Feel better! Quick ways to improve your self esteem
If you don’t feel good about yourself, or worry too much about how others perceive you, then you’re likely to have low self esteem. Here are some easy steps to boost your self esteem.
Grow your self esteem
Ten tips to boost your self esteem
Acknowledge your strengths
We are all good at something or the other. Sit down and write about all the strengths you think you have. Do not over-analyse! Next, try to do things that bring out this quality into the open. This will help hone your strengths further, and also gain outside recognition. Also, do not forget to appreciate yourself for all your strong points and talents – it goes a long way in improving your self esteem.
Do not put up with crap!
Do not put up with people who are mean to you, even those who tell you they love you. Draw clear boundaries. Tell them you don’t like to be talked to that way. Ask them to talk to you nicely, and be assertive when you do so.
Lose those negative friends.
It’s time you lose friends who are constantly bitching or putting another down. Such people are likely to do the same behind your back, and they can leave you feeling critical and judgmental of others. Instead surround yourself with loving, positive people who are supportive and kind.
Take in compliments
Many have a difficulty in accepting compliments. There are numerous nice things people might say each day, which your mind wouldn’t have even registered. Many other times, people refuse to take a compliment saying something like “Oh, I didn’t do much.” or simply shrugging it off. From now on, when someone pays you compliment, breathe, accept it, and say thank you!
When you begin to do this, you’ll see your self esteem rise to new levels.
Do not berate yourself
Nobody achieves anything by berating oneself. You’ve made a mistake, OK – acknowledge it. There is no need to beat yourself up for it. Even the world’s greatest have made umpteen mistakes, and continue to make them. Give yourself permission for goof ups and even those BIG mistakes. This permission can be very liberating.
Accept yourself
Accept the good, bad and ugly sides to you, everybody has them. All of these aspects make you who you are. When there is complete acceptance of self, one experiences a feeling of centeredness within and that will naturally bring out a person brimming with self confidence and self esteem.
Here are some self acceptance exercises that experts suggest. The mirror exercise: Look really deep, and see the person that is you in the mirror with love. Experts warn that some people might find it hard to look at themselves in the mirror that way. Give it time, allow the feelings to swell up. Experience the grief, the pain and keep trying to look at yourself. Another suggestion is to start off with positive affirmations, as they are fairly easy. Keep telling yourself, “I accept myself just the way I am”. Positive affirmations are known to have a great effect.
Keep a gratitude diary
When you focus too much on all things going wrong, it can pull you down.
Every night, before you go to bed, write down 10 things you are thankful for. Many times one goes through without recognising all that’s going right. This exercise helps you focus on all the good things in your life. Making you feel worthy.
Respect yourself
Eat healthy and well, exercise, sleep well. When you respect yourself, you’ll notice how others too will begin to reflect that, lifting your spirits and your self esteem.
Dress smart!
Yes, clothes don’t maketh the man, but they do affect the way one feels about himself/herself. When you don’t look good, it affects the way you walk, sit and interact with people. So use this to your advantage and invest in looking good. This doesn’t mean you have to spend tonnes of money on grooming. Small things like bathing, washing your hair and wearing neat, pressed clothes can make a difference.
Smile
You have heard the phrase: “Smile and the whole world smiles with you, frown and you frown alone.” It’s amazing what a simple smile can do to enhance a person’s appearance. It has the power to alter the mood of a place you walk into. So carry your smile with you wherever you go.
Photograph via sxc.hu
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