Self-esteem is a measure of how much an individual values or views him or herself. Our self-esteem constantly develops over the course of our lives and sadly, being criticized by family, friends, and society in general gradually tends to lower our self-worth. Even looking at my own life, my own self-esteem is lowered when I think I don’ t do well enough at school. As a result, I feel like I have to do better and feel like I have to be a perfectionist. As individuals, when we have a low self-esteem we tend to lower our level of self-confidence and fall into a state of depression.
Here are some effects of low self-esteem:
- You tend to practice perfectionism
- You demonstrate an excessive need for acceptance: a great desire to please authority figures.
- You become easily defensive
- You have little faith in your judgment and are highly vulnerable to peer pressure
- You consistently tend to put down yourself
- And off course you feel SAD
On the other hand, a high self-esteem allows individuals to maintain an optimistic viewpoint of life. For example, when I do well on a test or even get a compliment from one of my friends there’s something inside of me that feels uplifted. As a result, my self-esteem is boosted up and all of a sudden I gain a lot of self-confidence. During this moment you like you’re on top of the world!
Here are some effects of high self-esteem:
- You feel capable of influencing another’s behaviors in a positive way
- You can communicate positive feelings about yourself
- You approach a hard-hitting situation with a positive outlook
- You will have a longer life span
- Most importantly, you feel HAPPY with yourself
Now, the question you’re probably asking is, “How do I improve my self-esteem?”
You see improving one’s self-esteem requires a self –realization that only you must come to terms with. Of course there are many way for us to improve ourselves. Here are some that really help:
Stop comparing yourself to others
In order to avoid low self-esteem, one important thing I do is to stop comparing myself to other people. You see, trying to live up or even compete with another person is a losing game. I focus on being the best I can be because I don’t need another person’s life to bring mine down.
Learn to appreciate yourselfÂ
Trust me when I say everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses because these are two things that make us distinctive individuals. What I usually do in order to appreciate myself is to spend more time focusing on qualities about myself that I like and less on the ones that I dislike. One thing I usually do to accomplish this is to take on a hobby that will help me project my strengths and less on my weaknesses.
Don’t worry about being “perfect”
One thing I’ve learned from life is that when you try to aim for perfection, it is ultimately a lost cause. Putting too much focus on trying to make yourself perfect will ultimately cause you to fail in the end. And of course, I understand that we all make mistakes, especially those that are easily avoidable, but you have to forgive yourself and move on. As a response to this, I tend to set goals for myself and achieve them. This is a powerful way in which you can constantly renew your confidence.
Learn from your failures
As human beings, when we fail, we tend not to bring out the best out of the hardship. We need to recognize that when things don’t go our way, there is always something that can be learned from one situation to be applied in another. So when you fail or even loose your way, always get back up with a positive attitude.
Find good friends that constantly uplift you
This point sounds like a no brainer, but be sure to surround yourself with friends that constantly uplift you. Having friends with negative attitudes might be emotionally contagious, which isn’t good for you. So be sure to surround yourself with friends that care about your feelings. Friends that will build your confidence.
I hope these help improve your self-esteem like they did mine.Â
Other Sources: Huffington Post, Wikihow, Love To Know
