Self-esteem Boosters

Self-esteem refers to how much a person likes and appreciates himself. It plays an important role in a person’s motivation, drive and success throughout his life.  

Some signs of a healthy self-esteem can be:

·        Being confident

·        Can say no.

·        Positive outlook on life

·        Being aware of strengths and weaknesses and accept them

·        Life is not impacted by negative experiences.

·        Can express needs (Cherry, 2017).

There are various ways a person can boost his self-esteem, here are a few examples;

? Groom yourself and dress nicely. Shower, wear clean neat clothes and use deodorant and perfume. It is amazing how this will impact a person’s self-esteem.

? Think positive and kill any negative thoughts. This does not happen overnight, it takes time to train your brain to change the way it thinks. Be aware of your thoughts and how you speak about yourself.

? Be kind and generous. This might sound weird, but it works. It is also a biblical principle Galatians 6:7 states “…for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap”. If you sow kindness you will reap kindness, the same with a positive attitude. It always makes you feel good when you do something for another person.

? Be prepared. Whether you must write an exam, do a speech, go for a job interview or go to an important function, be prepared, know your work, your topic or have an idea what you will talk about at the function when you meet new people (Zenhabits). You cannot feel confident unless you know what you need to know. Get yourself educated, keep learning, do your research and never stop reading (Goldsmith, 2010, p. 28).

? Speak Slowly. This plays and important role in how people perceive you. It is noteworthy that a person with authority often speaks slowly while a person who does not feel he is worth listening to often speaks fast. Even if you do not feel confident remember to speak slow, it might take time, but you will get used to it.

? Posture. Stand tall. Be aware of your posture, it automatically makes you look confident.

? Smile. This is an easy one. By smiling you are perceived by other people as kind and approachable.

? Volunteer. To volunteer is part of being kind and generous. Again, volunteering will make you feel good, get you to meet people who might be likeminded to you and you also have an opportunity to have an impact in your community.

?  Do something that you have been postponing doing for a while. Look at the tasks that have been on your to do list for a while. Get it done first thing in the morning. This will make you feel good about yourself and will give you a sense of completion.

? Get active. Start to get active. Start slowly especially if you have not done any exercise in a while. Doing something is better than doing nothing. Getting active will also make you feel better about yourself. There are various ways to get active: go for a walk or a jog, go for a bike ride, join a gym or an exercise group in a park. Exercise can be an empowering activity (Zenhabits).

? Be patient with yourself. If you are not successful in what you are attempting the first time, keep trying. Do not give up. Always remind yourself that you are learning and that each attempt at something is a way of learning and growing as a person (Goldsmith, 2010, p. 25).

? Embrace your fears. By embracing your fears and not avoiding them, you create a more practical way to deal with your fears. It is also helpful to know why your fears exist and then you can deal with them (Goldsmith, 2010, p. 32). A counsellor will help you to discover the origin of your fears and help you to work on strategies how to deal with your fears.

? Do not isolate yourself. We are not created to be alone. Studies have shown that people who cohabit with others live longer than people that do life on their own. We do need some alone time but contact with other people is vital for our mental health and emotional health (Goldsmith, 2010, p. 57 & 58).

A very effective way that a person can boost self-esteem is to go for counselling where the counsellor can help discover the reasons for possible low-esteem. The counsellor can then aid in deciding on various courses of action to boost self-esteem while also dealing with the issues that are causing low-self-esteem.

References.

Cherry K, 2017, What Exactly is Self-Esteem? https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-esteem-2795868

Goldsmith, B. 2010, 100 Ways to boost your self-confidence. The Career Press; Franklin Lakes

Zenhabits, 25 Killer actions to boost your self-confidence. file:///C:/Users/doxac/Desktop/Tara%20-%2025%20Killer%20Actions%20to%20Boost%20Your%20Self%20Confidence.pdf