Self-Esteem Failure — How to Jump Start It
Your self-esteem relates to how you feel about yourself. When you have a healthy sense of self-esteem, life seems pretty good and you can face, and tackle, most of the challenges that life throws your way. But there are any number of things that can cause you to lose your self-esteem. A low self-esteem can make you feel bad about yourself, which can then lead to anxiety, depression and negative feelings about life overall. The faster you are able to jump start your self-esteem when it falls low, the easier it will be to do, and then you’ll be on your way back to the positive you.
Low self-esteem can affect your health, your career, your relationships and just about any other part of your life. Just as there are many things that can cause you to lose your self-esteem, there are many to help you repair it. Following are a number of those ways. Pick and choose the ones you think will work for you.
- Follow your passion — Chances are, you are good at what you are passionate about. So do it. Think it. Write it. Play it. Often. Doing something you like to do is easy. And doing something you are good at adds a boost to your self-esteem every time you do it.
- Deflect negativity — Negative feelings, and people, don’t do anything for you except bring you down. Try learning to let go of the negative feelings already inside you. Don’t rely on others to validate who you are. Those people could be the very ones who are sending negativity your way. Believe in who you are, not in who others think you are.
- Concentrate on what your needs are, and then go after them — Self-care is a key part of a having a healthy self-esteem. It helps you get what you need out of life. So brush your teeth, and your hair. Eat healthy and get some exercise. When you make an effort at self-care, you’ll find that your needs will be met more quickly. When you have what you need, it’s easier to be positive about the things in your life, and about yourself. And that’s what a healthy self-esteem is all about.
- Identify the things in your life that might be triggering low self-esteem — Is it a situation at work or at home? A problem with one of your relationships? Or perhaps it’s a major life change, such as losing a loved one, sending your youngest child off to college or getting divorced. Once you are aware of what triggers you, you can start to pay attention to how those triggers make you feel and how you can manipulate a situation so that your triggers don’t go off.
Don’t Give Up
These efforts may seem awkward or unnatural at first, but with time you will realize how they are helping you to identify the sources of your low self-esteem and reduce the negative influences in your life. As you continue using them, you will begin to recognize the signs that your previous, healthy self-esteem is returning and you can begin looking forward to better days ahead.