How Do I Improve My Self-Esteem?

What is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem is about how you perceive yourself. We all have days when we feel down or are not good enough. Struggling with self-esteem is a normal and common experience that most people face at some point in their lives. It is not something to be ashamed of or seen as a sign of weakness. It’s important to remember that your self-esteem can be acknowledged and improved. In this blog, you will find tips to boost your self-esteem and achieve a newfound level of self-confidence.

What Does Healthy Self-Esteem Look Like?

Healthy self-esteem looks like a positive sense of who you are and confidence in what you can achieve. When challenging setbacks occur, having a higher self-esteem will help you embrace the situation and view it as an opportunity for growth. When we don’t love or accept ourselves, it becomes very easy to slip into a negative mindset, moving toward feeling unworthy and undeserving. This can trigger other mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and difficulty forming or maintaining relationships with others.

How to Recognize Signs of Low Self-esteem

Often, having low self-esteem is accompanied by self-criticism and a magnification of flaws and weaknesses. Recognizing signs of low self-esteem can be beneficial in pinpointing areas for self-improvement.

Negative Self-Talk: “I can never get anything right,” “I can’t do it,” or “I am lazy,” are some examples of negative self-talk, which stems from being critical of ourselves.

Difficulty with Challenges/Fear of Failure: Another common factor of low self-esteem is the struggle with challenges and the fear of failure, which may include avoiding or hesitating to engage in new tasks, accompanied by a fear that you may not succeed. You may prefer to stay within your comfort zone instead of facing the challenge.

Having Unrealistic / High Standards for Yourself: Perfectionism, such as being too critical about yourself when small mistakes are made, is another factor for low self-esteem. When you set unrealistic expectations for yourself that are not achieved, you may feel inadequate or “not good enough.”

How Do I Raise My Self-Esteem? 5 Tips to Improve Your Self-Esteem

1- Open Up and Seek Counseling: Talk to a trusted support person such as family, a friend, or a therapist to share your experiences and seek support to strengthen relationships. Seeking support helps provide you with a sense of comfort, validation, and belonging.

2- Challenge Negative Self-Talk with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Work on finding a positive perspective to adopt a more positive and rational mindset. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), our thoughts lead to our feelings, which can impact our behaviors and actions. Focus on replacing an unhelpful thought with a more helpful one, such as, “I am only human and am bound to make mistakes. These mistakes do not define me. Instead, I can use this as a learning opportunity to grow and do differently next time.”

3- Practice Self-Compassion for Better Mental Health: Working to decrease self-criticism helps to achieve a greater sense of resiliency. Embrace your humanity and practice viewing yourself with grace. One way of doing this is by recognizing and validating your emotions without placing judgment on them. Try this: talk to yourself as you would talk to a dear friend. What would you tell them?

4- Check Your Expectations to Improve Self-esteem: At times, the expectations we hold for ourselves can be too harsh or unrealistic. When this happens, our critical voices become louder, impairing our mood, motivation, and self-esteem. Set realistic, achievable, and attainable goals for yourself. Keep the goal short and easy to follow, such as, “I will work on updating my resume for an hour each day this week.”

5- Develop Your Skills to Boost Confidence: Developing or engaging in a new skill can promote confidence, which improves self-esteem. By growing in a skill, you are showing yourself that you are capable and adaptable. Mastering an existing or new skill increases the connection you have with yourself by focusing on your self-worth and identity.

If you’re looking for further assistance, seek therapeutic help for your emotional and mental well-being. At Avedian Counseling Center, we have licensed and associate therapists ready to assist you in navigating the challenges of working through difficult emotions to work toward increasing self-esteem and confidence. To learn more about our services and receive support, reach out today to pave the way toward your growth.