Improve Self Esteem

One way to improve self esteem is to consider how valuable you are. Yes, you are valuable! You wouldn't be here if you thought otherwise.

You are taking steps to improve self esteem by reading about it.

Self esteem is your perception of your self-worth. It is about how much a person values, loves and accepts themselves.

What value and opinion do you have of yourself? How you choose to value yourself as a unique person will have a significant impact on your self esteem. So to improve self esteem, start by changing the way you value yourself.

Self-esteem involves your overall feelings, whether they are positive or negative, towards yourself. People who have high levels or healthy self-esteem feel good about themselves, appreciate their abilities and are comfortable with who they are.

On the other hand, people with low self-esteem see themselves as unworthy and feel like others will not accept them.

Your self-esteem plays a pivotal role in your life. The way you see yourself is closely linked to your success in life. When we appreciate ourselves, we tend to have happier moods and higher levels of self-confidence.

Having low self-esteem is not permanent. If you have low self-esteem, there are ways to improve it.

Follow these tips to improve self esteem in your life

1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses

Knowing what you are good at can help you believe in yourself more and in a positive manner, as a capable person. You are someone with skills who can achieve good things.

2. Recall what you have already achieved

Recall your achievements rather than concentrating on what you can't do or haven't done. Giving more attention to your weaknesses rather than your strengths only brings you down. Start a list of everything you have achieved no matter how small or insignificant. Before long you will start to see and believe that you can do many things - and you will have the written evidence to prove it.

3. Identify areas of excellence

When you have identified you skills, abilities and achievements, select a small number of these where you really excel. You might make the best fruit cake in town. Write it down. Whatever it is, add it to the excellence list.

When you start to feel a bit down review you lists and pick something of your excellence list and do it. Practicing or spending time doing something we are good at helps to encourage us and improve self esteem as we already have the confidence of knowing we can do it well.

4. Enriching your abilities

The more you feel good about yourself, the better it will improve your self esteem. Consider those things you want to do, or have to do, that you are not skilled at. After completing #3 above, concentrate on your one area of weakness and improve your skills in that area.

You can also try to find ways to overcome the weakness instead of dwelling on what you cannot do and possibly getting upset about it. If you are experiencing difficulties enhancing a weak skill, try something new. You might surprise yourself to find out that you are good at something else and that you have unlocked a hidden talent.

5. Appreciate YOU

Practice appreciating yourself. It is something many of us don't take enough time to do. It may be the things that you are capable of doing or have done, the way you look or your personality. Ask a trusted friend for positive input as well.

If you are having some difficulty with this one, check out these inspirational quotes then come back to this point.

Look at a mirror and see what a wonderful person you are. Look inside, past the skin, past the hurts and pain of the past. Look at YOU. You really are a wonderful person.

Practice saying something good about yourself everyday. You can compliment your skin, your eyes, how well you did with your test. Find things for which you can heap praise on yourself.

6. Reward yourself

You can choose to give yourself rewards when you accomplish something or when you complete a job well done. This will help you to feel better and even improve your motivation to get out and do more. Be careful not to reward yourself with too many high-calorie treats though. Improve self esteem does not involve expanding your waistline.

However, you should also remember that there is a fine line between being self confidence with high level of self-esteem - and over-confidence. What you want is to be a healthy person inside and out. Not arrogant or over-confident.

7. You are unique - accept that!

Do not compare yourself with others, not even your parents. You are a unique individual and that's what makes you, YOU. We are all different. That's why DNA is used for so many forensic pursuits. We are different from everyone else.

Allow yourself to be just who you are. Accept yourself – everything about you, both the positive and negative. Celebrate, reflect, be content.

8. Mistakes are steps along the road to success

Look at every mistake as a learning experience. Everybody makes mistakes so don't be too hard on yourself. See your mistakes as a different type of teacher than those at school. Both help you get through different stages of life.

Mistakes help make you stronger. When the same events occur or situation arises, you already know how to handle and deal with them. You have the experience.

9.Enjoy life

Have fun. Enjoy life. Learn how to set aside time for fun as well as work. There's time for you to be busy and serious and, more importantly, there also needs to be time to relax and unwind. Make time for the people that you love and that love you and do things together that bring you happiness.

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