5 Tips to Boost Your Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is described as your overall sense of personal value, confidence in your abilities, or self-worth. There are three types of self-esteem:

• High self-esteem: This is a positive type of self-esteem in people who accept and value themselves.
• Low self-esteem: People with low self-esteem have insecurity issues, are not confident about their capabilities, and do not recognize self-worth. 
• Inflated self-esteem: This is a negative type of self-esteem found in people who think they are better than others and underestimate everyone else. 

Of course, you should aim for high self-esteem always. When you have high self-esteem, it can positively influence every aspect of your life. It can result in positive relationships, productive work, and most especially for a healthy mental state. 

We all have different coping mechanisms when it comes to boosting our self-esteem. Research shows that self-esteem can rise and fall during a person’s life, and it can change in varying degrees. Whatever challenge you encounter in life, here are five psychology tips you should keep in your back pocket to boost your self-esteem. 

Tip #1: Avoid What Causes Low Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem is a build-up of many factors that have influenced a person’s life. It can root from bad experiences during childhood or troubling situations in the past. These are life’s experiences that cannot be changed, and there’s nothing you can do but to move forward. 

In a person’s lifetime, there will be many causes of low self-esteem. Some of them you can avoid, and some of them you just can’t. If you can avoid what causes your low self-esteem, do so. Avoid stressful life events, cut-out toxic people in your life, take care of your mental health. 

If you encounter life events that can bring down the self-esteem and can’t avoid it, the best way to approach the situation is to have a positive mindset. Encourage yourself to do better the next time, take this life’s challenge as a hurdle you will surpass, not a problem that will bring you down. Difficulties in life are inevitable; the best weapon to keep going is positive thinking and confidence.

Related: 5 Ways to Develop a Positive Mindset That Lasts

Tip #2: Embrace Your Fears for a Healthy Self-Esteem

One of the negative influences on a person’s self-esteem is being held back by their fears. You lose confidence in yourself, and that is not the way to take care of your self-esteem. A pathway to boosting your self-esteem is to embrace your fears. There are many ways to overcome your fear, and you must do something about it. 

First, acknowledge the presence of your fear or weakness. There’s nothing wrong with admitting your fear; what’s worse is not doing something about it. Second, educate yourself and ask for advice from friends, family members, or therapists to address the situation. Sometimes, we just need a little nudge from our loved ones to keep going. Third, have a positive attitude towards your fear, and this means not giving up. 

Failure is not a recipe for disaster; failure is what makes you stronger and sometimes open your doors for a far better opportunity. Embracing failure is also good for your mental health because it makes you stronger in facing life’s hurdles; this will eliminate all your weaknesses because you know you have surpassed far more difficult problems.

Tip #3: Prioritize Your Happiness for Your Mental Health

When building your self-esteem, you take care of your mental health, so you must prioritize your happiness. Don’t entertain other people’s negative comments because this will not make you a better person. When you entertain what other people think, this will pull down your self-worth, and you’ll feel like you’re never good enough. 

Prioritize your happiness for your mental health. Do what makes you happy, think of happy thoughts, do what makes you feel good, give yourself a mental break. 

One of the causes of low self-esteem is not giving yourself a break because you are pressuring yourself to be the best because of society’s expectations. If you feel like you’re not good enough, remember that these are negative thoughts you need to avoid. Prioritize your happiness more than anything else. 

Tip #4: Take Care of Your Body

How can you feel good and confident about yourself when you’re not taking care of your body? This means looking after your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health—practicing self-care routines can help with healthy self-esteem.

Look after what you eat, exercise regularly, have a good quality sleep, meditate, take long walks, go on a vacation. Once you practice self-care, you will start to feel good about yourself, and you will feel your self-esteem building.

Self-esteem is sometimes tied to how confident we are with our physical appearance. If you feel that looking well-groomed and physically fit will make you feel good about yourself, go for it. Exercise can strengthen your body tone, help you lose weight, and induce the production of happy hormones in your body. 

Tip #5: Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Here’s the problem with today’s generation: they compare themselves to others because of what they see on social media. Travel photos, fit bodies, job achievements, designer clothes, happy relationships are not what you think they are. Remember that not everything you see on social media is true. 

Besides, why compare yourself to others to make yourself feel good? It’s your self-esteem we’re looking after, not theirs. So stop comparing yourself to others, because if you do, you will feel that you’re never good enough. 

The Power of High Self-Esteem

There is nothing more powerful than a person with high self-esteem and recognizes their self-worth. When you have a sense of self-worth, you will have the confidence to face life’s challenges. A low-self-esteem may lead to depression and anxiety when not addressed immediately. 

If you need to ask for help, do so. Mental health experts will use cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy to help you recognize negative thoughts, self-doubt, and the reasons for low self-esteem. You don’t even need to leave your house to get help. With just a few clicks away, you can book an online consultation with Kentucky Counseling Center.