It’s easy to talk about rebuilding your self-esteem. But
it’s hard to know where to start. There are so many suggestions and ideas out
there already. What’s the first thing you should do? How about trying one of
these exercises…
Argue with
Your Inner Critic
The mean girl in your head is hard to live with. Instead of
accepting everything she says as truth, start jotting down what she tells you.
Spend a few days collecting these notes and it won’t be long before you have a
few.
When you’re in a good head space, pull out these thoughts.
Then write what’s really true beneath them. For example, the inner critic might
say: “You’re so stupid!” You could write something like: “I taught myself how
to install a new floor from YouTube tutorials!”
If you have trouble with this exercise, ask a friend who’s
supportive to join you. She may have more insights that will help you see
yourself clearly.
Stop
Comparing Yourself
Comparison steals your joy and your confidence. It’s not
healthy to continually compare yourself to your friends, celebrities in the
media, or even your past performance. You are enough right now. Remind yourself
of this truth whenever you get caught up in the comparison trap.
Limit Your
Time
Think about each person in your life. When you’ve finished a
conversation on the phone or left a get-together with them, ponder how you feel
afterwards.
Are you encouraged and energized? Are you pumped up and
ready to face a new challenge? Or do you feel hopeless and blah? Are you questioning
your life choices? Or doubting that you can improve your
family/home/career/etc?
It’s not our friends’ jobs to make us feel upbeat all the
time. But if you notice you always feel worse after talking to a particular
family member or friend, try to limit your time together. You’ll be happier for
it and your self-esteem will grow, too.
Make Time
for What You Love
One of the best ways to improve your self-image is to do
more of what makes you happy. Make a list of activities that feed your soul and
make it a priority to do one thing from this list each day.
Tackle a
New Challenge
Although it can be difficult, tackling a new challenge is a
wonderful way to boost your self-esteem. You don’t have to dare yourself to
climb Mt. Everest tomorrow but what if you tried the local rock-climbing wall?
You don’t have to learn how to code a website from scratch but what if you tried posting to Blogger? Creating a series of small challenges and getting them done can inspire you and be a reminder of just how awesome you are.
Building your self-esteem is a process. You won’t get it done in an hour or even in a day. That’s because you’re re-writing how you view yourself. There will be ups and downs on your journey toward better self-esteem but don’t give up. You can do this and you’ll be happier for it!
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