Steps Toward Increased Self-Esteem
Self-esteem can be described as the way an individual thinks of themselves, as well as how worthwhile one feels (Du, King & Chi, 2017). Also, the level of self-esteem determines how he or she reacts to certain life situations. Importantly, there are two kinds of self-esteem namely; low self-esteem and high self-esteem. The individuals who have high self-esteem every so often feel accepted, liked, are proud of everything they do, and have a lot of belief in themselves. On the other hand, those with low self-esteem are usually hard on themselves, feel bad about who they are, and think that they are not good enough. Low self-esteem harms an individual’s life and as a result, people should always strive to increased their self-esteem which is also associated with self-worth. Some of the negative effects of self-esteem include a reduction in one’s quality of life, development of mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Besides, low self-esteem can lead one to make self-destructing decisions like harming oneself and others, tolerating mistreatment, all in attempts to numb the pain or feeling of worthlessness, or to make others love them. It is therefore critical to analyze and describe the steps that can be adopted to increase self-esteem.
Different factors have an impact on self-esteem. This includes age, life experiences, personality, genetics, social circumstances, thoughts, health, as well as the reaction of others and contrasting oneself to others. How the different factors are handled from a tender age determine how the person’s self-esteem will turn out, from childhood through to adulthood. To lead a happy life, high self-esteem is critical. One of the main requirements is themselves since everything begins from the mind and the interactions with the surrounding. The first step for increasing self-esteem is to identify and challenge negative ideologies. This will include being conscious of one’s thoughts about himself or herself. For instance, one might find themselves thinking that “they are not intelligent enough to solve a certain problem”. When such thoughts come up, one needs to look for supporting evidence that contradicts the thinking.
The second step is to identify the positives. It is appropriate to document the positive things, like being good at basketball for instance, and also, the good things that have been said about the individual by others. In case one feels low, they should look back at such things and remind themselves that there is much good in them. In general, positive self-dialogue is a significant aspect of increasing self-esteem. In case an individual starts to think that they are not good enough or they are failures, they should turn the thinking to “I can do this”. The third step is to create positive relationships and stay away from negative ones. There are people and also relationships which make one feel better when compared to others. If some relationships and people make one feel bad about themselves, they should be avoided.
The fourth step is to give yourself time off. One does not have to be perfect all the time. One does not have to feel good about himself or herself every time. Self-esteem is different across situations, from hour to hour, and even day to day. Some feel positive and relaxed with colleagues and friends, but uncomfortable and shy with people they have never met. Others can feel in command of themselves when in the working place and struggle in a social context. Therefore, giving oneself a break when finding it hard to maintain self-belief or when feeling down is critical to improving self-esteem. Notably, a person should refrain from criticizing oneself to other people since it can reinforce the negative perceptions and also give others a potential false-negative view. When one succeeds at doing something that is challenging or managed a bad day, they should treat themselves to boost their esteem.
Additionally, learning to say no and being more assertive helps in improving one’s self-esteem. Persons with low self-esteem usually find it difficult to say no to others or stand on their own. This implies that they tend to be overburdened at work or home since they do not like to refuse anyone anything. Nonetheless, this can lead to the development of stress and even make it impossible to manage. Developing the assertiveness train can thus aid in the improvement of self-esteem. There are occasions when acting as if one has believed in themselves can indeed help in the boosting of self-belief. Bettering of an individual’s physical health also in increasing self-esteem. It is easy to feel good about oneself when in good health and fit. People having low self-esteem usually neglect themselves since they do not feel the importance of being looked after. Therefore, people should eat well, exercise, and sleep well. It is also recommendable to make time for relaxing and doing something that they enjoy doing, instead of engaging in something that they are expected to do. One can find that such simple transformations can have significant impacts on their general look. The final step is to take on challenges. Low self-esteem pushes people away from difficult and challenging situations. Taking on challenges does not mean that one should do everything by themselves. Part of the challenge can involve seeking help when needed. However, one should also take on a challenge that they know will be hard to accomplish.
In conclusion, it is not likely that one will just transition from a low to high self-esteem in an instant. Rather, one should strive to make small improvements through time. The main objective is to look over the long-run instead of a day to day basis and concentrate on the bigger picture, not the details of how one felt at a certain time the other day. When one feels good or does something great, no matter how small, they should celebrate and not beat themselves up when they at some point slip back to the negative thought trains. In such a scenario, they should pick themselves up and try to think positively. Ultimately, this will grow to be a habit and people with low self-esteem will find themselves having a quietly high self-esteem.
Reference
Du, H., King, R. B., & Chi, P. (2017). Self-esteem and subjective well-being revisited: The roles of personal, relational, and collective self-esteem. PloS One, 12(8), e0183958. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183958