10 Practical Tips for Improving Your Self-Esteem

Posted on November 8, 2007 in Motivation by byronb

Take Care of Yourself! That is, make your health a primary focus of your life. When you feel good physically, its a whole lot easier to feel good emotionally. Start taking care of your body, on a daily basis. That means it a balanced and healthy diet, and regular exercise, including cardiovascular. A healthy body promotes a healthy mind. Your body is your Temple; keeping it clean is an act of reverence.
Enjoy yourself! Do things you like doing, whether youre good at it or not. Do what brings you pleasure. When you are enjoying life you dont room for self-disdain; youre having too much fun to complain. Get a hobby; nourish your existing ones. Play (you know what they say about “All work”).
Educate yourself! Developing and expanding your mind, acquiring new knowledge, and learning new skills, all serve to make a person more confident in themselves. Educate yourself on whatever interests you; read books, take courses, attend workshops and seminars. Broaden your horizons; its empowering.
Reward yourself! Dont wait for others to recognize and praise your achievements. Provide that gratification for yourself. Whether it’s a kind word for a job well doned or a fancy meal or a stylish haircut, give yourself that pat on the back youd been waiting for someone else to give. It feels just as good, if not better. And itll encourage you to keep up the good work. Every act of completion, however minor, is another triumph. The sense of purpose, of your life having meaning, also works to boost your sense of self-worth.
Treat yourself! Just the same, be sure to treat yourself for no reason at but self-love and appreciation. You dont always need a reason to be extra-good to yourself; in fact, you dont ever.
Praise yourself! Distinct from both a reward and a treat, praise comes from within. Identify your good qualities, what you like about yourself, your positive traits. Recognize your stregths, your talents and abilities. Honor your accomplishments. Compliment yourself, and likewise, accept the compliments of others. Dont shrug them off or wave them off or do whatever you do to dismiss and discount them; that only strengthens your mistaken belief that you dont deserve to be praised.
Forgive yourself! You cant change the past; you can only change how you respond in the present moment: what you think of, and how you feel and act. Refusal to forgive yourself for something you cant change now keeps you paralyzed from ever moving forward into a better future. Forgiving yourself doesnt mean forgetting what you did and learning from the experience; it just means that, despite whatever youve done in the past, you are a good person who deserves to be happy. Guilt and shame crush ones self-esteem, and the only way to be free of them is through inward forgiveness. This goes for small things as well as large, because when youre critical of yourself for anything, it always hurts.
Involve yourself! In the lives of others, that is. You’re your attention off yourself for a few minutes and surround yourself with people who have a positive and healty attitude and outlook. The people you have around you reflect and influence your attitudes and behavior; choose to spend time around people who reflect how youd like to see yourself, how y oud like to feel andd who youd like to be. Socialize with people who share common interests with you and find a reservoir of support for feeling good about yourself. Professional organization, charities, clubs, groups, team sports, networking organizations, parties: getting involved with the world you live in gives you an irreplaceable sense of belonging. They dont call it a support network for nothing.
Stand up for yourself! Dont let people decide how you should feel about yourself. Dont give them that power. You dont even have to defend yourself outwardly to stand up for yourself inwardly. Simply refuse to let anyone elses opinion get you down. Its just their opinion. Whats more, theyre entitled to it. You dont have to believe it; you just have to believe your own. Standing up for yourself means stating your needs and seeing that theyre met. It means deciding not to put up with behavior you dont want to put up with anymore. You cant change another person, but you can express yourself and, if necessary, remove yourself from the situation. And dont play “the Martyr” either, putting everyone elses needs before your own. Care for others, yes, but not at the expense of caring for yourself.
Give of yourself! Theres no better way to feel good about yourself than to give of your precious time and energy in the service of others. Volunteering is the most inwardly rewarding experience there is. Helping another person with no thoughts of reward or compensation is not only the holiest act, but the most self-esteem boosting.

Any comments more than welcome…