7 enjoyable practices to enhance your Self-Esteem

A very good morning #GameChangers!

Recently, I asked a 7,000 member-strong, world-wide community of leaders, coaches and great people from all walks of life "which quotes resonated the most" with them amongst these:

What would be your pick(s)?

Hundreds of votes were cast, and the winner - by a clear margin - was "Appreciate yourself more, and you will appreciate others more."

Think of it, couldn't that be the wisest possible choice? For we do greater for ourselves (and the world around us) as we enhance our self-esteem.

And the ripple effects are far-reaching! We recognize the best in ourselves; we free ourselves from some of our insecurities; our toxic habits will subside - then we become more open to others and can recognize the best in others more easily...

Interestingly, the first runner-up was...

Kind of a sequel from the 'winner' isn't it? From self-esteem to self-trust and more openness to change!

And the second runner-up was...

A 'logical' complement to the first two, in a way: when we feel good about ourselves and others and embrace change, we become interested in helping others play at their best - a worthier challenge than merely ‘playing the smartest guy in the room'

The fourth and fifth quotes were "The purpose of Life is a life of Purpose" and "Greatness is a practice"... Thus the flow went from self-esteem to self trust, openness to and support for others, and eventually to leading a purposeful life with persistence.

Today let’s just focus on the very foundation of it all: growing our self-esteem.

In a previous article, I wrote about the importance of building self-awareness, reaching complete self-acceptance, and accelerating our personal growth to enhance our self-esteem.

Beyond that, how about trying out a couple of these rather enjoyable practices?

#1 - List 100 special things about yourself

“Write down one hundred things you love or are proud of about yourself”. You may like to start by scribbling down just 20 a day! Hundreds of my coachees have completed that simple exercise. They all loved the self-awareness they gained from it, and - of course! - the automatic boost in their self-confidence.

#2 - Take 5 to hi-5… yourself

Acknowledge yourself at the end of every day - for your achievements; for doing ‘the right thing’ when it was difficult; for progressing in the face of adversity; for being assertive when it wasn’t easy, etc... Don’t think for a minute that ‘strong people’ don’t need to do that. Their self-esteem is vulnerable too.

#3 - Express gratitude, daily

It is really a tide that lifts all boats. As Mark Twain once said:

“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up”.

Neuroscience proved him right. With whom can you do so today?

#4 - Practice healthy self-care

Obviously, a fail-safe way to feel better is to make healthy choices when it comes to your nutrition and work-life balance. Exercise. Take time for relaxation or - even better - meditation. What new healthy habit can you embrace today?

#5 - Surround yourself with people who value you

Of course they are the ones who allow you to bring out your best!

#6 - Do something exciting

Wake-up the Indiana Jones in you and thrill yourself. At least once a month. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the pride!

#7 - Have fun!

Last but not least, make sure you laugh often enough! Seriously: it triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals which promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Even more seriously: imagine a company where everyone would hold a healthy level of self-esteem and nurture others’… Accountability, collaboration, innovation, agility would be sky-high…

Self-esteem is so good for business, that if leaders could do only one thing, it should indeed be to ‘appreciate themselves and others more’.

Jean-Francois Cousin is a global speaker and executive coach and the founder of Greatness Leadership Coaching. His latest book “Game Changers at the Circus: how leaders can unleash Greatness in their organization” is available in major bookstores and on Amazon.com.

(Article Images Credit - Unsplash)