Practical tips to boost your self-esteem
Do you compare yourself to others and find yourself lacking? Or do you catch yourself speaking or thinking negatively about yourself? You may be dealing with low self-esteem.
What causes low self-esteem?
One of the ways that we may find ourselves with a lack of self-worth would be from the messages we received in our childhood. Did you receive frequent criticism from your teachers, parents, or other adults in your life? Did you get compared to others and find yourself lacking?
Another way we develop low self-esteem is from having disengaged or uninvolved parents or caregivers in our lives. Did you participate in sporting events or other extracurricular activities without having anyone there to cheer you on?
Yet another way we may end up with limited self-worth is if we have experienced a series of small negative events or maybe something monumental. Did a series of unfortunate events chip away at your self-confidence? Did you experience a big event that knocked you off your feet?
How do I boost my self-esteem?
Challenge negative self-talk. If you catch yourself saying negative things about yourself, challenge those thoughts instead of believing everything you think. What evidence supports that thought? What evidence contradicts that thought? The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Try to practice positive self-talk. This can be through positive affirmations, scripture, identifying qualities about yourself that you like, or reminding yourself of times you were proud of your performance.
Treat yourself the way you would treat a good friend. Would you tell your best friend that she looks fat and shouldn’t leave the house? Would you tell them that they’re stupid or worthless because they weren’t chosen for the promotion? Would you tell them that they aren’t lovable?
Challenge the “I can’t ______” with “I will try ________even if I’m not perfect at it.”
Talk to a therapist who can help you see things from a different perspective. At Lyons Center, we can help you get out of your head to see alternative viewpoints. We can help you challenge those sticky thoughts that you can’t shake no matter how hard you’ve tried.