Life Hacks To Effectively Boost Your Self-Esteem
Establishing a strong sense of self and truly loving yourself is a challenging task to master. It's incredibly easy to fall into a rut and become discouraged. With the world constantly criticizing individuals for every little thing and living in a culture that continually praises beauty over substance, it is easy to feel like you are worthless and invaluable. But fear not! Here are some helpful tips that will allow you to learn to love yourself and improve your self-esteem and confidence, and give you the tools to always strive for growth, success, happiness, and self-love.
Prioritize What You Want To Do
Are you doing what you really want to do? When you truly enjoy doing something, whether it’s reading, baking or binge-watching endless television shows, the motivation to do that thing tends to come pretty easily. Whenever you really want something in life, it becomes much easier to knock down obstacles in your way and push past any inner resistance you feel. If you are not making time for the things you enjoy most in life and only take the responsible route with your priorities, you will start to lose interest and motivation in accomplishing very little, as you won't be truly happy and enjoying life.
Make a list of the things you love most and why, and prioritize these items on a scale of one to ten, and promise yourself you will engage with these activities every day, week, or month, as appropriate. The key to happiness is to do what you love, and by engaging with some of your favorite activities on a regular basis, you’ll instantly boost your self-confidence.
Stop Listening To Your Inner Critic
We all have an inner critic. It's the little voice inside of your head urging you to get things done, or pressuring you to do things to gain the acceptance of others, or simply telling you that you're not good enough. Your inner critic is notorious for whispering destructive sentiments into your psyche, such as you're lazy, there is someone always better than you, or you're an ugly person. But, truth be told, you do NOT have to accept this voice and believe everything it tells you.
Different ways to minimize this critical voice and replace it with positive thoughts include telling it to stop whenever a negative thought pops up, or simply telling yourself, "no, that’s not true," or even using a phrase or word that can stop negative trains of thought and helps refocus your thoughts. There is great power in saying no, and by stopping your inner critic in its tracks, you will be able to control more of your thoughts and focus on yourself in a positive manner.
Refocus Your Motivation
Once that inner critic is hushed, remind yourself of the benefits of attaining a new goal and following a new path in life. It is simple, but a powerful technique to keep your motivation up. You can practice this technique by writing down the positive benefits of your goal or lifepath, and what achieving it will bring to your life. By writing down your thoughts, you’ll also have more control of the direction of your thoughts, which can lead to feelings of joy and gratitude. Some examples include getting into shape, spending more time with loved ones, getting a promotion, or traveling the world. Whatever your new dream may be, make a list of all the benefits it will bring to your life and put it somewhere where you can view it every day, so it reminds you to stay motivated and work towards your goal!
Start Appreciating Yourself More
What are three things I appreciate about myself? Ask yourself this question every day and either write it down or mentally keep a note of it. Take a deep breath, give yourself a moment to reflect, and come up with three reasons why you love yourself. These three things do not have to be big things either; they can simply be because you're kind to others, you walked today to work instead of driving. It all counts, regardless of whether it's big or small. These short breaks of self-reflection not only help build self-esteem in the foreseeable future, but can also turn a negative mood into a positive mindset.
Try To Always Do The Right Thing
Whenever you see an injustice occurring and you do what you believe is the deep down right thing to do, you are increasing and strengthen your self-esteem. Having a high morale and setting standards for yourself can greatly boost your confidence, as you will be strong in the face of adversity, but more importantly, be standing up for something you believe in, which can make you feel good about the decisions you are making. It could be simple as going to the gym when you feel incredibly lazy, or standing up to a bully harassing someone on the street, or simply being understanding and compassionate in a situation rather than judgemental. It isn't always easy knowing what the right thing to do is, but by focusing on it and doing your best to make a positive impact can make a huge difference in the results you get and how you think about yourself.
Say No To Perfectionism
A perfectionist mindset can be destructive in all aspects of daily life as it can paralyze you from taking action as you have become fearful of the prospective result and not living up to a standard, which can damage your self-esteem. How can you overcome perfectionism? Try going for good enough instead. This does not entail you slacking off on completing a project, but simply realizing giving it your best is good enough and ensuring what you're trying to accomplish is completed. Also, do not buy into the myths about perfection, as it can greatly hinder you and your loved ones, as life is not like a song or movie or book-life is gritty and can get pretty messy sometimes, and that's okay. Accept imperfections and let go of unrealistic expectations in your life to truly feel happy and free.
