Improving Your Self-Esteem

We define self-esteem as confidence in one’s own abilities, talents, and a high form of self-respect. But the question is, how do we get to healthy and high self-esteem within ourselves? This also proves itself to be a large area that is talked about in counseling, because our life experiences tend to affect our self-esteem. 

So how do we create, maintain, and improve our self-esteem? This is a multi-faceted answer because this is not an overnight process. Rather, it is a continual journey that we find ourselves facing every day. 

You can start this process by identifying the negative thoughts about yourself, and challenging yourself. If you have negative thought patterns about the way you look, for example, challenge those thoughts patterns by thinking positively about your outer appearance. If something has happened to you that has made you feel less, think about how you have grown from that experience. Let that be the catalyst for an opposing and positive thought, and use that as a guiding light to higher self-esteem. 

Improving your self-esteem can also be in the form of affirmations. The mind is a very powerful tool, and when we think positive thoughts and then say them with our words, our outcomes have a great effect. This is why affirmations are so important. They give us strength behind our thoughts, and over time can shift our mindset to higher and healthier self-esteem. Affirmations can be as simple as “I love myself,” or something like “I choose to embrace who I am, exactly as I am.” Regardless of what you choose to say to yourself, let it be positive, let it reflect the best version of yourself, and let it be healthy. 

Finally, self-esteem can be improved through an active lifestyle through exercise. When we exercise on a regular basis, our bodies produce a great number of chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins then interact with your brain and trigger a positive feeling in the body, and thus give you happier feelings. Not only does exercise do our self-esteem good, but it also does your body, brain, and overall health good. What could be better than that!

Remember that improving self-esteem is not something that happens over a day, month, or even year. So, as you go through the process of improving your self-esteem, give yourself grace and space to embrace all that you are. There is only one you.

Here at Insights Therapeutic Services, we are committed to making your mental health a priority. Click here to request an appointment with us, and let’s support you so that you can thrive organically.