1) CELEBRATE YOUR UNIQUENESS
One of the quickest ways to lower your self-esteem is to compare yourself unfavourably to others. When you find yourself comparing yourself to others, remember that we all walk our own path in life, and have our own challenges and being in someone else’s shoes might not be such a good fit. STOP the comparisons and start to make a list of everything you have to be grateful for in your life. You are an amazing person because YOU ARE UNIQUE. There’s no one else quite like you.
2) SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR INNER CRITIC
We all have our own inner critic. It’s that voice in your head that hates change and demands the status quo. ”I’m not good enough, clever enough, talented enough!” Or whenever we attempt something new it will say, “I can’t do this”, “it will never work”. Our inner critic is at it’s most vocal when we start to move out of our comfort zone. The goal of our inner critic is to keep us safe, to protect us from harm, unfortunately, this inner saboteur is often being over cautious and can actually stop us from taking action towards our goals and dreams- leaving us feeling lacking in confidence, unfulfilled and dissatisfied.
The key to overcoming our saboteur is to notice it. Give it a name, draw a picture of it and write down all the saboteur conversations and phrases that are going on in your head. Then thank it for it’s input and choose more positive thoughts such as; “I can succeed” “This will work” “I AM GOOD ENOUGH”!
3) MAKE A LIST OF ALL YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
When we’re feeling low we can often forget just how much we have accomplished. We discount or under value many of our achievements as not being big enough or important enough. Many people never stop to review and acknowledge their own achievements. As a result they have a skewed view of themselves and their potential. So I invite you now to set aside all modesty and write down a list of all your achievements both personally and professionally. Take time now to think about everything you have achieved in your whole life starting from when you were a child and learned to walk and talk to being an adult and learning to drive, and getting your first job.
4) IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTHS
Realising what your strengths are will raise your confidence and self esteem. When we lack confidence then often we can only see our weaknesses. Try this exercise to give yourself a confidence boost. Pick five people whom you respect, at least two who know you in a work capacity, and ask each of them to tell you what they believe are your three greatest strengths. Give them time to think about it and make a written note of what they tell you. Then pick three of these strengths that strike you as both true and enjoyable and think of an example of where you used that strength.
5) TRY SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
Often people will put off doing something or say that they can’t do something because they lack confidence. The irony is that in order to build up self-confidence we have to actually DO the thing we most fear. Trying something new or taking a small risk everyday can actually build up our inner confidence. Remember the greatest artists, writer and musicians started off as learners. You will be a success because you tried! What have you been putting off? Decide now to make a start, and try something new every day.
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