What is self Esteem?
Self esteem is something that you believe about yourself in a positive way. It is essentially how much you appreciate yourself and how much do you have confidence in yourself. There are some key aspects of self esteem:
- Self-confidence
- Self-worth
- Self-respect
- Self-acceptance
How can I improve my self esteem?
There are many ways in which you can build your self esteem as it is something that reflects directly on our life. When we have high self esteem, we feel confident about ourselves, we trust ourselves despite the various circumstances.
- Identify your core beliefs
You should know about what your core beliefs are that may be affecting you to build your high self esteem (for example; I am not good enough, I feel fear in speaking about my thoughts, I am defective, I am unlovable, etc.) These beliefs are directly related to how we think about ourselves. - Identify your safety behaviors that help you avoid facing these beliefs such as; People pleasing, not speaking up, hiding, perfectionism, not having ambition etc.
- Face your fears by breaking your rules or dropping your safety behaviors. Test your fears and embrace them without feeling any regret and guilt, accept them confidently.
- Replace self-criticism with self-compassion. Even if you are rejected, praise yourself for just to be able to state your opinion.
It’s important to be aware that if you have surrounded yourself with people who validate your negative beliefs, they will reject and shame you when you start voicing your true opinions. The entire relationship is based on you believing you’re worthless. Look into communication skills, to help this process as it takes a lot of skill, willpower and strength to face rejection head on. True people are always by your side. Breakfree from any relationship and situationships from which you only gain low self confidence.
Have you ever seen some people walking with full of confidence and dreamed of being like them? But every time you try to do same, you feel like you are pushing yourself too far in and it doesn’t suit you. You are not alone.
I believe Confidence isn’t something you’re born with; it’s a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time. And with this belief I gathered some techniques you can experiment with yourself to be that confident person you have always dreamed of.
In this article we’ll explore seven powerful habits that can transform your self esteem:-
Positive Self-Talk:
Positive self-talk is the foundation of confidence. When we speak kindly and positively about ourselves, whether to others or in our internal system, we feel more energized and at peace. This practice helps to form a positive self-image and reduces self-doubt.
Challenge Your Comfort Zone:
You can do several activities to challenge your comfort like ordering something from a menu you have never tried before, trying a new activity, complimenting a random stranger, a genuine one, taking a different route on a walk, and many more. These tiny shifts in our daily routine can help us to build confidence.
Power Pose:
Power pose is a controversial self-improvement technique. Picture of an athlete raising their arms in a V shape and thinking of a Wonder Woman with her hands on her hips, feet apart, and chest lifted. These expansive postures are not just for the show. They have been shown to influence our brain chemistry and behaviour.
Research by social psychologist Amy Cuddy and her colleagues has demonstrated that holding a power pose for just 2 minutes can lead to significant changes in our body and mind.
So develop one for you, which can be reminding to make your back straight while sitting.
Laugh at Yourself:
a. Laugh at your mistakes
b. Laugh at your failures
This works every time for me. Whenever I make mistakes, I laugh at myself. We don’t need to be correct every time. This habit helps you to not take yourself too seriously, reduce stress, and keep you intact with your confidence. After all, we are human, and making mistakes is part of our journey.
Engage With Others:
Whether it’s in public vehicles or on the road, you can give a smile to strangers. You can have small talk with them and compliment them. You can click a picture for strangers, and you can say thank you every time someone helps you. These interactions not only make us feel good but also enhance your own sense of social confidence.
Live and Let Live:
Avoid judging others and focus on your own path. We are on this earth to fulfill the duties we need to achieve. So live for yourself and let others do the same. Judging others can decrease our confidence resulting in stress, energy drain, negativity, and many more.
Have a Confidence Playlist:
We’ve all felt a surge of confidence while listening to a particular song. Music has the power to lift our spirits, boost our energy, and give us quick confidence. As we all know, music can be both therapeutic and energy drain depending on the song and mood it creates. So why not do yourself a favor and harness the positive power of music by creating a confident playlist?
Creating a confidence playlist:
1. Choose upbeat songs: Select songs with fast tempo and lively beat to boost your energy
2. Look for Empowering lyrics: Choose lyrics that motivate you. ( My personal fav is “7 years” by Lukas Graham )
3. Include Personal favorites: that remind you of past success and happy moments
Quotations of the day
1. “Never Reveal about your Half cooked Food”-Chanakya
2. “Share something only after it is conformed”-Chanakya
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