Stand on your Feet: How to Improve Self-Esteem
19/12/2017
Premiere Magazine
What, in everyday life, is called low self-esteem? It means self-doubt, not using your full potential, failing to act for fear of failure. The opposite of this state is determination and action. What makes up self-esteem? It is often difficult to nail down. Yes, for many of us, it was ‘spoiled’ in early childhood, but our parents certainly did not study the psychology of communication. What’s done is done, but your self-esteem can now be managed by you.
Often we are faced with situational self-esteem: throughout the day, in different cases, it fluctuates up and down, changing our mental and bodily state in the process. Self-esteem is low (objective or subjective) usually in very specific areas of life. There is hardly a man who is unsure of himself completely, always and everywhere. We need to ask ourselves what low or high self-esteem does for us in our daily life. Are we benefiting or are we sabotaging? Self-esteem is not dependent on our real qualities. It is closely connected with the attitude of others or, rather, our ideas of how we love and accept. The small, but important, secret is that low self-esteem is often convenient. It lets us never leave our comfort zone so that we never have to deal with fear of failure and our laziness.
The main thing you need to do to raise your self-esteem is to be willing to take small, but manageable steps. Don’t procrastinate…don’t plan…just act! Any action will have some positive affect on your self-esteem, even if it is not connected to any goal. Just water the ficus or sew on a button. Just press play!
Realize your uniqueness
Forget about others or, rather, about any comparison with them. There will always be someone who is faster, taller and stronger. There will always be that area where others excel better. Kill comparison and deprive food to your insatiable inner critic. You are you and your uniqueness is your strength.
Accept the negative
This stems from an awareness of your identity. You, as a person, are entitled to mistakes, failures and the occasional bad mood. It’s just experience. Draw lesson by cold analysis, not self-blaming. Go ahead! Try it!
Training
Diary of Success. Write down all of your good deeds, and be proud of them. Regularly reread your entries.
Mirror. Be in front of a mirror and recite, to yourself, the installation for self-love and self-acceptance. It is important to do this in a calm state and best immediately after sleep, when the brain is rested and receptive.
Meditation. This method of relaxation gradually relieves the inner anxiety and brings a calm attitude and energy necessary for successful business. This can be combined with affirmations.
Corset. People with professional bearing (military athletes) rarely have internal suffering, so straighten up, straighten the shoulders, lift the chin and breathe deeply! Hold this posture as long as possible.
The game in confidence. When you feel that doubt appear, hold for at least five minutes (or how much you want and can) the image of a successful and cheerful person. This is known as playing cheerfulness and you can master it.
The meeting with fear. Create, in your mind, the situation of failure that you are afraid of and then find some ways out of it.
Interview. Conspire to select a positive person and ask him or her to tell you about your positive aspects. Just write down the answer. Probably, you are waiting for a surprise. Make sure to re-read the opinion given afterwards.
Exercise is also very much important. Choose at least two or three things to do and practice them. By the way, even when you are searching websites and in the literature, look for ways to improve yourself and your position in life. Eventually, this will lead to a positive change that you could not have anticipated.
Alternatives
Don’t focus on the bad when bad happens. Instead, turn to something that is inherently good and focus on that. You have all the multifaceted potential to recover your self-esteem in the face of adversity! Take up a hobby that will bring you satisfaction and pleasure and turn to it when times get tough. If you already have a hobby, improve your skills in it as therapy. If you fail an exam, bake a signature cake to bring your esteem up to max.
All the best!
Unselfish help has a positive impact on self-esteem. If you carried a bag for an old lady or fed a sausage to a cat, there is always a smile on your lips.
Accept praise
When the old lady will thank you and praise you, no need to blush and mutter that it was nothing or that you are not worthy of such words. Do not deny the significance of your actions. You are only denying yourself. Just say “thank-you” simply and sincerely. It is a compliment that you deserve.
Not making excuses
As naturally as you accept praise, take observations and accusations in stride as constructive ways to see future improvements in yourself. If the comments are not justified, recognise and realise this before carrying on with your day strongly.
Draw a circle
Get accustomed to the environment. If there are people around you tuned to pessimism and who are critical of themselves and others, they will always be ready to emphasize the negative and you do not need that. Reduce communication with them to a minimum, if possible. For those who always gives you joy, give as much time and attention to them in your circle.
Listen and praise
To feel confident in your team, you need to know a little secret about people. In their heads, they are busy worrying as well. Whether you have real and imaginary shortcomings, they are often do busy with their own insecurities to think about you and your shortcomings. Their thoughts are their right and their problems.
The best advice is to remain modest when the situation calls for it and actually listen carefully to others. If you are sincerely praised, gradually teach your inner critic to praise yourself as well. Good luck to you in the most difficult job; working on yourself!
