Self-esteem is the driving force behind who we are as people. When self-esteem is low, we feel more stressed out, rejected, and as if we aren’t enough for others.
There are a variety of reasons why a person may have low self-esteem. It may stem from childhood traumas or overly critical families.
Regardless of the origin, in order to improve your personal relationships and boost your career, self-esteem is crucial. Here are some of the best things you can do every day to work towards boosting how you perceive yourself.
Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
As humans, we make comparisons throughout the day everywhere that we go. However, when we start using ourselves as the basis of comparison, you’ll never be satisfied.
While you may not be able to stop comparing yourself to others entirely, there are ways to reduce it. Looking through beauty magazines, for example, and looking at celebrity features in relation to our own is a quick recipe for disappointment. Try to avoid looking at publications like these or anything online that make you feel worse about yourself.
Speak Kindly To Yourself
Words have power. You wouldn’t walk up to a person and tell them that they look terrible. So, why would you do that to yourself? Fill yourself with positive affirmations and treat yourself with love.
Try to look for things that you like about yourself rather than what you dislike. Give yourself a little credit every time that you look in the mirror. Try to catch yourself being overly-critical and use positive affirmations to transform the negative thoughts.
Build On Your Strengths
One of the best ways to feel better is to do better. If there are things that you’re good at, then get even better at them. Master your strengths and work towards being the best that you can be.
Try to create more situations for yourself where you thrive in feeling good about what you’ve accomplished.
Stop Deflecting Compliments
It’s common to feel shy after receiving a compliment and deflecting it with a self-deprecating joke. However, when we don’t take ourselves seriously, it’s hard for anyone else to take us seriously.
Learn to accept compliments and say “thank you.” The more that you accept encouragement rather than rejecting it, the better you’ll feel about yourself.
Surround Yourself With People Who Love You
When you surround yourself with people who don’t treat you well, the more you’ll believe you deserve that treatment.
If your family or friends make you feel bad every time that you hang out, then stop surrounding yourself with those people. You deserve to feel valued and loved. It’s okay to cut relationships out of your life that aren’t serving you.
