Increase Your Self-esteem in Five Easy Steps

By: Kristin Lloyd Moussa

Increase your self-esteem in five easy steps

I love myself. I love myself. I love myself. 

Self-esteem can be a big issue for women. We have tons of responsibilities and we are held accountable by others. There are expectations. Sometimes there are expectations that we do not even realize exist. So it is important to evaluate our own expectations and get a clarification of what others expect as well. 

Whether we hold ourselves to a high-standard or not, our self-esteem can be affected by this. Furthermore, our self-esteem is directly affected by our thoughts and what we say to ourselves internally.  

If the repetitive cycle in the mind is "I suck. I can't do anything right. I am a horrible person.", then you will believe this to be true. 

If you have a repetitive cycle that is positive, uplifting, and inspirational, then likewise you will think that of yourself. 

"I am amazing. I am inspiring to others. I am a good role model. I am appreciated by others." 

Sometimes all it takes is a small daily shift in your thinking and self-talk to change your overall self-esteem. Maybe it also requires help from others to recognize your strengths and the great assets you have. 

Are you are funny person? Do you make people laugh? 

Are you a supportive person? Do you always help others?

1. Focus on your strengths.

What are your strengths? Build upon your strengths and acknowledge your greatness.

In essence, stop putting yourself down. You will never be all things to all people, so let that idea go. 

2. Also, let go of perfectionism. When you attempt to be a perfectionist, you hold on to unrealistic expectations. Therefore when they are not met you feel like a failure. Instead, set realistic expectations and meet them. 

3. Love yourself for who you are right now and set strong boundaries. 

Value yourself first. Love who you are in this moment. Don't let others walk on you and don't be afraid to say "no" if it is not in line with your values or does not serve your mission. 

4. Be consistent in all that you do and ask for clarifications on others expectations.

Be consistent is about putting in an honest effort. Also, clarifying expectations allow you to know what is expected of you. Then if these expectations don't meet what you can actually accomplish, then you are able to renegotiate the expectations with the other person. But if you never discuss the expectations and are not consistent, others will not respect you and in turn, you will not respect yourself. 

5. Acknowledge mistakes or failures and bounce back quickly

You will not be the first person or the last person to make mistakes. However, you don't want to beat yourself up over it either. Be kind to yourself and move on. Extract the lesson learned and try harder the next time. Acknowledge the experience, feel the feelings, and then do better. When you continue to criticize yourself, you get stuck. So let go of the mistake or failure and keep trying, keep moving forward. No one is perfect. 

If this helped you, please leave a comment and let us know. How are you raising your self-esteem?
What practices do you prefer to be kinder and nicer to yourself?