Everyone experiences times when they don’t feel good about themselves. This is normal, and there are things you can do to improve how you feel.
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is how you think and feel about yourself. It influences how you see your worth and value as a person. Having healthy self-esteem means you generally feel good about yourself and your abilities, while low self-esteem can affect your mental health and daily life.
Signs that you might have low self-esteem
Common signs of low self-esteem include:
- negative self-talk or being very critical of yourself
- difficulty accepting compliments
- responding negatively to constructive criticism
- avoiding social situations
- reluctance to try new things.
Tips for improving self-esteem
Acts of kindness
Acts of kindness can make us feel good about ourselves. This could mean leaving a nice message for a friend, helping out a family member or making a donation to charity. Remember to always consider your own boundaries of time, energy and money.
Celebrate your achievements
Recognising small or big wins will help you identify your skills and acknowledge your self-worth. This can be as small as getting out of bed in the morning or making a new friend – anything that feels like an accomplishment.
Build positive connections
Spend time with people who make you feel good. Building trusting relationships based on mutual respect can help you identify the positive qualities you bring to someone else’s life.
Step outside your comfort zone
Doing something you wouldn’t usually do could teach you new things about yourself, like what you do or don’t enjoy. This will help build confidence. However, remember to only do things you are comfortable doing.
Challenging the negative voice inside
When you notice negative thoughts about yourself, try these strategies.
Find contrasting evidence
Look for evidence that contradicts your negative thoughts. For example, if you think ‘I’m useless at everything’, remind yourself of times when you’ve succeeded or done something well.
Replace negative self-talk
Replace negative statements about yourself with positive ones. Instead of ‘I can’t do this’, try ‘This is challenging, but I can learn’.
How would you respond to a friend?
Consider how you would respond to a friend who was feeling the same way. Often, we are much kinder to others than we are to ourselves.