Self-esteem is a struggle for most people, in a world where you are expected to be perfect. A perfect shape, perfect grades, a perfect family, a perfect job … and way too much competition. Now, I am not saying that striving for perfection is wrong – but to start out with, it’s important to, first of all, accept yourself for who you are – and where you are at in life right now … because that is what will make your self-esteem soar!
Sure, being good at or having accomplished something will always boost your self-esteem, and that is completely okay. However, the best way to build true self-esteem is to do it independently of what you do or accomplish! This way it becomes part of you and will never again be dependent on life circumstances and conditions. In understanding how to improve your self-esteem naturally, you need to realize that it must come from within.
This article aims to enumerate and go into detail on how to improve self-esteem naturally. Many factors affect self-esteem, and they vary from person to person. Low self-esteem contributes to stress, negative thoughts and even depression, all of which can also affect our physical health. Discover some different ways to enhance your self-esteem, by learning the act of self-acceptance and positive thinking.
1. Find humor in every situation
When we were younger there was a lot to laugh about, but as we get older we found that we had – and have – to be more serious, as there are problems to be solved, decisions to be made, issues that need to be dealt with and many things we are responsible for, which need to be taken care of. However, realizing the need for laughter and happiness is undoubtedly the key to a healthier life – and to better mental health. Getting stressed and overanalyzing every detail of your life is dangerous. It makes you too cautious and focused on being perfect, which is the surest way to frustration and failure.
Laugh at yourself and accept your imperfections, and I promise you will love it! The ability to find some humor in every situation, while still dealing with the situation, lightens the load and builds your confidence … simply because the focus shifts from perfectionism to progressiveness. Our life is a work in progress – it’s not supposed to be all smooth, but we can definitely get through even the toughest kinks more easily when integrating some humor into our daily lives.
Self-esteem starts from the inside, so do not be afraid to laugh at your best – and your worst!
2. Make your well-being a priority
Your well-being is your wealth. Working on your personal well-being is an investment that you need to make, if you are to build your self-esteem naturally. For example, if you are not getting enough rest it will drive your stress levels up. The continued importance of care for your well-being should certainly be a priority in your life.
Research on the connection between well-being and self-esteem has revealed that indeed one’s poor well-being leads to lower self-esteem. You are easily irritable and unhappy. Let us, again, look at the effects of sleep deprivation. Without a proper night’s sleep on a regular basis, not just your mental but also your physical health is at risk. Sleep deprivation directly affects your well-being and leads to social interactions becoming an issue.
The best way to improve your self-esteem is to ensure that, as you work and go through each day, you include times of rest, a well-balanced diet, and self-care.
3. Exercise and take walks
Making exercise a daily part of your routine will come in handy in improving your self-esteem. The wonders of exercising regularly continue to be discovered! Experts recommend 150 minutes of exercise a week. However, this may vary from individual to individual and also depends on factors like fitness level, age, and existing conditions, among others.
Exercise, as a matter of fact, does not only improve your physique, it also makes you feel good about yourself and is therefore beneficial for your mental health. The truth is, that there is a direct connection between how you look and how you feel about yourself. These are two important factors in building your self-esteem.
Taking walks has also been established as a major factor for enhancing your inner peace and positive thought. Taking even just a 10 minute walk will enable you to reflect on your life and invite peace and calmness. These walks help you to balance your emotions and therefore improve your ’emotional intelligence’, which in turn leads to higher self-esteem.
4. Intentionally make daily intentional plans
Planning is a great habit that many successful people swear by. Daily planning can be difficult when starting out. I recommend that you start with a simple morning plan, then follow with an evening plan. Journaling is another good way of incorporating planning into your daily schedule.
You may wonder about the connection between planning and self-esteem. Here is the link: planning let’s you know what’s ahead, which keeps you from getting stressed; it also helps you avoid rushing around and being late for everything. Feeling guilty and getting scolded for being late at work or for other engagements can be really stressful and depressing – and subsequently lowers your self-esteem. Not achieving set goals can also lead to discouragement and similarly results in low self-esteem.
