How to Increase Your Self-esteem in 10 Steps

How to Increase Your Self-esteem in 10 Steps

Do you look in the mirror and feel bad? Do you think that everything you do, you do badly? Are you unable to communicate how you feel beyond self-deprecating jokes, or do you think that nobody is interested? This means that your self-esteem is very low. No matter the cause, this should not be ignored. You should try to increase your opinion of yourself and boost your self-esteem to prevent this from affecting your life and your overall well-being.

This can seem very difficult; however, here at oneHOWTO we have some tips so that you learn how to increase your self-esteem and take control of your opinion of yourself. Read on!

Steps to follow:
1

Identify what conditions your self-esteem

To increase your self-esteem, the most important thing to do is to start loving yourself again, even if recovering your sense of self-worth takes a long time and effort. To overcome a serious personal crisis, the key is to identify the situations or conditions that affect your self-esteem. These might be related to work, colleagues, friends, your partner, or any unforeseen event that you cannot control or face.

2

Be aware of your thought process

A key part of this process is for you to become aware of your thoughts. Establish an internal dialogue with yourself as only a friend would, and interpret each of the signals that affect your self-esteem. Find out if they are neutral, negative or positive emotions; once you have identified them, make an effort to replace each negative thought with other positive and constructive ones. This might seem artificial and forced - and maybe even useless - at first, but these messages of hope and confidence will eventually settle in.

3

Forgive past mistakes

Do not blame yourself for errors that you've made. You are a human being, and making mistakes is human: Remembering past mistakes and cringing in shame or embarrassment is natural, and even the most confident-looking people around you do it as well. Learn to forgive yourself every time you feel frustrated and think of it as something that can help you grow as a person and even on a professional level. You're not a worse person for having made a mistake; the important thing is to learn from it and not to repeat it. If it works for you, it's a good idea to write the positive things you can take from it down.

4

Take care of your health

It is also highly recommended to develop habits that improve your mental and physical well-being and boost your energy. Practicing a sport you enjoy, cooking healthily and doing whatever hobby makes you happy will help you relax and sleep better, which is an immediate mood booster.

Many of us see taking time off for ourselves as a selfish thing, but it's better for everyone - in our families, relationships and jobs - when we are at the most of our capacities. Here you can learn more about how to take care of yourself with simple self-care tips.

5

Release your emotions

Allow yourself to release your emotions to increase your self-esteem. Some people find that a good emotional release technique to regain inner peace and avoid negative feelings is to repeat mantras, affirmations that settle in, enrich the soul and fill it with joy. A common self-esteem mantra is the phrase "I love and accept myself", but of course, everyone has a their own.

Some people find emotional release in fiction - sometimes we find in a story's character or plot something that we see ourselves reflected in, which helps us understand ourselves and find the best aspects in us.

6

Communicate what you feel

Once you understand what's happening and how you work - what makes you feel better and what doesn't - you can communicate better with others and get help. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to show your vulnerability in front of your friends or family - hiding your emotions will not do anyone any good, even if you feel that that is what's expected of you. Moreover, don't reject the idea of getting professional help or counseling.

7

Review your expectations

You should also try and avoid being very demanding and criticizing yourself excessively. You might make mistakes here and there, but you should only tell yourself what you would say to a friend. When you feel that you're digging yourself deeper and over-analyzing everything you have and haven't done, turn to an activity that requires high levels of concentration to take your mind off things, or explain what you're thinking to someone else.

Make amends with yourself and, when you're going through bad times, be gentle with yourself - do not to bury yourself with self-destructive behavior.

8

Find your strong suit

Recognize that you are a unique person. Everyone is different; think of yourself and analyze what makes you special, and work on those aspects. Avoid suppressing your emotions; always express what you feel. Bad thoughts will always trouble you - learn to let them go and over time you'll appreciate all the good things happening around you. What surrounds you is also as a result of your personal effort - the world is what it is thanks in part to you.

9

Don't be that reasonable

To boost your self-esteem, it is not a good idea to always resort to excessive rationalism or reasoning - sometimes you feel bad just because, or a very small thing can override a very big worry. Seek out a balance between emotion and reason, so that your life is not a constant disappointment. Instead, you'll always be able to find good things every day that increase your self-esteem.

10

Keep learning

Finally, remember to turn your mistakes into vital triumphs. Think about how brave you are to fight for everything you want and to continue learning even when you fail.

These are our tips on how to increase your self-esteem; if you have your own, please tell us in the comments section.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Increase Your Self-esteem in 10 Steps, we recommend you visit our Mental health category.