Self-esteem is all about how one feels about themselves or what one thinks about themselves. Not everybody has high self-esteem. There are people who have low self-esteem and these people have difficulty in believing themselves. If left untreated, this can lead to serious mental health problems.
It is possible to improve self-esteem at any stage of life but it involves a lot of self-work. The ways in which one can improve their self-esteem include:
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Identifying and challenging one’s negative beliefs: This is one of the first steps to do. This can be done by noticing thoughts about oneself. A person with low self-esteem may have a thought that they’re not good enough. When this thought pops up, they can look for evidence that contradicts those statements and remind themselves that their negative beliefs aren’t true.
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Identifying the positive about oneself: Noting down the positive things about oneself like being good at something or the appreciation they have received is a helpful technique. When one starts to feel low, they can look at these and remind themselves that they are good.
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Building positive relationships and avoiding negative ones: In general, there are certain people that make people feel good. It is essential to build relationships with more such people and avoid the ones that make them feel negative.
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Becoming more assertive and learning to say no: People who have low self-esteem have difficulty standing up for themselves or saying no to others. This in turn increases their stress level which becomes hard to manage. Assertiveness can boost self-esteem and self-belief to a great extent.
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Improving physical health: People who have low self-esteem tend to neglect themselves because they might feel that they are not deserving enough. It is easier to feel good about oneself when they are fit and healthy. Exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep are something that will make them feel relaxed and improve their physical health as well.
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Taking on challenges: People with low self-esteem tend to avoid difficult and challenging situations. The major way to improve it is to take on a challenge because when they succeed, they can prove it to themselves that they can achieve.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Harshitha Suresh is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.