Everybody has some doubts about themselves occasionally, but when those doubts start affecting your self-esteem, they can also harm your mood and everyday motivation. This is when it becomes a vicious circle – you are too unmotivated to do anything about your self-esteem, but not doing anything only makes it worse.
Now, getting out of this loop won’t happen overnight. It’s a process, not just a single thing you need to do. But there are some things that might help you, and here are ten you should consider.
1. Be mindful
You can’t really make any changes if you don’t recognize that some changes need to be made. So, first, you need to become aware of your negative thoughts. When you manage to do that, it’ll also become easier for you to distance yourself from the feelings that those negative thoughts cause.
In other words, you need to stop believing your negative opinions of yourself, and to do that, you need to be aware of what is happening, be able to analyze it, and remind yourself that those thoughts are only that – thoughts, not facts.
2. Improve your style
Your mood and your physical appearance are connected – how you feel will often depend on how you look, and how you look will often represent how you feel. So, try affecting your self-esteem by changing your appearance. Change your haircut, buy some new clothes and shoes, and change your style a bit.
This isn’t about vanity, but about feeling better about yourself. Plus, looking better can also improve your chances in the matchmaking business, as appearances do matter when dating – and having a successful date can boost your self-esteem even more.
3. Reflect on your surroundings
Very often, your problems are not your fault but rather the result of your environment. So, take some time to think about your friends, family, job, and surroundings, in general. For example, is there anything or anybody affecting your self-esteem and making you feel worse about yourself?
Is there anything that is constantly stressing you out? If the answer is yes, then it might be time to change your environment.
4. Find a hobby
We all have a list of things we always wanted to do but could somehow never find the time. The truth is that there is always time if we choose to make it.
When you’re suffering from low self-esteem, it’s easy to make excuses for not pursuing your passions, but the actual reasons usually range from being afraid of not being good at your passion to feeling like you don’t deserve to be happy. Ignore those feelings of self-criticism, and take on a new hobby today.
5. Stop comparing yourself
One of the main things that fuel low self-esteem is comparison. There are so many people in this world, if you keep comparing yourself to others, you will always fall short. There will always be somebody doing better than you – but there will also always be somebody doing worse.
Additionally, you need to be aware of the fact that social media doesn’t show things as they really are. It shows what people choose to show. Therefore, don’t trust everything you see, and stop comparing yourself to your friends. The only person you should be comparing yourself is yourself, in the past.
6. Exercise
This advice might sound like a cliché, as exercising is probably the last thing you want to do when you don’t really feel like yourself, but it can help. For starters, it can make you look better, and as mentioned, looking better can make you feel better. Another reason for exercising is also the fact that you would simply be healthier, and your body would function better.
Plus, this step might even become the beginning of building a healthy daily routine, like adjusting your diet, sleeping enough, etc. Just keep in mind that exercising doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the gym – cycling, dancing, swimming, or just taking a long walk every day count as exercising too. So, choose what you enjoy, and it’s bound to make you feel better.
7. Remember who you are
When thinking about your current condition, it’s important to differentiate that condition from your actual identity. In other words, what is happening to you right now, how you feel right now, is not who you are.
You are simply going through a very rough period in life, and perhaps there have been some failures in your life that are affecting you a bit too much, but failing is a part of learning and it does not affect your self-worth. Realising this can be difficult, but it’s essential for your self-growth.
8. Be nice to yourself
Related to the previous tip, don’t be too hard on yourself. If you do make some mistakes, challenge the negative thoughts – tell yourself what you’d tell your friend if they were you. Doing this is not hard, but listening to your own voice can be hard at first.
However, as with everything else, practice makes perfect, so keep doing it until you start believing it.
9. Celebrate the small stuff
A good way to boost your self-esteem and motivation is to celebrate the little things you do. Have you finally managed to poach an egg perfectly? Did you get out of bed 30 min earlier today?
It can be anything really. You can even set your own small goals for the day and reward yourself for completing each of them.
10. Avoid perfectionism
Perfectionists tend to be much more critical of themselves, as striving for perfection doesn’t leave much room for any mistakes, no matter how small. And when they do happen, perfectionists are affected much more seriously.
So, if you keep beating yourself up over your mistakes, even when others tell you they are not that serious, or if you’re constantly worrying about what others will think of you if you make a mistake, you may be a perfectionist. In this case, what you need to do is accept that you can’t be perfect.
Once you stop expecting perfection from yourself, you’re guaranteed to feel much better about who you are.
11. Conclusion
Everybody is born with potential, and you are just as worthy as anybody else. There can be many reasons for your low self-esteem, but you need to be aware of the fact that what you believe at that moment does not define who you really are. So, try following the listed tips, and you’ll be feeling like a new person in no time.