It’s often said that we are our own worst critics, and this is definitely the case for the vast majority of us. We are often very complementary of other people and are able to bring other people up when they’re feeling low, but it’s hard to do the same thing for ourselves. This is often born out of a lack of self-esteem.
It’s thought that 85% of adults suffer from low self-esteem. This means the majority of the population have a lack of confidence in themselves. It’s not easy to muster up self-esteem, and it’s something that can take years to do, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways you can try to boost it.
If you’re struggling to feel good about yourself, here are some small things you can do that might give you a little lift – even if it’s only for a day.
- Smile at yourself in the mirror
There is a lot of research into the impact smiling can have on your health, and the results generally show that smiling makes you happy – even if it’s forced. When you smile, your brain releases endorphins which can boost feelings of happiness and stress-relief.
Not only does smiling help you, but it can also have a positive impact on other people. If you see someone smiling, you’re more likely to smile and feel happy as a result, therefore boosting your own mood and your self-esteem indirectly.
So, even if you’re feeling really low and unhappy, smiling at yourself first thing in the morning or just before you go to bed could give you a little boost.
- Take yourself out
Too many people are concerned about what other people think, so much so that a lot of us are conditioned to think that going out and doing things alone is wrong. On the contrary, taking yourself out for dinner or drinks is far from weird and can even boost your self-esteem. If you want to do these things but can’t find anyone to go with, you shouldn’t be discouraged or feel low – take yourself out and enjoy your own company!
- Wear clothes that you feel good in
On a similar wavelength, you should wear clothes that you feel good in. Too many people dress in clothes they don’t like because they feel pressured by society to adhere to a certain style of clothing, even if they don’t feel confident or their best in them. Rather than conforming, wear what makes you feel good about yourself – it will make all the difference to how you view yourself and how you feel overall.
- Do good deeds for other people
One of the best ways you can boost your self-esteem is to participate in empowerment projects that benefit other people. This means donating to charity, volunteering, or simply helping someone out when you notice they might need a bit of assistance. Doing something good for other people makes us feel better about ourselves and has been shown to increase confidence and self-esteem.
- Treat yourself every now and then
Feeling low? Treat yourself! Whether you go and get your hair done or buy a new outfit for yourself, anything you can do to make yourself feel better is a win. It’s important to reward yourself, yet so few people do it because they feel like they don’t deserve it. Everyone deserves to feel good, and further to that, everyone deserves a treat every now and then, too.
- Accept that you have flaws
The final tip we have to help you boost your self-esteem is to accept that you have flaws and to embrace them. Maybe your hair could be in better condition, perhaps your skin is a bit dry, or maybe your posture isn’t great. Whatever it is, everyone has little flaws that aren’t bad but that can have an impact on self-esteem. The sooner you accept that you will never be 100% content with how you are, the sooner you can learn to love what you have and work on embracing it all.
