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10 Tips That Will Help Strengthen Your Self-Esteem And Leave You Feeling Great About Yourself
Your self-esteem is more than just the confidence you have in yourself. It goes much deeper than that, down into your feelings of self-worth and how much you respect yourself. You need to strengthen your self-esteem because it affects everything about you, from the decisions you make to your overall outlook on the world. My general outlook on life is positive.
A strong and healthy self-esteem is one of the main building blocks of a happy and healthy you. With a healthy self-esteem, you can have the confidence to do well in the world, as well as the self-respect to make good decisions. Life isn’t always happy and perfect, but great.
Sure, there are not so great moments too, but how you deal with will help you move past those roadblocks and strengthen your self-esteem.
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”Click To Tweet
Today, I am feeling better about some not so nice things that happened last week. You see, I let words get to me. Words can be hurtful, but when you know who you are, and you are confident in your skin, it is easier to let words roll off your back. This is something that is an on-going process for me. What I am getting at is that things that happen in your day can affect your self-esteem.
In order to strengthen your self-esteem, you need to understand what it is right? Self-esteem reflects a person’s overall emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. It is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self, both negative and positive.
Factors That Influence Your Self-Esteem
There are many factors in life that influence your self-esteem. These factors can either build your self-esteem up, or pull you down.
Childhood – Your childhood is one of the main contributing influences to your self-esteem. As you grow up and as your personality is developing, everyone around you has the potential to influence the person you become. The way the treat you, talk to you, their general interaction with you will influence your self-esteem.
Society – The pressures of society are a main contributor of low self-esteem. Society makes a variety of demands to we are expected to live up to. Live a certain way, dress a certain way, have a particular kind of job, etc. These pressures can weigh on you, and succumbing to the pressure can often lead to low self-esteem.
Media – We have an absolute obsession with the media. News, print ads, television, and social media. These sources contribute to the dilemma of widespread self-esteem issues, especially in today’s youth. The ready access of social media helps to influence young minds with the pressure to look, act, or otherwise be like celebrities, and public figures. Even as an adult, it can be hard not to compare yourself to others.
Friends and Family – The people you spend time with have a big influence on your self-esteem. Your friends can help you build up your confidence, self-image, and self-respect, or they can bring you down. Some people even purposefully bring each other down to build themselves up, whether or not they are aware of what they are doing. Feelings of inadequacy when it comes to providing for your family can add to a low self-esteem, while a family that works together and builds each other up can contribute to a healthy self-esteem.
Romantic Involvements – All relationships can influence your self-esteem. Relationships with parents, siblings, friends, and colleagues. Romantic relationships tend to have the biggest effect. Being in a happy and loving relationship can boost your self-esteem. A bad relationship can hurt and bring you down. Leaving you feeling sad and lonely, which can also weigh heavily on your confidence and self-esteem.
Work Environment – You spend so much of your life at work or at school, so it’s no wonder that that environment would influence every aspect of your life, including your self-esteem. A stressful and overly demanding job can often contribute to a low self-esteem, while a productive and encouraging workplace can help you grow stronger.
Here Are Ten Tips On How To Strengthen Your Self-Esteem
1. Stop the Criticism
Without this, the rest of these tips cannot work or be helpful to you. Find the strength to stop criticizing yourself so much. You cannot expect yourself to be perfect any more than anyone else can. When you learn how to embrace your faults, you are more likely to forgive the flaws of others.
Yes, you should speak positive affirmations to yourself, but it is even more important to avoid generic positive affirmations. Don’t tell yourself you are beautiful, fantastic or wonderful if you don’t really believe it. Positive affirmations will only work for you if you believe what you are telling yourself.
2. Make a List
I am a list maker and an organizer. To-do here, to-do there, check my daily planner, and items to my calendar, plan, plan, plan. So after planning the day or week for myself and my family, toddler in bed, I retreat for some me time. I use my “me-time” so self-care and meditation.
To strengthen your self-esteem, you should make “pro” and “con” list.
