5 Ways to Build Your Self-Esteem

Building up your self-esteem is another important step on the road to overcoming your limiting beliefs. Sometimes poor self-esteem is at the root of limiting beliefs; other times the reverse is true, and your limiting beliefs cause your low self-esteem. Regardless, the route to fixing both issues involves increasing your self-esteem. Here are some ways to do that.

1.) Accept yourself for who you are

Stop trying to pretend or make yourself into someone else. You’re you and no one else; work on accepting that. It’s a good thing! You’re the only person like you in the whole history of the world. You have your own unique gifts, talents, and skills. Accepting those will lead you to the life you were meant to lead.

2.) Practice positive self-talk

You talk to yourself in a running stream all the time. Pay attention to what this self-talk is like. Is it mostly positive or negative? Chances are, it’s the latter. Start deliberately using positive self-talk as often as you can. When you notice yourself using negative self-talk, gently correct it. Over time, the positive self-talk will come to dominate the bad, which will gradually fade away.

3.) Learn to accept compliments

Does being complimented make you cringe? You’re not alone; it’s a common problem. When someone gives you a compliment, don’t correct it or brush it off. Just say “thank you” and accept it as a positive, and it’ll boost your self-esteem.

4.) List your successes

When you’re feeling bad about yourself, take the time to make a list of all the things you’ve succeeded at in life. List both the small and the big things. It doesn’t matter what’s on the list. Study it and remind yourself that you did all of those things! You have worth and are a valuable person. Keep this list handy to refer to whenever you need a quick boost.

5.) Practice Good Self-Care

Taking care of yourself is good for your self-esteem and your health. This does mean trying to eat right and exercise, but it means more than that too. Good self-care means learning to set boundaries and say no, it means doing what’s right for you instead of what others expect of you, it means taking the time and actions necessary to make you feel good about yourself. This is hard to do when you’re dealing with low self-esteem, but that’s when it’s also most vital.