Perennial nobleness dawns when the head is held high to praise the beauty within ourselves. Self-acceptance is the first step towards achieving your endeavors.
It is no wrong feeling good about yourself and cherishing yourself for who you are. Having positive self-esteem is important but unfortunately, in today’s pompous world, self-esteem continues to fade away with every little challenge we face. Rushing forward, battling for the first place under this constant pressure and stress it can be extremely difficult to always be in high spirits.
The notion of self-esteem. What is it?
The oxford describes self-esteem as “confidence in one’s own worth or abilities; self-respect.’’
Self-esteem is the passion we feel for ourselves, our abilities, and capabilities, it is the devotional aspect of our identity. It is not only conceited to the general opinion we have for ourselves but also includes the thoughts we think others have for us.
Self-esteem is the self-portrait we have in our minds. It may be high where the person is brimming with confidence and positivity then, on the other hand, we have low self-esteem where the person just feels no good about himself.
Why the pessimism?
Self-esteem is highly influenced by the events of the past. Our youth plays a crucial role in shaping our judgment for ourselves. The kind of environment and surroundings we grow up in has a major impact on our esteem.
According to an American study, low self-esteem is associated with risk factors such as obesity, school performance, and parenting style. Living in a family where the parents constantly criticize the child or fail to praise the efforts of the child, constantly comparing the child with other children failing to accept the child for who he is, greatly impacts the sense of self-worth which continues to instill low self-esteem in the child. This lack of self-esteem may intensify as the child continues to grow.
Not only the childhood experiences but difficult interpersonal relationships, problems, and peers at the workplace may also contribute to low self-esteem.
Steps to a positive self-esteem
Change your stance. Stand up straight and tall
Stand straight with your shoulders pulled back and your stomach tucked in. A poor posture makes you appear dull and overcast. Furthermore, it may strain muscles resulting in aches.
The best way of presenting yourself is by keeping your feet slightly open with knees bent slightly. Keep your head straight and relax your arms by letting them loose. Look up straight in the eyes of the person you are talking with. It may seem a lot difficult at first but making it a habit will surely raise your self-esteem.
With a correct posture and right use of words, you portray self-confidence which in turn makes the person you are talking to you believe in your abilities as well. According to a study, maintaining an upright posture may act to nullify negative thoughts and bring in positivity helping to maintain your self-esteem in times of stress.
Groom yourself
The way you present yourself to the outside world reflects how you feel on the inside. People with low self-esteem get so obsessed with critiquing and feeling guilty about themselves that is very common for them to not take can about their appearance.
Your body is a temple, it is the abode for your soul so learn to worship it. Your soul is deeply connected with your body and the way you carry yourself defines how you feel about yourself.
Get a beautiful set of clothes, fancy earrings, style your hair and you are all set. When you are doing your best, a sense of confidence is built from within.
Learn to embrace yourself
Remember you are beautiful, inside out. You need to give yourself the love you deserve. Praise your looks, feel good about yourself. Make it a habit to stand in front of the mirror at least once every day only to flatter yourself. ‘’Oh! I am blessed with such a magnificent set of eyes, such a perfect nose.’’ Speak for your beauty yourself and don’t wait for others to praise you or rate your looks.
Your body is perfect and the day you really understand this, will be the day everything would start to appear right. God has made you perfect in his own way and you need to appreciate what you have been given.
A person troubled with the issue of low self-esteem, he needs to channel all that negative energy into changing himself and walking ahead with confidence he had buried deep inside.
Stop the comparison for you are unique
You need to stop comparing yourself and your abilities to every next person you meet. You are unique and have great potential hidden inside you. The very first step to start raising your self-esteem is to have faith in all your capabilities and harness your potential.
A healthy competition with peers is good but always being on the top can be difficult so when things don’t go your way don’t start criticizing yourself. Don’t let your inner critic vitiate you. Dealing with difficult times, feeling low, and distressed is not new. It is absolutely normal and important too for a monochrome life would have been too boring to deal with. However, constantly degrading yourself, failing to embrace the qualities only you may possess does not sound like a pleasant thought.
Motivate yourself, kick start with a positive attitude
Get into the habit of reading something inspirational. It can be very helpful instilling positive thoughts and ideas nullifying the gloom you accumulate within yourself. Surrounding yourself with optimism and motivation is one way of raising your self-esteem. There are a lot of non-judgemental forums online which can provide you with all the emotional support and encouragement when you need it the most without judging you.
Now&Me is one such forum where people share their thoughts and sentiments. It is a platform where you can just pour your heart out and look for advice and guidance. You can overcome your low self-esteem when you start motivating yourself to do so.
Connect with people. Express yourself
A person with low self-esteem has a lot to deal with. It can be almost extremely difficult to keep up with the social life. Low self-confidence may lead a person to live a secluded lifestyle avoiding social interaction as much as possible. This may result in an even more problematic situation it gives rise to loneliness and increases the feelings of self-worthlessness.
To avoid this, you need to let yourself free. Learn to speak and communicate. Don’t keep your emotions bottled up, it will just cause more of misery to you. With low self-esteem, you dwindle between confidence and fear.
Mind your company
Your friends and people around you play a major role in shaping your self-esteem. Surround yourself with optimistic and poised people who appreciate you and keep you encouraged. Stay away from people who are also dragging you down.
Make friends with bright-minded people who nurture you in believing yourself. High-quality friends are the ones who give you support and acuity. They are the ones who are able to reciprocate the feelings you keep hidden.
According to an American study based on the role of friends in life satisfaction and social relations, individuals are highly benefitted with the positive interactions they have with their friends. The results of the study indicated that both having and meeting friends and high quality of friendship are important for overall life satisfaction.
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Practice benevolence and generosity
Dealing with low self-esteem may result you in being withdrawn from people. You are so focused on yourself, surrounded by your inner critic you build an aura of malice around you. Such feelings of self loathe and disdain can suppress the compassion and altruism within you. You need to maintain your identity, don’t let the empathy and kindness with your die. Reach out to the people in need. Distract yourself by engaging in people.
A sense of satisfaction is felt from within when you do even a small act of kindness. Your positive deeds magnetize positive thoughts and emotions. You can start by doing something as simple as spending a little of your time with the elderly around you.
Maintain your mental and physical health
Low self-esteem has nothing good about itself. It keeps you from enjoying the bliss of life, binding you down it holds you from pursuing your dreams and ambitions.
According to a journal based on psychiatry and mental health, self-esteem is fundamentally linked to mental health. Studies indicate that people with low self-esteem are much more prone to mental ailments such as depression, anxiety, and attention problems as compared to ones with high self-esteem.
To preserve your sanity, you may consider counseling from time to time when the workload gets too much. Eat healthily and appreciate yourself. Keeping a positive and optimistic view of ourselves may act as defensive stress coping mechanisms, hence nullifying the detrimental effects of anxiety and stress on mental health.
Take a break.
When the pressure too much to handle, just let it go. Work is important but your mind needs rest too. Don’t drown yourself in work, know your limits. Take a break from time to time.
You may also meditate to calm yourself from all the stress that is gusting inside you. Go outside, away from your working desk, and take a nature’s stroll. It can be really helpful in stabilizing your mind which in turn will increase our working efficiency.
You may even consider traveling for a few days to refresh yourself, if possible. Surprise yourself and do something that’s just not you, it can be fun and you can get a deeper understanding of yourself. When you do something to cheer yourself your spirit lifts and you start feeling better about yourself.
