Everyone struggles with confidence issues from time to time. But, if you’re constantly dealing with low self-esteem, something’s gotta give. There’s no reason for you to be walking around with your head hung low and your mind bogged down by judgment.
After all, you only get one life so you may as well enjoy it to the fullest!
Yes, there are things that will make you unhappy from time to time and hard challenges you’ll have to overcome. However, you shouldn’t be one of the things standing in your own way.
Here are 10 tips to help you learn how to overcome low self-esteem.
1. Write Positive Notes To Yourself
Since self-esteem is often about the story we tell ourselves, one of the best low self-esteem cure tricks out there is to write positive notes to yourself. Buy a stack of sticky notes, go home, and write down a bunch of nice things.
Then, stick the notes all over your house. Put them on the bathroom mirror, a dresser drawer, and on the fridge. These are objects you interact with every day, so you’ll see the notes all the time.
2. Take Note Of Mental Conversations
The more you write and read the positive notes, the more you’ll start to notice the narrative of low self-esteem in your mind. Positive notes say things like “you are enough” or “you are beautiful.” Low self-esteem, on the other hand, is trying to tell you there’s something wrong with who you are.
There’s nothing wrong with the way you look, how you act, or anything else about you. If you ever start to tell yourself otherwise, try to stop yourself and turn around the way you talk to yourself. Little by little, the change you’re looking for will happen.
3. Practice More Self-Care
Sometimes, the best way to balance negative self-talk is to practice more self-care. This is another way to overcome your depression and self-esteem issues.
Self-care is any healthy habit that makes you feel alive. For some people, that’s exercise and eating well. For others, it’s creating in their day to take good care of their skin and hair.
Keep in mind that self-care is a habit. It’s nice to treat yourself from time to time and do things like take a bath or go to the beach. The most effective self-care, though, is what you do to benefit yourself every single day.
4. Make A List Of What You Love
The next way to face your lack of self-confidence is to build more confidence by making a list of everything you love about yourself. This is a simple exercise you can do whenever you’re feeling particularly down.
Just grab a pen and paper or open a note on your phone and start writing.
Write down anything that comes to mind. Maybe you love your hair the most or the fact that you can make anyone laugh. Maybe you’re proud of how smart you are or you like the fact that you’re a good cook.
Whatever you love about yourself, write it down. This affirms your good qualities and it helps you remember them when low self-esteem gets in the way.
5. Surround Yourself With People Who Love You
There’s value in practicing self-love, but there’s also much to benefit from spending time with people you share a deep, healthy relationship with. Make more of an effort to call your parents or hang out with your best friend. Don’t be shy about curling up with your dog after you’ve had a long day, either.
Whoever in your life you can count on, lean on them. That’s what they’re here for. Sometimes, all it takes is a heartfelt conversation with someone who cares about you to get you out of a funk.
6. Stop Letting Judgement Stand In Your Way
Just as it’s important to spend time with people you love, it’s crucial to cut toxic people out of your life. Keep in mind it’s possible to love someone who is toxic -- the thing is, these individuals don’t love you back.
That’s a hard pill to swallow on its own. What’s even harder, though, is letting this person’s judgment and ridicule continue to have a place in your life. Cut ties with such individuals and watch how your self-esteem starts to change.
7. Let Go Of Things That Have Hurt You
Maybe you’ve already let go of the toxic people in your life, but their words and actions have left a scar. This is completely understandable. However, it doesn’t have to determine the course of your life especially in terms of how you hold yourself.
Work on letting go of the things that have hurt you.
Challenge the things that bullies have told you all your life and try to start owning the parts of yourself that have been judged time and time again. Remember, you are a unique, powerful, and beautiful person. If others can’t see that, it’s their problem, not yours.
8. Try Something New
Here’s a thought: your biggest confidence booster may be disguising itself as something new you’ve been meaning to try. It’s nice to discover that you’re good at something you’ve never tried or to find new ways to have fun. These build your confidence almost instantly.
Even if you aren’t as good as something as you hoped you’d be, there’s value in pushing your comfort zone. This alone is enough to chip away at your low self-esteem.
9. Forgive Yourself
As you’re working on all the ways to boost your self-esteem mentioned thus far, take a moment to forgive yourself. Negative self-talk does you no good, but holding onto shame or guilt for having confidence issues is even worse.
This sends you into a downward spiral. Forgiveness is your release.
Stand in the mirror, look yourself right in the eye, and say, “I forgive you.” Remind yourself that the confidence issues you’ve dealt with aren’t your fault and that they don’t have to weigh you down anymore, either.
10. Do Something For Someone Else
The final way to give your self-esteem a boost is to do something for someone else. When we volunteer, act in service, or simply say something kind, we’re opening ourselves up for connection. This helps you practice compassion and it makes you feel good.
Such results from helping another easily translate into helping yourself. It’s not selfish, it’s effective.
How To Overcome Low Self-Esteem: Seek Counseling
There’s one more thing you can do to learn how to overcome low self-esteem. If you haven’t considered it already, it might be time to seek counseling. Having a professional to talk to can do wonders for your self-confidence.
They can keep you accountable to doing all the things listed above and help you find other ways to boost your confidence, too. To access this kind of support, contact us today.