Good Advice for Raising Self-Esteem

A well-defined sense of yourself can be good for raising self-esteem. This is beneficial to your important relationships – whether personal, family or work. If you love and respect yourself, you will feel the same for other people. Conversely, if you don’t love or respect yourself, then h ow can others love and respect you? How will you really be able to love and respect others?

In this article, we’d like to share some recommendations on raising self-esteem. If you’re already fairly secure and confident, these bits of advice will help you strengthen and redefine those traits. They’ll also be a huge help if you ever feel let down by yourself.

21 tips for raising self-esteem

• Use positive affirmations. Note them down and read them aloud to remind yourself of your worth. Each of us has value – and value that can neither be bought nor sold. Be aware of your worth and never let anyone tell you that you’re insignificant.
• If you compare yourself to others, STOP! There’s no need to feel inferior to anyone else. It’s precisely your uniqueness that makes you who you are and it’s who you are and how you behave that give you your worth. It’s not about looking like a celebrity or having a lot of stuff.
• Self-esteem is not the same thing as arrogance. Although some people confuse the two, be aware that there are plenty of differences that set them apart. Arrogant people think they are superior to others. That’s not the sort of attribute that is pleasant for anyone. If you behave with arrogance, those around you will notice and they won’t be very impressed.
• Set achievable goals. These can be relatively small or as big as you wish – but you must be completely convinced of your ability to make them a reality.
• Recognise your strengths as well as your weaknesses. If you need help, don’t be shy. Ask for it! Admitting that there are some things that you just can’t do on your own isn’t a negative thing. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Strong people recognise when they could use a helping hand.
• Cultivate optimism. A good dose of it makes everything seem much easier than it may have appeared to be at first. Optimistic people are successful because they look at things differently. They are better equipped to achieve their aims because they overcome obstacles one by one. They also react more positively when things don’t quite work out the way that they’d planned.
• Get rid of the green-eyed monster and try not to let envy and jealousy overcome your life. These feelings are extremely detrimental and can have a devastating effect upon you and those close to you. We all react irrationally sometimes. The key is to catch yourself and remember how destructive – and, ultimately, unproductive – envy can be. Be happy for those whose lives are on track and yours will soon follow.
• A simple ‘thank you’ will do. When someone compliments you, try not to respond by sweeping it aside or putting yourself down by rejecting the compliment. Remember that these kind words are sincere and well-deserved.
• Exercise regularly. It will do wonders for your mind and body, making them healthy and strong. The natural endorphins produced during help to relieve stress and worry, so your mind will be relaxed and you’ll worry less about how other people see you.
• Even as little as half an hour a day spent in reflection and meditation on the events of your day will work magic. These types of mindfulness exercises can improve your problem solving abilities and help you to understand what’s not working in your life. Greater satisfaction is sure to be the result!
• Get ample snooze time. Sleep is fundamental to wellbeing and it is key to performing well – and to overall good health, as well.
• Try not to rush things. Take the time that you need to do your work and your household tasks. When you slow down and do things properly, you’ll enjoy them more.
• Negative emotions don’t control you. If you find yourself consumed by them, take some time to breathe and try to understand what you’re feeling. Let go of any resentments you might have. You can do this by expressing them and trying to resolve them.
• Nurture the good relationships that you have with those around you. Be caring and helpful without sacrificing your own sense of self-worth. In other words, treat them as you would want to be treated.
• Eat for good health. A balanced diet is as beneficial to the mind as it is to the body.
• Give a wide berth to people who go out of their way to make you feel worthless. They are not good for your self-esteem.
• Seize the chance to enjoy the great outdoors. Whenever you can, go to a park or take a walk through a field. Even if you just find a spot under a tree where you can sit for a few moments and be quiet, you’ll feel renewed.
• When something goes well for you, enjoy it and honour its value. Achievements are great and it’s okay to acknowledge how hard you worked to make them a reality.
• Recognise your mistakes and learn from them. If people seem to reject you when you do something wrong, don’t let them get you down. Just resolve to do better next time. Nobody’s perfect. It’s how you learn from your experiences that matters.
• Learn to love you as you are, but strive to be a better person when and where you can. Don’t try to conceal all of your perceived faults. Provided they’re not negatively affecting you or anyone else, they can make you who you are.
• Try not to dwell on the past. Live in the here and now, because the future is an unknown factor. Nobody can predict what tomorrow will bring, so enjoy each moment as it comes. What you don’t know isn’t worth the worry or the exertion.
• Be accountable for your actions and don’t blame anyone else for your mistakes. Accept them, try to solve them, learn from then and move on. This is a much healthier and more empowering way of dealing with things and you won’t have the guilt that is associated with blaming an innocent person.

We really hope that you’ve taken away some useful tips on raising self-esteem. Even better, we hope that you’ll want to put them into practice and watch them make a positive difference in your life.