If you want to improve your self-esteem, then this article will help you!
We usually see two types of people around us: the ones who are enigmatic and brave, full of confidence; and the ones who are seriously insecure and lack self-esteem. Which group do you belong to?
Are you the type who are confident wherever you are and whatever you do, with an iron-will that just cannot be shaken? Are you someone who know you are right, and have the courage to do what you want to do, get what you want? Or, are you someone who never has enough confidence to follow your own dreams, who deems yourself incapable of success in life? Are you someone who is reluctant to trust your own instincts, doubt yourself even when you are wrong.
If you belong to the second category, you definitely lack self-esteem, and here are some ways to improve your self-esteem.
1. Accept Yourself
The first thing that you have to do is to accept yourself, just the way you are. So you are not brave when the situation demands, or easily intimidated by others? If you lack the confidence to make your voice heard, easily accept other’s lead instead of making your own decisions, or avoid social situations because you find them to be difficult – there’s no need to deny these personality traits.
Accept the traits in yourself, and only then will you be able to change. If you are in complete denial about the traits that’s bothering you, you won’t know exactly what you want to improve or transform in yourself.
2. Be Nice to Yourself
This is another way to improve your self-esteem, don’t blame or chide yourself for everything you are lacking. This is just how you were born, and it’s no one’s fault. If you have low self-esteem or if you are instinctively timid, these are just personality traits that you have gotten by birth, via your genes or because of the environment that you have grown up in.
So, don’t blame yourself for something you had no hand in. Be nice to yourself and congratulate yourself on the good traits that you have – loyalty and kindness, honesty, responsibility, respect for others, integrity and compassion.
3. Don’t Compare and Despair
Most of the time when we are feeling bad about ourselves, it is because we are comparing our own lives or personality traits with someone else. If you compare yourself to someone who has a much higher confidence level than yourself, you are bound to feel inadequate; if you compare yourself to a person who has better leadership qualities and can motivate others, you can start to feel your shortcomings more.
Don’t compare yourself to others because everyone is different. You might not have the qualities you admire in others, but they are not perfect. You have many traits that are praiseworthy and chances are, there are other people who are also jealous of you!
4. Take Care of Yourself
Whatever your opinion of yourself, it is very important that you also take care of your own physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Often, the people with the lowest self-esteem are the people who have selflessly devoted their lives taking care of others. But it is also crucial that you think of yourself every now and then, and spend some time, effort and money on yourself.
Treat yourself to fancy dinners and movie nights; take some time off to do what you like without having to think of others. Take yourself to a mini vacation or a weekend away – just to relax and contemplate. You can grow confident only when you spend enough time to think about yourself.
5. Don’t Stress
The more you are stressed, the less self-esteem you can have. When you are stressed, it means that you are not sure of how to deal with a difficult situation, and that you don’t have enough confidence on yourself to find a way. Whenever in a tough situation, you need to cool down, and not take too much pressure on yourself; the more you stress, the more you are going to lose control on yourself.
6. Try Something New To Improve Your Self-Esteem
In other words, try something you’ve always been afraid to do before! This could be something as simple as enrolling in a language class. If you haven’t been able to finish your education, you can get back to college.
You won’t have to tell anyone what you are attempting to do; this new experience should only be for yourself. You need to step out of your comfort zone and try something you’ve always wanted to but never dared!
7. Choose Positive People to be Around
If there had been people in your life – even close family members and friends – who have been negative about your abilities and have discouraged you, it is time to let them go. It doesn’t matter who they are; you need to separate yourself from people who doesn’t believe in you.
Instead, only communicate with people who make you feel good; surround yourself with people who see the positive traits in you and encourage you to do better. If the people who have belittled you before are your closest family members, friends or the coolest people you know, you shouldn’t spend time with them, because they are not good for your self-esteem.
8. Set Realistic Goals for Yourself
You can’t just decide to change overnight and suddenly turn into the version of yourself you’ve dreamt about. It’s going to take time. Instead, set small and realistic goals for yourself constantly, at least once every day.
Every day, make small goals to how you can improve your self-esteem. Start out the day thinking, “This is the day I am going to stand up against the boy/girl that bullies me in school” or “This is the day I am going to say ‘no’ when a certain colleague tries to give me his/her share of the work”. You might not even pass the first time you’ve set yourself a goal, but don’t let that stop you. Keep setting realistic goals for yourself, and one day, you might just surprise yourself!
It is not easy to live in this harsh world when you have little confidence in yourself, but it’s usually not your fault. If a person has a low self-esteem, it may be because of what they have gotten from their family’s genes, or due to the environment they have grown up in. But good news! Just because you have zero confidence in yourself, it doesn’t mean that you can’t improve.
These were 8 ways to improve your self-esteem that you can, slowly and gradually, boost your self-confidence. It might take you more time than it takes others, but if you try, you can succeed one day!
