Everyone wants to feel better about themselves. It just makes sense. Certainly, no one sets out every morning freely thinking that they want to wade through a dark and strangling pit of depression. It’s not easy being sad, but it’s also not exactly easy learning how to be happy. Working on your self esteem can be a difficult journey, and some days it may seem like you are taking steps backward instead of forward.
Learning how to build your self esteem doesn’t have to be that long, difficult road though. It’s important to take time out of every day to work on how to build self esteem, as this will benefit you in so many other aspects of your life. You will have an overall happier mood, more confidence in yourself and your abilities, and you will seem more approachable to others. Keep reading to learn what you can do to set yourself up for success on this journey.
Here’s how to build self esteem:
One great way to help you build self esteem is to ensure a small part of each day is dedicated solely to this aspect of your life. You can make it a part of your morning routine as you prepare yourself for the day, or set an alarm for a part of the day that you particularly struggle with. Doing this helps make the task a conscious effort that you are constantly reminding yourself to focus on. It also aids you in taking control over it.
Think of it this way. If you know you have to lose weight and are trying to focus on it each day, it can be overwhelming and you may be flooded with thoughts of inadequacy and overall negative thoughts. However, if you break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks that you can gain satisfaction from crossing off, then you are already a step ahead of the game. This same concept can apply as you work on your confidence in yourself. Each day, set out to do one small thing that is going to assist you on your journey. Deciding what that task will be and the how and when of accomplishing it puts all the control in your hands. You are able to automatically feel more in charge of your life and the direction it’s going by doing this.
There are a few simple ways that you can use to practice this skill. The first is to start tracking your moods and negative thoughts. This can help you determine if these thoughts are being triggered by something else, such as additional stress during a specific time at work or a premature hunger attack. A lack of sleep can also contribute to self-destructive thoughts and negativity. This list from Forbes has some great apps that you can use in this manner to help build self esteem.
Once you’ve conquered this step, you can begin to target the trends you found in your moods and use them to your advantage to help further boost your self esteem. For example, if your negative attitude is being caused by the dreaded 3 pm work slump, then set an alarm and make it a point to go on a quick walk outside. The extra sun and pumping heart can easily boost your mood, and you can practice saying a couple nice things about yourself along the way.
As you can see, getting your self esteem to a level that makes you feel happier on a daily basis can be done by taking small steps at a time. Start tracking the things that are making you feel insecure so that you can learn patterns about your behaviors and environment as they relate to your thoughts about yourself. Once you have gained this insight on yourself, you can begin taking the necessary steps to not only correct the current issue, but prevent further issues from occurring completely.
It is very important that you take the time to work on these skills, because if you don’t then the issue can grow and be even more intimidating to try and tackle at a later time. Doing something about this issue each day can help you feel more in control of the situation. Gaining your self esteem can be a very powerful tool for success in life.