Are you finding yourself skipping out on opportunities for growth and learning? Or shying away from confrontation and standing up for what you believe in? Are you struggling to stick with your goals? When you’re not entirely sure of yourself and feel stuck in one place, it’s time to boost your self-esteem. Increasing your confidence helps you to remind yourself that you are capable of anything you set out to accomplish. Follow our steps to raise your spirits. Putting in the work now will benefit you in the long run.

Acceptance

The first step in building your self-esteem is accepting that you can’t control everything. If, for example, you can’t change certain aspects of your health or physical appearance, accept them. You can’t change the weather, so embrace it (or work toward living in a place that has consistent weather that you enjoy.) The past cannot be rewritten, so don’t waste your time regretting it. 

You can’t control people, but you should be aware of how you affect them and react to them. For those of you in big cities, learn to relax when the roads get busy. Sure, it’s no fun to be stuck in traffic, but if you left early and you’re still running late, you’ve done everything in your power to get to your destination on time. It’s also important to accept your limited effect on the future. You cannot control the future, but you certainly have a say on how yours plays out! When you don’t feel confident that you’ve secured a new customer, put in a little more effort to connect with them. You may not be able to make them buy your product, but you can ensure they know how amazing it is. Being able to accept what’s outside of your control will save your energy for boosting your confidence.

Input

Your self-esteem is largely based on how you perceive the world around you. Managing the “inputs” in your life helps you gain a more well-rounded perspective. If you expose yourself to media that features people in peak physical condition, with makeup covering all their blemishes, consider removing that input. Don’t compare yourself to other people. If you want to be in better shape, that’s great. Take the time to work toward it, but don’t let the appearance of other people discourage you from being comfortable in your own body. 

Negative self-talk immediately lowers your self-image, so boost your confidence by avoiding it at all costs. If you say or think a negative thought, immediately counteract it with a positive statement or by countering the negative one. When you think, “I can’t approach that person. They’ll probably get angry and tell me to leave them alone,” follow that thought with something positive. You might remind yourself: “I can approach that person. What I’m offering is beneficial and important. They might thank me and even be willing to connect later.” Being able to quickly shift your self-talk to a positive standpoint is a healthy route to higher self-esteem. 

Another great way to increase your self-esteem is to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Remove yourself from associations with people who are negative, degrading, and unhappy with their own lives. Frequently, when people are upset about their own situations, they unload that baggage on the folks around them. If you happen to get that baggage unloaded onto you, don’t pick it up!

Output

Putting good energy out into the world also plays a part in boosting your confidence. By being kinder and more generous, you’ll start to feel better about yourself—especially if you don’t expect anything in return. Whether you’re donating to a good cause, giving someone a compliment, assisting someone who needs help, or just providing support to a friend, you’ll notice your self-image slowly starting to climb. Additionally, kindness has been shown to increase-self-esteem, so be nicer to others and yourself.

Celebrate and Support

When you’re feeling low, and you just want to crawl back into bed for the day, take time to pat yourself on the back instead. Write down a list of your accomplishments, no matter how small, and be proud of yourself. When you’re nodding and thinking, “Yeah! I did those things,” finish that thought with, “and I can do so much more!” Celebrate your wins and remind yourself that you’re able to achieve anything you’re willing to put your effort into. Talk with the people who support you, and always practice positive self-talk. Then, you’ll be ready to toss the bed sheets to the side and jump into the day with courage and confidence!

If your self-esteem isn’t an issue, but you’ve just experienced a setback, check out this blog.