How To Improve Low Self-Esteem With These 29 Exercises

Seven out of 10 women have the low selfsteem. They think they are not good enough or not up to scratch in some aspect of life, including their appearance, performance in school, and relationships with friends and family members.

Before watching 29 activities we can do to improve our self-esteem, I invite you to see this video of a girl showing us what we should do every morning to love ourselves more.

This short video is a demonstration of appreciation for all that this girl has in her life. This video went viral a long time ago and I never get tired of watching it:

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If you wish to increase your self esteem you need to challenge and change some beliefs you have about yourself. This may seem like an impossible task, but there are a ton of different ways to accomplish it.

Improving your self-esteem is not as difficult as you think. All the steps, big and small, toward gaining good self-esteem fall into two main categories:

a) avoid negative effects and

b) accentuate the positive.

Strengthen our self-esteem It is one of the best ways to achieve a higher quality of life in all aspects of our life and achieve the personal improvement that we long for.

Did you know that achieving success in your life is directly related to having a healthy self-esteem? You may have heard the cliché: "We are what we eat." Many also argue that "We are what we think."

Nathaniel Brandon, one of the leading self-esteem psychologists, put it very well: "There is no more important value judgment for the human being than the estimation he makes of himself."

If you are able to strengthen your self-esteem, you will be able to better cope with stress. You will be successful and you will not even need to brag about it. Your self-esteem, however, can vary depending on the day of the week. It is a temporary sensation. Environmental factors can play a role in the way you see yourself.

29 techniques to strengthen your self-esteem

1) Volunteer or collaborate with what you identify with.

The Canadian Research Institute affirms that belonging to a group with which you feel identified improve your self esteemWhether it's signing up as a volunteer in a nursing home, helping with volunteer work for the Red Cross, going to your parish group meetings, etc.

Feeling like a member of a community in which you gladly collaborate can make a big difference in your life.

2) Identify your negative beliefs.

If you want to improve your self-esteem, it is important to identify what your negative beliefs about yourself are and where they come from.

This step could be a difficult process so it is important that you take your time. You can ask a friend or family member to help you, ask them how they see you, what insecurities they notice.

It can be useful answer this series of questions:

- What do you think are your weaknesses or failures?

- What negative things do you think other people think of you?

- How would you describe yourself?

- When did you start to feel bad?

- Can you identify an experience or event that could have caused this sensation?

It is also helpful to realize those negative thoughts that assault our mind without realizing it. They are automatic thoughts. Someone may not greet you on the street and you think, "People don't like me." Be aware of these types of thoughts so that you can question and change them.

One way to question these thoughts is to write evidence that challenges those beliefs and begin to explore other explanations of the situation. For example, if you think that people don't like you, you can start to record the situations that show a different pattern:

- My mother called me on my birthday.

- The neighbor has not greeted me but I have noticed that he does not say hello to anyone.

- I had a very nice conversation with my coworker.

They are small examples but as your list grows larger as time progresses you may begin to question that negative belief.

3) Positive thinking exercises.

There are many techniques that can help you think more positively about yourself. Many of the ideas can be my blog 😉

This simple exercise is a example:

Make a list of various things you like about yourself, it might include:

- The physical quality that you like the most: for example, I have a nice smile.

- A quality you are proud of: for example, I am patient.

- Positive actions you do: for example, volunteering.

- Skills you have: for example, I am very methodical.

Take your time, you can make the list for several weeks. Your goal is to make a list of 50 different things. Put this list in a visible place for you and check it every day. If you are concerned about an upcoming event, such as a job interview, take the time to read the entire list and show yourself that you have a lot to offer.

4) Set yourself a challenge that you can really accomplish.

Start with something relatively small but that makes sense to you. For example, you could decide that you are going to write a letter to your local newspaper or sign up for dance classes, computer science, ...

Tell someone about the challenge and when you have achieved it, accept their praise 😉 Next, set another challenge a little more difficult, for example, organizing a dinner with old schoolmates or trying to form a group of friends with your dance classmates.

