Building Self-Esteem
"I'm choosing to see the beauty within me"
Hi friend!
Self esteem is such a related topic across the board. I always had positive self-esteem until I didn’t. It has part of my healing journey and I have learned to love myself from the inside out- such a gift!
Self-esteem is and understanding that self-esteem is not just about feeling good about oneself, but also about evaluating oneself positively. It’s influenced by comparisons with others, life experiences, and environment. Other factors affecting self —esteem are abuse or difficult relationships, pessimistic mindset, unrealistic goal setting, social standards and body image, and negative self-talk.
While low self-esteem is common, it doesn't have to control you. There are practical strategies you can use to build your confidence and live a more fulfilling life. Here are some essential strategies to consider:
1. Monitor self-talk
If you’re prone to negative thoughts, it can be hard to change your thinking. Being aware of how you talk with yourself can be important for developing ways to deal with negative thoughts before they become beliefs that impact your self-esteem.
Once you’ve become aware of unhelpful thought patterns, it can be easier to challenge them. Practicing daily affirmations or reading positive books is helpful. Affirmations are simple, positive statements about yourself. You can say them out loud or write them down. You don’t have to believe them at the start, the goal is to work up to believing them. Confidence-boosting meditation can also help raise your self-esteem.
2. Focus on Self-Compassion: Prioritize self-compassion and kindness towards yourself just as you would towards a close friend. This helps build resilience and reduces the impact of setbacks on self-esteem.
3. Build Positive Experiences: Focus on achieving small, realistic goals and celebrate successes. This helps develop a sense of accomplishment and boosts self-esteem.
4. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences: Seek out supportive relationships and environments that promote positive self-talk and self-worth.
5. Practice GRADITUDE: Reflect on things you appreciate about yourself and your life. Keep a GRADITUDE journal or write down positive affirmations to reinforce a positive self-image.
6. Be Kind to Yourself: Treat yourself with patience and understanding, just as you would a close friend. Avoid self-criticism and focus on self-acceptance.
7. Do something nice for yourself. Make your favorite meal, play a game you enjoy, treat yourself to a spa day or self care day, retail shopping, hang with a positive friend, or watch a favorite movie or TV show.
7. Engage in Activities that Boost Confidence: Participate in activities that bring you joy and help you feel accomplished, such as martial arts, hobbies, or creative pursuits.
8. Accept compliments. Might be fun to save them over when you're feeling low or doubting yourself.
9. Stop being a people pleaser- People with poor self-esteem can feel obligated to say yes to requests. They often put helping others before their own mental health. This can lead to being easily overwhelmed, whether that’s at work or in your personal life. That, in turn, causes a lot of stress. It's nice to be helpful and supportive when you can, but your self-esteem eventually suffers when you tie your self-worth to how much you do for others. Learn how to say NO to others. And remember, NO is a complete sentence,
10. Forgive yourself for your past thoughts- As you work to build your self-esteem, you need to forgive yourself for how you treated yourself before. You can't move forward with your progress without accepting that you used to judge yourself and others harshly. It's a hard habit to break. You’re building a more solid foundation when you choose to have a healthier relationship with yourself.
11. Let go of negative people- It's one thing to let go of negative thoughts, but have you thought about letting negative people go? The people you surround yourself with have a big impact on your mood and level of self-esteem. If people constantly remind you of your flaws, make fun of your mistakes, or fill you with self-doubt, you'll have poor self-esteem. But letting those influences go will allow more positive encouragement and kinder thoughts to help grow your self-esteem.
By incorporating these insights and strategies, you can work towards building a more positive and resilient sense of self-esteem. While you’re learning how to improve your self-esteem, you’ll experience setbacks. You’ll have days where your poor self-esteem seems overpowering. Be patient with yourself. Progress doesn’t happen overnight and isn’t always linear.
Celebrate that small stuff. If you find even just one tactic that makes a difference in your well-being, that’s something to be proud of.
At JLN Coach, i’m all about finding ways that make you feel proud of yourself and your accomplishments. This will help you feel more motivated to guide your progress forward. Plus, it builds your self-confidence when you encounter any challenges. Let’s do this!
XO Jenna
