Tips For Building Self Esteem
Having a good sense of self worth is vital for your confidence and happiness. Self esteem naturally goes up and down depending on what's going on in your life, but here's some advice that will help you give your self esteem and confidence a big boost.
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Step 1:
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Put it in writing
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Write a list of your top 7 qualities. These are what make you unique. Carry these around with you every day and read them to remind yourself who you are and what makes you special. Also write a list of your past successes. Remind yourself of how you did this and how great it felt when you'd achieved your goals. Use this past experience to fuel your self esteem for achieving your goals in the future.
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Step 2:
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Don't put yourself down
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Keep a tally of how many times you speak negatively about yourself. This ensures that you become acutely aware of how many times a day you're telling people that you're not any good and telling yourself this too. This will be a real eye opener for you, which will successfully lead you to decrease the frequency of this external negative dialogue. Don't apologise before or after you talk to someone about something as this takes away any strength or emphasis from you. Don't apologise for yourself, be strong and assertive. This will do wonders for your self esteem.
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Step 3:
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Accept compliments
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Being able to accept, believe and feel good about accepting compliments is crucial to cultivating a high self-confidence.
If someone pays you a compliment, don't act embarrassed, or look down at the floor, or say something self-deprecating. Instead, look the person in face, smile, and give them a big thank you.
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Step 4:
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Get out of your comfort zone
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Don't avoid particular people or situations that you don't feel confident in, e.g. for example if there are certain people you find difficult to approach then don't avoid them. Instead, walk up to them confidently and smile at them before you start talking. By pushing yourself into as many of these situations as possible you will increase your self esteem as you're taking control and not allowing yourself to be scared of these circumstances.
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Step 5:
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Positive affirmations
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Using positive affirmations every day is really effective as you're talking to your sub conscious where all your negative thoughts are stored. Pick 3 strong statements, which literally make a negative self-belief into a positive one. For example, if you believe you're not a confident person then “I am a confident person” should be one of your positive affirmations that you say every day. Say your positive affirmations out loud while looking in the mirror as this makes them stronger because you're connecting with yourself. By overcoming your 3 strongest negative self beliefs you will in turn increase your self esteem levels.
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Step 6:
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Take care of yourself
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Take time out to nurture yourself. Eat well and drink less alcohol. Go to sleep early and exercise. This indicates to yourself that you're worthy of being cared for. Remember you deserve to take care of yourself and be taken care of!