Write down what you do and do not like about yourself. Be specific and resist the impulse to just write things like “I hate my hair”, “I am too fat”, I am so skinny”, I wish I had bigger boobs”.
When you are very specific you might find that you have less to dislike than you think.
3. Set Realistic Goals
What are realistic goals? These are goals that you are likely to meet because they are short-term achievable goals. For this reason, I never make New Year’s resolutions.
They do not work and will be long forgotten by March. Set personal goals for yourself so you have something to work for, and set up a reward system as well. Let go of the unrealistic goals. For example, don’t expect to be able to run ten miles the first time you try or attempt to lose 50kg in a month.
Make small, realistic goals and you will always have something to look forward to.
4. Take Care of Yourself
Learn how to practice self-care and self-love. Eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Take care of yourself, and take pride in your body and mind. When you take care of yourself, you show yourself and those around you that you are strong enough to take care of others too. Here are some products I love to use.
5. Identify Areas Of Strength
In order to strengthen your self-esteem, you have to identify what you’re good at. We are all good at something.
There is something you do well, or what you do that other people appreciate. Mind you, this may not be what you LOVE doing. Lots of people love to dance and sing, but quite frankly they suck at it.
You might be good at baking, or painting. No matter what it is, the thing you excel at will help boost and strengthen your self-esteem.
Our first and last love is self-love. - Christian Nestell BoveeClick To Tweet
6. Don’t Make Comparisons
We are all unique and different. Why does it make sense to ever compare yourself to other people? It is unrealistic and unhealthy. Take pride in what sets you apart.
7. Treat Yourself Well
Don’t we all love to have fun? Laugh, dream and be happy? Show yourself a good time every once in a while, or treat yourself to something special. Do small things, like taking the time to indulge in a good book or a home spa treatment, these can do wonders to help strengthen your self-esteem.
8. Meditate
This one isn’t for everyone, but meditation can feed your soul. Not talking about sitting cross-legged and humming. It is about taking the time to release your mind and body from all of the stress, closing your eyes, and focusing on centring yourself. It is a great stress reliever and could help you connect with your inner self.
Self-love is the source of all our other loves. - Pierre CorneilleClick To Tweet
9. Make Good Decisions
Or at least try. We have all made bad decisions and mistakes in life. This post won’t make you free of mistakes but help you think about what you can do to avoid bad decisions.
Good self-esteem is also about having self-respect. Making good decisions in all walks of life will help you maintain that self-respect.
10. The Truth About Perfection
The truth about perfection is that it doesn’t exist. No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, and those mistakes are all part of the adventure of life. Don’t get hung up on things that you might not do just right, or if something isn’t perfect because there is no such thing.
A healthy self-esteem can change your life. People with healthy self-esteem are more likely to make good decisions, work harder towards accomplishment, and live happier lives. With these tips, you can strengthen your self-esteem, and let go of emotional pain, hurt, and anxiety.
What are you doing to strengthen your self-esteem? Share with me in the comments section below.
38 comments
This is so helpful for me. I have a question.Is loosing my self respect for the one I love more than my life is good ?
Setting realistic goals can help you achieve them best. That, and not being so judgmental.
Self esteem is so important and it really make a huge difference in how you see life! For me, reading others stories helps with self-esteem.
xx, Kusum
Stopping criticism and doing well for yourself goes hand in hand.Meditation is amazing
I’ve gotten more into the practice of affirmations to boost my mood. I write them in my planner because we are attached at the hip so I see it often.
This was a profound post that got me thinking on a subliminal level. Self confidence I believe is a constant work in progress. Thanks for sharing this!
These are all great! I am a firm believer in meditation and positive affirmations. I love how you’ve listed to focus on your strengths and not making comparisons. Comparison will kill anyone self esteem.
We sound very alike! I too, am a list-maker and have stopped making new year’s resolutions – instead I set myself achievable monthly goals which works well! Once we realize that we are all individuals and perfection really doesn’t exist, we can start to give the best of ourselves.
