As human beings all individuals go through phases of self-doubt. If this phase tends to be a constant you need to understand that this is a big time problem. This is where how to improve self-esteem gathers importance. You need to work on this so that your future is secured and you find the required success not only in your professional life but also your personal life as soon as possible. With an apt self-esteem you definitely feel better about yourself and you are also resilient. Studies have proved that when the self-esteem is at high, words like failure and rejection tend to affect an individual less and this is less painful.
Characteristics of low Self-esteem:
You need to follow tips on how to improve self-esteem if you go through any of the listed characteristics.
*Ignoring or down playing your positive attitudes.
*You are extremely critical of yourself.
*You use negative words when describing yourself.
*You seem to be judging yourself as inferior when compared to your peers.
*The self-talk you have is critical, negative and self-blaming.
* You do not believe the person who compliments you.
*You do not take any credit for your achievements but credit ‘good luck’ for these.
*You blame yourself for anything that goes wrong even if the fault lies in external factors over which you have no control.
Causes of Low Self-esteem:
You have numerous people trying to understand how to improve self-esteem without really understand the cause of this. Getting a clear understanding of what you are going through and the reasons for the same.
- Poor performance in academics in school which has resulted in losing out the confidence you had.
- Childhood which can be termed ‘unhappy’ due to the criticism faced by either the teachers or your parents.
- A stressful even happening in the present, like financial trouble or a relationship breakdown.
- Chronic medical problem like any serious illness, chronic pain or a physical disability.
- Mental disorder like depression or other anxiety problems.
Some tips on boosting Self-esteem:
How to improve self-esteem needs to be taken seriously as this can affect all aspects of your life and also play havoc in the future. Self-esteem which is termed ‘healthy’ is an appreciative and realistic opinion of one self.
*Being Mindful:
You need to recognize the aspect which needs to be changed before you take the decision to change. “What” needs to be changed need to be determined? In case you are unsure about this you need to seek the help of a professional who is qualified and experienced and can help you in how to improve self-esteem. Only being aware of the self-talk being negative an individual tends to distance themselves from these thoughts and the feelings it brings up. Without being aware of the negative self-talk you can fall in to a trap and start believing this negative talk.
You need to consider ‘thoughts’ as just ‘thoughts’ and not believe everything that you think. As soon as you find that you are criticizing yourself, take a pause and note the happenings. You need to remind yourself that these thoughts are not facts proven.
*The compare-and-despair Hole:
Learn to accept the way you are and stop comparing yourself to those around you. You find most people on social media or even those you meet regularly portray a ‘happy’ front. This is show business. You need to understand not everyone will reveal their depression and grief or problems to another. There are few selected people who are open about how they feel and can express this without any hesitation.
Comparison is the biggest cause of self negative talk. This can create further problems of anxiety and stress if not attended to. How to improve self-esteem is important so that you do not fall into the cycle of depression and other physical and mental health problems.
*Changing the Story:
Most individuals seem to have a story which has been created and this leads to the self perceptions on which the self-image depends. Think of changing the story by finding out where this has come from and whose voices are being internalized.
Most negative thoughts are repeated in our minds and lead an individual to believe that this is true. In short, these thoughts need to be ‘unlearned’ as these are learned. Start memorizing more of affirmations which need to be repeated every day.
*Exercising:
Research has proved that exercising on a regular basis not only improves your physical health but also plays an important role in your mental health and self-esteem. It is wiser to eliminate one of the tasks of your everyday routine and make time for an exercise which you are allowed. You also need to ensure you make some time for the ‘me’ time where you can do something you enjoy or just put up your legs and relax with a book.
Other forms of self-care include enough sleep and apt nutrition in accordance to your requirement. These are basic factors which cannot be compromised on if you wish good physical and mental health with a sufficient amount of self-esteem.
*Channelizing Talent:
Every individual is talented in some way or another. You need to find out what you are good at and can enjoy doing. You need to determine your strength and work on that specifically. This can be one big step on ‘how to improve self-esteem’.
*Helping Others:
If you can help anyone in any which way it can do wonders for your self-esteem. The focus is shifted from the negativity growing in you and you find helping others definitely increases self-worth.
These small helps you offer to another person or even to society can add value to not only your life but also to the other person’s life.
Before you take any steps for ‘how to improve self-esteem’ ensure you can differentiate between circumstances and yourself. There are times when you cannot control the happenings around you. You need to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens. Remember, ‘you are not GOD and you need to stop playing GOD’.