7 exercises to help boost your self-esteem

"No one will ever love me", "I am too stupid to understand this topic", "I do not have enough strength to achieve this goal." If you periodically say these or similar phrases to yourself, then you most likely have low self-esteem. And this is likely to prevent you from achieving success and living life to the fullest.

You can build self-esteem with seven easy exercises.

1. Avoiding negative thinking

We often conduct negative internal dialogue without noticing it ourselves: "I won't succeed," "I'm too lazy to achieve anything," "I'm too ugly to be liked by someone." All these thoughts strongly influence our attitude towards ourselves.

The exercise is to write down any negative thoughts you have about yourself. At the end of the day, reread them and turn each into a positive thesis.

Instead of "I won't succeed" - "I can do a lot, I can learn this too." Instead of "I'm too lazy" - "I have achieved what I have, and this is already a lot." Instead of "I am ugly" - "I like many people."

Repeat these phrases every day for a week. Soon they will begin to appear in your head by themselves.

2. Fostering a good attitude towards yourself

Reread the negative thoughts you recorded during the previous exercise. Imagine that all these things are said about themselves by a loved one - a best friend or family member.

Think about what you would answer and write these words down. Tell me what you see good in this person, what qualities you respect. Say you love this person.

It is often much easier to show love for others than for yourself. When you "assign" your thoughts to loved ones, it becomes easier for you to see the big picture and understand that it is ugly, rude and generally wrong to say such things to yourself.

3. Getting rid of guilt and fear

For several days, write down any fears and sources of guilt that are haunting you. Then highlight those that are repeated most often. Maybe you feel guilty about missing the gym, or because you keep forgetting to call your family. Or you are afraid that you will not be able to achieve some goal.

Choose one of the selected items and write a permission for yourself. For example: "I have the right to skip a workout," "I have the right to be forgetful," or "I have the right to fail."

Place this resolution where you will often see it: on your monitor, refrigerator, or next to your bed. The next time you feel fear or guilt, take a look at the note - it will feel better.

4. Acceptance of your own characteristics

Almost every person has traits that they don't like. You know perfectly well what does not suit you in yourself, be it short stature, overweight or bald head.

List these qualities and write a thank you to each of them. For example: “Thank you to my bald head for helping to spend less shampoo,” “Thank you to my height for being able to fit comfortably in any car,” or “Thank you to my belly for carrying my baby.”

You may not like some of your traits, but they make you who you are. The attitude towards them can be changed. And loving yourself is much more useful and more pleasant than always being dissatisfied with yourself.

5. Studying your history

Comparing ourselves to others is in our nature. Social media has made it easy: people post the best of their lives there, and it can often seem like your reality is much more boring.

To get rid of this feeling, it is helpful to write your story. This can be done on paper or digitally. Beginning on your birthday, remember and write down important moments in your life. Those that are dear to you personally, and not those that would impress other people.

Maybe the first slow dance became a real event for you, or you remember the acquaintance with the work of your favorite writer. Add tough decisions to it - these are also important milestones. For example, leaving an unloved job or moving.

Refer to this chronology every time you start to think that nothing interesting is happening in your life. You will see that you have been through a lot and it will increase your self-esteem.

6. Researching your skill card

This exercise will help you get to know yourself better and understand which strengths you already have and which ones you need to develop in order to achieve your goals.

List your fundamental attitudes, beliefs, and traits. Then there is a list of skills and strengths that you have acquired over a lifetime. List your goals and dreams separately.

Then start to form a tree from these points. You can just draw it on paper, make an applique, or use a computer. The items on the first list (fundamental beliefs and attitudes) will be roots and trunk. The second (qualities and skills) - branches. And goals and dreams are leaves.

7. Create an intention for the day

Once you've figured out which habits and attitudes you would like to acquire or change, it is helpful to create intentions for the day. To do this, it is enough to choose in the morning an aspiration that will bring you closer to the desired result. For example: “Love yourself, even if I’m lazy,” “Be more patient with yourself and others,” “Do not be afraid of change,” and so on.

When you have chosen an intention, write it down somewhere and re-read it throughout the day. Over time, you will develop the desired qualities in yourself.