10 top tips to boost your self-esteem
As part of my work coaching people who want help to achieve weight loss or a healthier lifestyle, I often find we need to address the issue of self-esteem. Low self-esteem is such a common problem for people in today’s society that we have probably all suffered at some point with a lack of confidence or felt negatively about ourselves. But what is often harder to see is that our negative opinions about our self can often have a negative impact on our health and well-being and can be at the root of many of the bad decisions and damaging behaviours.
There can be lots of reasons why we have low self-esteem and it might be that you need the help of others to help you identify your particular root causes. But if you do feel that you have low self-esteem, what can you do to help improve the situation and start to feel better about yourself? Try these 10 top tips to boost your self-esteem:
- Take care of your appearance. Taking a little time each day to ensure you are clean, fresh, and looking good helps to give you some self-respect and feel better about yourself and your abilities. Even if you aren’t going out or planning on seeing anyone, make sure you look smart, have done your hair and are wearing clothes you feel good in.
- Be conscious of your posture. Your posture can reflect the way you feel but conversely it can also help to improve the way you feel. Become conscious of the way you sit and stand and if you feel yourself slumping or curling in on yourself, take action to straighten up. Pull up you’re your spine and put your chin up and make eye contact with other people. If you look more confident you will feel more confident. Similarly when you are moving or walking, do so with confidence and purpose.
- Do regular physical fitness. Working out can have a massive effect on your self-confidence and can help you to change your body so you feel better about its shape and capabilities. Also exercise releases endorphins in the brain which help you to feel more positive and happy generally which will last with you all day. It also helps you to feel good about yourself by giving you a sense of achievement and a focus for your day if one is currently lacking.
- Give to others. Giving to other people and thinking about their problems and difficulties can help you to see more positives in your own life and gives you something to feel proud about. One of the most valuable things you have to give is your time. Look around your community and see if there are opportunities for you to volunteer your services. It will also give you the chance to meet new people.
- Get into the habit of complimenting other people. Taking the time to think about positive things in other people will stop you focusing on your own negatives all the time. It will also encourage others to react positively to you which will help to build your own self esteem. You might even get some nice compliments back.
- Stop criticising yourself! We really are our own worst critic! Be aware of your own negative thoughts and begin to stop yourself if you start to think negative or nasty things about yourself. And don’t go over negative things that others may have said to you in the past. Be kind to yourself in your thoughts!
- Think about what makes you happy and try to do things that give you peace and joy rather than always doing things to please everybody else. Whilst it is nice to be considerate of others, we mustn’t always put their needs before our own otherwise our own resentment builds and can turn into negativity.
- Avoid negative people. If you have a tendency to see negatives in yourself, being around others who are similarly critical, either of themselves or others, can make your negative habits worse. Seek out people who have a positive outlook on themselves and on life in general.
- Stop being a perfectionist. No one is perfect and by putting unrealistic expectations on yourself you are setting yourself up for a cycle of failure. Tell yourself that your best is good enough for you and for everyone else!
- Celebrate yourself! You are unique and as well as weaknesses you have lots of strengths. Focus on those and look for ways in which you can employ them even more. This will build your confidence. And then celebrate your achievements and good qualities.
It’s not easy to rebuild self-esteem and it can be a constant on-going battle. If you are finding it particularly hard, ask others for help, friends or your GP. If you come to class and would like some extra coaching from me, please do come and speak to me.