5) Be assertive.

Being assertive does not mean being aggressive or communicating in a rude way. Be assertive it will help you gain confidence in yourself.

Communicating assertively involves proper body posture, fill your lungs with air, lift your chin, stretch, feel agile. This body posture will help you communicate in a more assertive way.

This type of assertive communication should be taught in a regulated manner in all schools to increase student confidence. There are also several self-help books who talk about this type of communication.

6) Stay away from toxic people.

Your self-esteem problems may be due to people close to you who stimulate your negative beliefs. They are critical, toxic, energy vampires.

It is important to control these types of people in your life as they can seriously undermine your self-esteem. You have to take action so they stop being so toxic to you. Perhaps you can be more assertive (see above) or as a last option limit contact with them.

Cross the street if necessary to avoid those negative people who only make you see your faults. Don't waste your energy on these people trying to fight their arguments.

Try to associate with positive people and with which you feel comfortable. People who listen to you, value you and make you laugh.

7) Look for incentives that make you feel good about your job.

It is important that you feel good about your job. If you do not have a job at the moment you can do volunteer activities that will help you build your confidence again.

8) Practice your favorite hobbies.

This could range from learning a language, singing, painting classes ...

Think what is your natural ability or what you've always wanted to try. Try to find activities that don't put too much effort on you so that you can rebuild your confidence little by little.

If you can, sign up for a course on something that you really like and in this way you will be complying with what we have commented in point number one.

9) Exercise regularly.

Physical activity is good for mental health and has been shown to improve people's self-esteem and sense of well-being. Walking 1 hour a day at a good pace can be a good start.

It can be a simple walk, although if it is an aerobic activity much better. Exercise makes your brain secrete more endorphins, neurotransmitters that increase your sense of well-being and, therefore, your self-esteem.

If it can be an exercise that you do together, much better.

10) Try to get enough sleep.

Sleep problems can have a serious impact on people's quality of life. Negative feelings, overreactions, irritability, and loss of confidence surface. Watch How to get quality sleep.

Some people need 8 hours of sleep, others 6 is enough. A rested mind is safer from daily problems.

11) Eat healthy.

Eating healthy has a positive impact on your physical and mental health. Eating a well-balanced diet, always eating at the same time, or drinking plenty of water will help you feel healthier and happier. See diet against anxiety.

12) Mindfulness or mindfulness.

Mindfulness or minfulness it's a way of pay attention to the present moment using techniques such as meditation, breathing, and yoga.

It has been shown to help people become aware of their thoughts and feelings by making them easier to manage.

13) Receive with joy the praise and positive comments that other people give you.

Many people do not believe they deserve such praise or simply avoid it because they do not want to disappoint or create high expectations of them.

Reject this type of behavior in yourself. Welcome all the positive feedback you receive because you certainly deserve it.

14) Be aware of your inner dialogue.

Six out of ten teens with low self-esteem speak ill of themselves. Phrases like: "I'm useless", "I'm not like that", "This one is going to beat me", "They won't take my opinion into account", "I'm weak" ... they resonate in the minds of people with problems of self-esteem.

The first thing you have to do is be aware of these negative thoughts and stop them and then replace them with much more powerful thoughts such as: "I'm very good at ...", "Nobody beats me at ...", "X people love me with madness "," With effort I can achieve everything I set my mind to ... "

15) Set realistic expectations.

Do not think that for example you are going to come to a birthday party and you are going to be the life of the party if you are a shy person. This is valid both for having too high (irrational) expectations and for having too low expectations ("I'm sure I'm going to X site and everyone is going to criticize me").

If you want more information or need specific help, you can leave your comment at the end of this article. and I will gladly try to help you.

16) Don't try to be perfect.

Perfection does not exist, it is a chimera. Don't try to please everyone because it is literally impossible. Don't try to be good at everything because you won't excel at anything. Do not try to assume all the responsibilities because you will end up psychologically destroyed.

Be more flexible.

17) Spending some time every day with someone.

