“Self esteem is the reputation we acquire with ourselves.”
Nathaniel Branden
Feel like your self-esteem dragging a bit these days? If low self-esteem has you feeling a little less than inspired of late, take heart, there are brighter days ahead. You have the power to renew your ego within a matter of days. You may need to put in a little bit of work to overcome the roadblocks in the way of your pulling your self-esteem back up, but your efforts will certainly be worth it.
What can you do to get a healthy ego boost:
1. Consider your needs. Do what makes you happy without allowing what others may think about you or your decisions to hold you back. Once you stop worrying about keeping up with appearances, your mind and soul will be free.
Living without fear of judgment will allow you to open doors that were once only a dream to you. Often, you will even find that your financial situation will improve, because you aren’t making expensive purchases for things that are meaningless to you in order to keep up with everyone else.
Sometimes, family can be your biggest judgment worry. If this is your situation, learn to set boundaries and allow the negativity to roll off as much as possible. This will take time and practice. But also keep in mind that it may be occasionally helpful to listen to the advice of family members. Be on the lookout for when that advice may be turning into criticism or begins to run your life. Remember to put yourself first.
Check out our previous post “6 Ways to Combat the Negativity of Others”
2. Take pride in your appearance. When you present yourself in a neat and stylish manner, your ego will instantly increase because when you know you look good, you feel good. You will automatically walk with your head a bit higher when you’re confident about your appearance.
And no, I am not saying go out and get a new wardrobe. Make the best of what you already own. Perhaps you have a good friend with a better eye for color and fashion than you. Ask for some assistance.
Contrary to popular thinking, it doesn’t take a lot of money to look good. Simply choose to eat healthier, fix your hair a bit, and be sure that your clothing is clean and pressed.
3. Surround yourself with positivity. Surround yourself with people who care and appreciate you. If your friends and family are constantly giving you unsolicited and unwarranted criticism, eventually this will lead to lower self-esteem. Have an honest chat with the people in your life about how negatively their harsh comments affect you. If they really care about you, they’ll put a stop to it immediately.
Some people are simply hard-wired to dish out tons of toxic negativity. If your circle includes people like this, you already know that you need to distance yourself a bit from their negative influences. Your loved ones aren’t required to praise you in order to be on your priority list. But your efforts to give yourself a healthy ego boost will fall short if you’re constantly being torn down by the negativity of others.
4. Reboot. Rediscover an old hobby or find a new one. By involving yourself with something you enjoy, you will create your own positivity. You’ll feel better about yourself as you increase your level of happiness.
Developing a healthy ego may seem like a simple concept, but many people struggle with insecurity and self-doubt. However, if you’re able to effectively implement the tips above, you’ll notice your self-esteem rise quickly. Remember, you are worth the effort and your contribution is important to the world.
Thoughts?
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paranoiasdelavida/2448922825/sizes/z/in/photostream/