One of the ways that I strengthen your self-esteem is by knowing my worth and WHY and keeping myself to that standard.
I found that when I stopped criticising myself my confidence really kicked in! That and not really caring about what other’s thought of me anymore 🙂
I loved this. My self esteem low is from my childhood and it still sticks with me. I’m taking steps like you have suggested to make myself feel better.
I wish i had self esteem. I dont have any. Thing is ive never had it, so no idea what its like to even have it
I always appreciate tips because you are always missing something. Something can always be added. I know when I feel good my self esteem is high, a compliment wl also elevate it. So positivity around you is definitely where you need to be in the middle of.
Number 4 is something i really need to work on for myself. this was a good list to recap.
Great tips! And yes, perfection doesn’t exist. This is definitely a good read for everyone who wants to make themselves better. Who wouldn’t?
You know what I have come to realize? Self-esteem can happen in seasons. I dunno but in my case, self esteem sometimes wanes. I am not sure why. I really gotta work on that. Btw, my 4-year-old daughter saw your picture at the top of the post and she said you’re beautiful .:D
Love list making too, this is helpful for me. I am working on a self care series soon. You should join.
So powerful. As a mom, carving out “me time” is the key. We get run down, and many times that triggers negative self talk. Thanks for these beautiful reminders. I will revisit this post periodically to continue taking a deep breath and loooing at the bright side of life.
I absolutely love this post. It’s so in depth and really is something that we can achieve when making small changes. I struggle with self esteem issues but trying to lose weight to start a more positive year
i appreciate this post, i do have really low self-esteem and i am trying to fix that. I want to love myself unconditionally
What an interesting post. I think childhood really does have an impact. I am doing all i can to help my daughter build strong self esteem and be confident.
I’m big on meditation. I think it helps so many things. I think tips to support your self esteem should be taught in schools as it really is a life skill x
This is so true! And I love that quote. She was such an amazing woman and so very wise.
I feel better after reading this, I ticked some things of my list! I think this year is the best time to start meditating as I saw really great improvement with some people, they feel rejuvenated and calmer. Thanks for the tips!
Sleep is a biggie for me – and I’ve been amazed how many other bloggers say it’s a priority for them too in terms of self care. Unless you get enough sleep you can’t think straight I find. You’ve put together a great list.
Number 4, taking care of yourself, is a big one for me. If I feel like I look good then my esteem automatically goes up.
these are some great tips! I think not making comparisons is so important. I remind myself that what you see online isn’t reality, it’s a highlight reel, so you can’t compare.
Love love love this post. A great reminder to constantly take care of ourselves. As moms, we naturally take care of our kids, and family, and never set aside good amount of time to take care of ourselves.
These tips are so good, and I love the idea of setting yourself some realistic goals! Self-esteem is so fragile so we should all take time out to relax once in a while.
Wow, I wish someone would’ve said all of this to me 10 years ago! Gaining positive self-esteem is a journey and these are fantastic tips to help along the way!
these are great! thanks for your help with self esteem ideas!
I have self esteem issues as well and you are right in saying that factors like your childhood or the media has an impact on how you view yourself. My problem is that I spend too much time worrying about what people think and I really shouldn’t . After all not everyone is going to get on but that is ok.
Loving yourself is key to building self worth and love for others. Meditating and focusing on the good in your life goes a long way to creating happiness.
Great read! Self esteem is so important especially in women. Sometimes I can be my worst critic and I’m learning to not be so hard on myself. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome tips! Seeing strengths and taking time out for ourselves is so important. Things will be difficult, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t doing great too x
I really enjoyed reading this post. As a self employed working mum it’s far too easy to put myself last, with detriment to my confidence. I love the Lucille Ball quote 🙂
These are some great tips. I particularly like the practical ones like making lists and setting achievable goals. X
This was really interesting reading because I thought I was a pretty confident person, but being worried about being judged since I started blogging last year has affected me more than I thought it would!