Boost Your Self Esteem Today – Great Things Can Happen

Most of us could use a bit of a self-esteem boost now and then.

Self-esteem is all about how we feel inside. When our self esteem is low, we can find ourselves living with anxiety, we can be more prone to tolerating abusive behavior and relationships, and we can fail to live up to our full potential.

There can also be cons to self esteem. For instance, when a person’s sense of self worth is much too high, it can become arrogance or what is termed ‘narcissism’, and this can create problems. Such persons can find it difficult to accept and learn from their own mistakes and can develop a false sense of entitlement.

Developing a balanced level of self-esteem is key. For some, a healthy, high self-esteem comes naturally. But for others, growing a healthy self-esteem takes some effort. Check out these pointers to give your self-esteem a boost.

1. Draw up a list of your good qualities

For some people with really low self-esteem, even contemplating making a list of their good qualities seems like an overwhelming task, but it can be extremely helpful for raising self-esteem. If you find this task challenging, consider what others say about you. What positive compliments have you received? Begin with those and then work from there. Jot your good points down using “I” and the present tense. For example, “I am a thoughtful and considerate person.”

2. Regular affirmations

Take another look at the list you made. Select your favorite qualities to use to do daily affirmations. Take those statements and jot them down on cue cards and stickie notes. Stick the notes where you will notice them everyday, such as on your computer screen, mirror, or refrigerator. When you see them, take a few minutes to repeat them over to yourself. Put notecards in your purse or wallet where you are certain to come across them at least once a day. When this happens, take a moment to read them to yourself a few times. After a while you can change out some of your best qualities for some of the other qualities on your list.

3. Gain some perspective

People generally don’t talk about their challenges, disappointments, and struggles in life, but that’s not because we don’t encounter them. How we decide to approach these things will directly affect levels of self-esteem, happiness and success. The really successful and confident people in life aren’t those who have encountered few problems and challenges, they are people who have viewed them as just a part of life and have powered through anyway, learning as they go. Your failures don’t mean that you are a failure, they just mean you need to reassess the situation as well as your approach to it and approach it from another angle.

4. Make yourself a priority

Part of increasing your self esteem is accepting you are worthy of your own love. Make time for yourself. Take care of yourself when you’re having a tough time. Say ‘no’ when you have to and don’t feel bad about it. Make your needs clear to others and ask for what you need. (If you find it difficult to say ‘no’, then look for some assertiveness training, or check out a book on the subject.)

Use these 4 simple tips and you will enhance your self-esteem. Above all, make sure you are kind to yourself and give yourself as much love as you give to the important people in your life. You absolutely deserve it!