Planning saves you from all the hassle associated with poor – or the lack of – planning. Set daily plans and let them be intentional. Intentional means that there is clarity on how to achieve your goals, and that you have a viable action plan right in front of you.
5. Learn the art of self-acceptance
Accepting who you are is a brave act that will be greatly appreciated by your self-esteem! Most people are suffering from a lack of self-acceptance, which makes it hard for them to reach their full potential and enjoy personal success. Spending your whole life wishing that you were someone else will be a great disservice to your self-esteem.
It’s much better to spend your time celebrating your strengths and embracing your flaws! Trying to cover your flaws and hoping to join in someone else’s success is the perfect recipe for failure. To celebrate your strengths and embrace your flaws will allow you to accept and enjoy yourself – a perfect place for continuous growth!
Once you learn the art of self-acceptance you will also find great improvement in your self-esteem.
6. Cultivate happiness and positivity from within
Happiness should not be a momentary state, it should be your ultimate goal each day. This is indeed a realizable goal, because happiness is a state of mind, on which you decide on! Your deciding on being happy comes from within and builds a positive attitude, because it is not dependent on any outside factors. Just like a fountain, happiness keeps on flowing from within, because it result from being able to be grateful – for all the little and bigger things in life. Happiness is not only good for your mental well-being, it has been linked to great and continuous emotional balance.
Negative thoughts will only bring you down, and that is why it is vitally important to cultivate a culture of positive thinking. Positive thinking enhances your mood and adds confidence to your life. A positive person is more dependable, and consequently more proactive in life. Also, as you reflect positivity and happiness, people will be drawn to you like a magnet! People will look up to and respect you – and your positive attitude will also make for great companionship. Cultivated happiness and positivity will lead to a happier life, while greatly enhancing your confidence and increasing your self-esteem.
7. Take note of how and who you spend your time with
The value of your life is related to time, because time – as we all know – is arguably the most valuable aspect of life. It determines whether you will achieve objectives or not, it is the difference between life or death in the medical sphere, it determines how much knowledge you can gain from education or even whether you are able to finish an important exam. The time factor cannot be emphasized enough in terms of how to spend it and who to spend it with.
If you spend your time with people who constantly make you feel insufficient and flawed, then you are probably going to kill any semblance of self-esteem in your life. Or when you spend your life doing nothing to enhance your professional skills, the result will only be an abundance of unachieved goals. So decide on how to spend your time, because spending your time effectively will in turn boost your self-esteem.
8. keep your promises
‘A promise made is a debt unpaid’, is a famous quote by Robert W. Service. And breaking a commitment that you have made to someone will not just leave the other person disappointed, but also hurt your self-esteem. If you establish a pattern of breaking promises to others – and even to yourself, it will kill trust! A lack of trust dents relationships … on a business as well as on a personal level, with others as well as with yourself. Keeping your promises is the basis of self-respect, self-esteem … and of every great relationships.
If you cannot keep a promise, then don’t make it. You don’t need to put yourself through the trouble of making promises that you cannot keep. Learn to be honest and forthright in regards to what you can and want to do and what you disagree with at a given point in time… and fell free to express it!
Be sure to only ‘bite what you can chew’ – only make a promise you can keep. Try to be realistic and work on honoring your commitments. Keeping your promises will up your self-esteem, because you are meeting your own – and others’ – expectations.
The Bottom line
Self-esteem is a key aspect of being able to live a happy and fulfilled life. Too many times we let difficulties get to us and walk through life with our heads bowed and feeling down. If you find yourself constantly doubting your abilities, it is time to take charge of – and change – your life! Evaluate what makes you feel down, decide on an action plan … and go for it!
In fact, this action plan is already available to you, in form of this article offering you several steps to naturally improve your self-esteem. Remember that your personal growth, as well as your well-being, depend on your level of self-esteem. And you know, sometimes it is okay if we need to learn how to be ourselves all over again. Learn how to love yourself. You deserve the best of you!