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It may seem like everyone shares similar goals for improving their self-esteem and self-love practices, but sometimes, having robust confidence isn’t as easy as meets the eye. Compassion is a process, and no one thing can magically make you love yourself overnight. Everyone has days where their self-esteem is at a low ebb. However, that doesn’t mean you need to accept the voice of your harsh inner critic.
While everyone is different and each person has unique practices that make them feel better about themselves, you can adopt a few universal tips to smooth the path on your self-acceptance journey. While each of these practices can bring you closer to a positive self-image, it’s essential to keep your attitude in mind. When you begin your self-improvement from a place of positivity, you may find it even more powerful. Here are a few tips for improving your self-esteem.
Self-care is crucial no matter who you are, and it can look different in everyone’s life. Specifically, taking the steps you need to care for yourself properly can help you feel much better about yourself overall. While they may seem like little things, meeting all your physical, emotional and spiritual needs can put you in the right headspace to show yourself love.
Positive affirmations may seem a bit cliched, but when you say something to yourself over and over again, you are more likely to believe it. When you start criticizing yourself, you’re engaging in a negative feedback loop. When’s the last time you listened to your internal monologue to catch any habitual skepticism and take steps to reverse it?
Exercise can entail various activities for different people, and no matter what workout you happen to love, regularly doing it can help improve your self-esteem. Exercising releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins that create the characteristic “runner’s high,” and getting your heart pumping as you move around is an excellent way to feel connected to your body. Exercise can be a fantastic self-care strategy, because you know you’re doing something beneficial for yourself.
Taking the spotlight off the physical for a moment, what about feeling good about who you are as a person? One of the best ways to improve your self-image is by feeling secure in who you are on the inside, not only in your body. And one of the best ways to do that is by being kind to others. Giving genuine compliments, offering a helping hand and being generous in your words and actions can help you feel good about who you are, all while bettering the world around you.
An “attitude of gratitude” can help you in so many areas, including improving your self-esteem. By reminding yourself of the things you are grateful for — both in your life and about yourself as a person — you can cultivate an air of positivity around you. In counting your blessings, you can tap into all the positive feelings you have about yourself. Try journaling or loving-kindness meditation if you want to get started.
Similar to exercising, eating healthy foods that nourish your body to fuel your days and perform at the top of your game can help you feel at home in yourself and create a sense of comfort with your body. Cultivating a healthy relationship with food means you aren’t dieting to change yourself or overeating to fill a void — it means you eat foods that will help you feel good, and that can lift your self-worth and self-esteem.
Many people advise talking to yourself like you would talk to a friend, which includes times when you make mistakes or do things you aren’t proud of. By choosing to be forgiving with yourself, you grant yourself the space to make mistakes and know you are still worthy of love and care, no matter what.
Whether you’re down on yourself because you dislike your body image, haven’t lived up to your professional goals or anything else, it can be therapeutic to focus on your priorities in life — what’s on the inside. It can be easy to get caught up in surface-level insecurities, but remember, your self-esteem comes from the inside, and nothing can take that away from you.
Everybody struggles with self-esteem occasionally — it’s part of being human. But it’s essential to take an active role in building your self-confidence, no matter how you get there. When you combine an attitude of positivity with practices that remind you of your value, you can begin to love and accept yourself more. Which of these tips for improving your self-esteem resonates most with you?
