Build your self-esteem, one day at a time
You may think that self-confidence and self-esteem are the same thing. Heads up – they’re not. Self-confidence is believing in your abilities, while self-esteem is valuing yourself as a person. The key difference is the value of ‘me’ instead of the value of my ‘abilities’. Both self-esteem and self confidence take time to develop. Self-confidence comes more naturally as you go through life. Self-esteem needs a bit more work… work that you have to do on your own.
Having low self-esteem can be improved with a little effort by using these tips and tools to develop your self-worth and unlock your future potential:
Hang out with people who are positive
Take some time to evaluate the people you spend the most time with. Are they positive or do they criticise you and life in general regularly? Once you start taking notice, you’ll be surprised how negative some people can be. It’s better to spend more time with people who appreciate you for who you are.
Keep an eye on the way you talk about yourself
Every time you have a negative thought about yourself, write it down. Draw a line down the page and on the other side of the line write an opposing positive thought. Memorise the positive thought and every time you think the negative thought, say the positive version to yourself out loud (if you are alone). For example if your negative thought is: “No one likes me, I will never be popular”; your positive response could be: “I may not be the most popular, but I have plenty of good friends who love me, and my friendship circle is growing.”
Don’t ever compare yourself to your friends
We all do it. We scroll through the social media profiles of all our friends, and they always seem to look better and have more fun. What we forget is that each person has grown up under very different circumstances. Some are rich, some are poor, some are smart, some are sporty. The point is that every person has their own weaknesses and strengths. When comparing, we often look at someone else’s strengths and compare them to our weaknesses. It’s not an even playing field and will only leave you feeling negative and low. Love you for you!
Be kind to yourself
You need to care for yourself and have compassion for yourself. Be realistic with your expectations. If you are being hard on yourself, take a step back and ask yourself if you would treat your closest friend the way you are treating yourself? You wouldn’t. So why be so hard on yourself? Rather think of all the times you have succeeded and give yourself a well-deserved tap on the back. Changing your mindset could really change your life.
Be grateful
Even when times seem really tough, remind yourself that there is always someone who is worse off than you are. There is also always something to be grateful for. Make a point of telling your friends what you are grateful for every day. On a good day you may have a lot to be thankful for. On a bad day you can still be grateful for being able to get up in the morning, smell the fresh air outside and feel the sunshine on your face. You’re alive!