The human being is social by nature. A lonely person is less likely to achieve a satisfactory degree of mental well-being. The objective is that you share a pleasant time and exchange experiences and opinions.

3 essential requirements:

* That the people you hang out with are positive. It's hard not to feel bad about yourself when you're constantly feeling criticized or surrounded by people who complain incessantly.

* That they value you as you are.

* Make sure you have supportive people around you to counter criticism from negative people.

Remember that you can choose your friends, why not choose the people who think you are cool? How much time do you spend with the people who make you feel good? Find holes to spend time with those people who make you feel special, do not lose contact with them, use email or messages so they know you are there.

18) Read a book.

Books are a window to other worlds, other characters, other points of view that enrich you as a person and make you see life in a different way. Sometimes a book can be like psychotherapy.

19) Write a journal.

Write down the things you did well that day. This will help you identify and remember your strengths. If bad things have happened to you, look for the positive side.

20) Change the image if necessary.

Take a shower, go to the salon, and buy yourself some new clothes. A simple makeover can be effective.

Groom yourself every day, use a new shade of lipstick, or do something different with your hair or clothes. Then feel free to smile at yourself in the mirror before sharing that smile with the rest of the world.

Take care of your body posture, keep your head up, shoulders back, and walk down the street with confidence.

21) Start the day the right way.

If you wake up feeling depressed, take time to shower and get ready. Once you are done you will feel better. Looking good on the outside helps you feel good on the inside.

22) Don't use drugs to make yourself feel better.

Here I also include tobacco and alcohol. If you learn to fight without having to resort to these kinds of things, your self-esteem will increase enormously. To face life there are no shortcuts and this kind of thing in the long run takes a very expensive bill in the form of great suffering.

23) Don't worry about being "perfect."

The search for perfection is a trap that can undermine your self-esteem. No one is perfect in the eyes of others. Instead, try to achieve goals.

24) Don't compare yourself to others.

Why do you compare yourself to that friend, acquaintance or Hollywood star? These comparisons can make you miserable. Use these people as a source of inspiration to achieve your goals, but don't pretend to be like them.

25) Start saying NO.

Use the answer NO. Don't say yes to things you don't want to do, especially when you feel like you're being taken advantage of.

Start practicing with people you trust if necessary. If you can't say no, at least don't say yes, say maybe.

26) Don't try to change others.

If you are trying to change someone, you have to rethink the situation as it can be a tiring undertaking. No one can change unless they want to.

If you are trying too hard to try to change someone's attitude with unwanted results it can become very frustrating. Be understanding if someone is going through a difficult time but remember that the job is not yours, it is fundamentally the other person's.

The only person you can change is yourself. It is not easy but if you achieve it, your self-esteem will go through the roof.

27) Make a list of your accomplishments.

Do you know how to cook, do you like to read books, do you exercise? These things we take for granted are also achievements. Do you pay your bills, do you take care of your children's education, are you a good friend?

It is easy to forget all that we have accomplished in our lives.

28) Make a list of your positive inner qualities.

Are you a good, considerate, patient, intelligent, fun, reliable, caring person?

Keep these lists handy and review them when you feel discouraged.

29) Be your own best friend.

You are a good and cool person to all your friends, why not be great to yourself?

Would you let your best friend down if he was having a bad day? Of course not! So what if you were your own friend? Think about it. Would you be kinder, more understanding? It's wonderful to be your best support. Go ahead! Stop working against your own well-being and be good to yourself.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-esteem is made up of a set of beliefs that we have about ourselves. If we believe that we are worthless, obviously we will feel bad and it is likely that we can contract a depression.

This concept, the belief we have in ourselves, is what will determine whether we have a satisfactory life or not. It doesn't matter how you behave. If you BELIEVE that you are competent, honest, a good person,… you will have a high self-esteem and in this way it is more likely that life will smile at you.

This positive assessment of self-esteem must occur in a spontaneous, automatic or unconscious way.

Recent theories about self-esteem suggest that evaluative statements such as "I'm good at tennis" help to build and strengthen a positive belief about oneself.

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