Show More Kindness Towards Others
Sounds easy right? For others, it may pose more of a challenge. When you show kindness towards others on a daily basis, you too will begin to treat yourself with more kindness as well. Just like the golden rule states 'treat others the way you would want to be treated,' as how you treat people is often how they will treat you in the long run. Some ideas include just being there to listen to someone as they vent, encourage somebody when they are discouraged from reaching a goal, or help someone out when you notice they are in distress.
You can set the tone of your day by staying consistent with your kindness by complimenting someone first thing in the morning, engaging with people individually and giving them your utmost attention, holding the door for someone, or simply using 'please' and 'thank you' whenever someone does something for you. It's a pretty simple concept but can make a significant impact on your mental health and your relationships with those around you.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
When you step out of your comfort zone and try something new, you're challenging yourself to improve your skills and become a better version of yourself, which directly impacts your opinion of yourself for the better. Even if you don't do too well at it, you still tried something different rather than sticking to the same old routine you know, which is something to truly admire and appreciate about yourself.
Whether it's training for a marathon or taking up a new hobby like learning how to play an instrument, whatever it may be, bursting out of your confined bubble will give your confidence a healthy boost. It also allows you to learn more about yourself and what skills and abilities you are capable of. Picking up a new hobby can also be incredibly fulfilling and give you a sense of satisfaction like no other. Try to get out of your comfort zone regularly, with zero expectations, and just tell yourself to try something new.
Learn How To Cope With Failures In A Positive Way
Whenever you get outside of your comfort zone or if you try to accomplish anything meaningful, more than likely you stumble and fall along the way. Mistakes and failures are a part of life, and regardless of how much you try to control the outcome, they're going to happen - it's what makes us human. Whenever you fail, try to be your own best friend and don’t beat yourself up, but rather treat yourself how a friend would treat you if they were comforting you or how you might comfort a friend.
Find the bright side and beauty in failures, as every mistake is a learning opportunity to further discover your boundaries and what works and doesn't work for you in that situation. Asking yourself questions like "what can I learn from this?" and, "what opportunities are present in this situation?" will change your perspective about your mistakes and hopefully allow you to cope with them more positively in the future.
Get Rid Of Toxic Connections
It is important to surround yourself with positive and supportive individuals-and rid yourself of the toxic ones in your life to keep your self-esteem flourishing after investing all this time and effort into taking care of yourself. Spend less time with people who are passive-aggressive, constantly compare, or who are simply unkind and unsupportive of your journey. Try to spend more time with like-minded individuals who enjoy the same hobbies or have the same tastes you do, as well as individuals who are positive and uplifting and want to see you succeed. Think about what you read, listen, and watch as well. Spend more time with engaging content that makes you feel good about yourself and helps you improve your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Stop Comparing Yourself
It's incredibly easy to fall into a comparison trap, by comparing your life and goals with those of others you know or see online. It is a destructive habit that breaks down your self-esteem and spurs negative emotions such as envy and hate. But you'll never win, as there is always someone who is one step ahead of you in the game of life. Replace this negative habit with something better: compare your present self only with your past self, and assess how far you've come instead. Focus on you and your results, and how you can achieve better results in the future and how you improved from the past. This will motivate you to keep going to reach your dreams and also increase your self-esteem. The truth is you will never be better than others, but you can always be better than your past self.
Take Care Of Your Appearance
Simple and appears to be common-sense, however taking care of your appearance and having pride in how you look and therefore feeling good in the skin you're in, will drastically improve your perspective of yourself and how you value your worth. Ladies, this does not mean you have to have a face full of makeup, or gentlemen, you do not have to wear a suit every day (unless it's part of your job!). But rather set up a thorough cleaning routine and establish healthy hygiene habits so you always look clean, fresh, and polished, from your skincare to your hair and the shoes you wear. Indulge a little and buy a new piece to add to your wardrobe that makes you feel good, or take a warm bubble bath-whatever it is, try your best to always look presentable. It will work wonders for your confidence.
Practice Gratitude & Value Your Life
Practicing humility and gratitude every day will change your perspective of yourself and the world in extraordinary ways, as you will be more appreciative of the individuals, experiences, and things you have in your life. Life is a journey, and appreciating and being thankful each step of the way will not only help keep your actions and motivations in perspective, but also give you the tools to cope with failures more easily, and adapt when life throws curveballs your way.
Valuing learning opportunities is also a great thing to be grateful for, as no matter who you are, you can always learn something new. With unlimited resources at your fingertips, such as through books, videos, the Internet, and people, you have a plethora of choices when it comes to expanding your knowledge. You should always try to grasp any learning opportunities that come your way, as constant growth allows you to progress through life, and knowledge is power.