The human brain is the most powerful computer on earth. It is capable of almost infinite achievements and knows no boundaries. It can, however, also hold you back, crush you and leave you feeling small and worthless.
A significant factor when it comes to battling low self-esteem comes down to managing the thought processes that may lead to feelings of self-loathing, anxiety, and depression.
Self-esteem issues affect pretty much all of us, albeit to differing levels and resulting repercussions, which can be more pronounced in some when compared to others.
Some individuals are more prone to a chronic lack of confidence, while others may experience these lows due to events that have left them off-kilter. It is possible that a lack of self-esteem may originate from one’s childhood or adolescence or perhaps due to an unhealthy and unhappy relationship, experiencing loss, issues with your career, or possibly dealing with an illness of some kind.
Let’s take a look at ways, tips, and suggestions that could be of use to you if you are suffering from low self-esteem.
“Be Good To Yourself Because Nobody Else Has the Power to Make You Happy” George Michael, Heal The Pain
Be Kinder to Yourself
This is, of course, easier said than done, but issues relating to a lack of confidence frequently come from within. Being more compassionate and easy on yourself is recognized by most in the field as being a key first step towards a happier you.
Issues with self-confidence may often present themselves in the form of a spiral. For instance, you may experience a small failure (or perceive yourself to have done so), and then you may chastise yourself in the first instance, and then that feeling of lack of worth multiplies, and something that may have initially been relatively innocuous suddenly becomes potentially mentally crippling.
It’s Time to Get Physical
It’s commonly accepted that regular exercise can help boost your self-confidence. This doesn’t mean you have to go out there and run marathons; it simply means that regularly engaging in physical activities does have the ability to change your moods.
Additionally, exercise obviously has its benefits for your body, so it’s very much a win/win thing. Don’t overdo it, at least not initially, and consider undertaking such a regime with friends of others in organized groups. Don’t overstretch yourself in every sense of the term, and build things up at your own pace (again, no pun intended).
Take a class in the gym, jog around the block, or consider taking salsa lessons, while enjoying all that sexy music that gets your brain warmed up and more amenable to joyful thoughts.
Accept Negative Thoughts
This may sound counterintuitive, but it does work. If you are the type of person who regularly experiences negative thoughts, and to some extent, we all do, then ignoring them can often make things far worse.
Accept these thoughts and then try to work with them. You will, hopefully, get to a place where you’ll know that these internal monologues are not a true reflection of reality or are a heightened distorted version of it.
The ultimate aim of this course of action is that you’ll learn to build something of a buffer around these thoughts; accepting these critical attacks on yourself is simply that and not a true statement of who you are.
Reward Yourself
Celebrating a victory, whatever the size or scale, is an excellent way to help balance out the more negative aspects of your inner psyche. Think about your accomplishments as well as your failures, real or imagined.
When you have a good day, experience, or feeling, remind yourself of this fact, mark it, and remember it. That sense of fulfillment will help to cancel out the negative thoughts that may be overpowering you.
Creativity Could Be Key
Similar to the boost you get from exercising your body, exercising your mind via a creative outlet can greatly improve how you feel about yourself. This may mean making use of any imaginative or artistic skills you already have or might be something you choose to learn anew.
Write a story, strum a guitar, paint a picture, basically anything that engages that part of your brain that literally feeds off your creativity and makes you a more confident person.
See Friends and Socialize
Often a lack of self-esteem will lead to you becoming a more withdrawn person, sometimes in a pretty literal sense. You will turn down the chance to meet friends and family, retreating into your own world, where you may feel you deserve to reside.
Seeing friends, or indeed making new ones, is an excellent way to be less introverted and can help you to gain some much-needed self-belief.
Talk About It
If you are feeling down and don’t value yourself and what you have to offer, the natural and understandable response is to suffer in silence. This is, in many ways, the worst thing you can do.
Just the act of talking about how you feel to a professional, a friend, or a family member, can do wonders.
The act of admission, wherever this is voiced, is often the first successful step towards a brighter, more contented you. Take it and when doing so, remind yourself that you deserve to be happy.
The steps above are merely suggestions and may not be wholly relevant to your specific circumstances. You should always seek to discuss issues with a lack of self-esteem with a professional who can offer you a more personalized approach.
Source: additudemag.com
