Self-esteem, that thing that everyone thinks is just as fluffy feeling and if you could hold it, it would look and feel like candyfloss. It is a good deal more than that, it is, in fact, the secret to a happy life. But, it is so hard to manage and get right. When we think of ourselves, we can very quickly tie ourselves in knots worrying about what someone might be thinking about us, or why we think negative thoughts all the time. Well, I am here to tell you, you are not alone! Self-esteem is something that goes up and down all throughout our lives, depending on what we are facing at any given time.
Signs that our self-esteem is struggling a bit include:
- Constantly comparing ourselves to others
- Blaming ourselves for the actions of others.
- Seeking approval from others
- Feeling frightened to reach for our dreams because we have so little faith in what we can achieve
- Feeling undeserving of help and kindness
- Playing down achievements
- Fearing rejection
- Feeling helpless, hopeless, worthless and unlovable
5 ways you can help your self-esteem to soar
I want to give you five ways in which you can help your self-esteem to soar even in difficult times;
- Practice self-care
It is so important that we look after ourselves as best we can treat yourself gently and kindly, the way we love ourselves has a huge impact on our overall wellbeing and the way we handle tough situations. Be sure to do one thing every day that you love, it may be sitting alone with a favourite book, or watching your favourite movie or walking in the fresh air. Whatever it is, make it a daily part of your routine, it will help!
- Try not to compare yourself to others
This is easier said than done and it can be really difficult, but maybe write down something every day that you like about you, something that you can look back on during the times of self-comparison and remember the exceptional qualities that can be found in you.
- Break things down
When we have a huge mountain of goals to achieve it can be so hard to climb them, the best thing you can do is set small achievable goals. Sometimes people use the word SMART to achieve this Specific Measureable Achievable Realistic Time-limited. Using this can help you to better achieve the big goals in your life.
- Think about who you spend time with
Hanging out with those people that make you feel ‘icky’ will not set your self-esteem up well if you can identify the people in your life that make you feel bad about who you are, try and see them less. We all have to spend time with people that are difficult from time to time, but if you can identify who these people are and limit your time with them, I guarantee it will make an impact on how you feel about yourself.
- Self-esteem collage
Use magazine cuttings to make a collage of all the things you love in life or your hopes and aspirations, hang this above your bed or somewhere in your room, when you look at it think of all the hopes, dreams and loves that you have.
These things are fairly simple, but I hope they go some way to helping you manage all the thoughts and feelings you have about yourself.
