit self-esteem from our parents, but environmental factors also play a role.
6. Procrastination
Believe it or not, your procrastinating habit could stem from low self-esteem. Research shows that procrastination is a self-protective strategy that hides a person’s insecurity. They may use this excuse to justify underachieving and adverse outcomes at work or school. You may procrastinate to avoid making decisions that could spark criticism from others. Or, the behavior may stem from poor time management and motivation, both of which have been linked to low self-esteem.
7. People-Pleasing Behaviors
Those with low self-esteem generally have a hard time saying ‘no’ to others. They may fear rejection or criticism from people and don’t want to disappoint them. For instance, they may always accept new projects from their boss even if they miss other essential engagements in life. Children’s birthdays or family vacations may take a backseat to please their boss because they don’t want to seem weak or uninterested in their work.
Or, the people-pleaser may act overly generous, buying extravagant gifts for others to gain their acceptance. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make others happy, but it could signal an underlying problem if you do it to boost your self-esteem.
What Causes Low Self-Esteem?
1. Childhood abuse or neglect
Your parents play a huge role in your mental, emotional and physical well-being. As caregivers, they are responsible for shaping you into a healthy, productive member of society. Children need a warm, safe, and loving environment for stable development. If they’re raised in a chaotic, stressful home, it can lead to low self-esteem and other mental problems.
2. Bullying at school
The way your peers interact with you influences your mental health as well. If you have mostly negative experiences with kids at school, you may feel like an outcast. As humans, we naturally want to belong in a group, but it can lead to social withdrawal and poor self-esteem when others exclude us. Many studies have found an association between being bullied and poor self-concept.
3. Long-term stress due to negative experiences
Life circumstances such as losing jobs, getting a divorce, or dealing with financial difficulties can cause low self-esteem. Of course, everyone deals with a loss at some point in life, but it could affect how you see yourself if it’s a frequent occurrence.
4. Medical or mental health conditions
Finally, having a medical condition could negatively impact your self-image. You may feel like a burden or unworthy of other people’s attention because of your situation. If you have a chronic disease, you may also feel limited in what you can accomplish, leading to a negative self-concept.
Final Thoughts on Reversing Low Self-Esteem
No one wants to perceive themselves in a negative light, but unfortunately, many of us struggle with loving ourselves. As a result of early life trauma, bullying, and other experiences, we may have a fragmented idea of who and what we are. Thankfully, it’s possible to repair a broken image of ourselves by practicing self-care, thinking positively, and focusing on our strengths rather than perceived weaknesses.
Remember, you’re a part of this cosmic play and deserve to be here just like everyone else. So, don’t be afraid to shine!
