Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is a set of perceptions, thoughts, evaluations, feelings and behavioral tendencies directed towards ourselves, our way of being and behaving, and the features of our body and our character. In short, it is the evaluative perception of ourselves

Ways to Learn to Like Yourself Better.

• Don’t be afraid to confront your failings.

• Step back and enjoy your accomplishments.

• Learn to look at the things you like about yourself in the mirror.

• Go on a date with yourself.

• Strive to be a better person, but don’t expect changes to happen all at once.

Like “most” of yourself as much as you can. You’re may not reach 100% self-satisfaction, but maybe you can get to 75 or 80%. In the measure of self-acceptance that the Louisiana Tech team used, getting high scores meant saying you were happy with “most” of your personality traits.

Steps to Nourish Yourself.

• Avoid generic positive affirmations.

• Identify areas of authentic strength or competency.

• Learn to tolerate positive feedback.

• Self-affirm.

Self-esteem is not fueled by hope—“I’ll be successful any day now”—or by false beliefs—“I’m the greatest.” It’s fueled by authentic experiences of competence and ability, and well-deserved feedback. If those are lacking in your life, take action to bring them into your daily experience by demonstrating your abilities and opening yourself up to positive feedback (from yourself as well as from others) once you do.

Like it or not, everything you say to yourself matters. The inner critic isn’t harmless. It inhibits you, limits you, and stops you from pursuing the life you truly want to live. It robs you of peace of mind and emotional well-being and, if left unchecked long enough, it can even lead to serious mental health problems like depression or anxiety.