Many people place their happiness and self-worth in the hands of others, some spend their entire life figuring out how to feel secure in themselves. So, when that person disappoints, it hurts 100 times more, and the sense of shattered confidence lingers. Self-esteem is defined as ‘confidence in one’s own worth or abilities’ by the Oxford dictionary.
The issue the modern world is experiencing is the continual shift in what is believed to be the social standards. Many people just want to be themselves but if they don’t shift with the movement, they fear they’ll be alone or that they won’t feel they are good enough. So, changes happen, and people lose themselves in the opinions of others.
In this post, we will take a look at the true aspects and changes that you can make to start boosting your self-esteem today.
What are self-esteem and confidence?
Self-esteem is about believing in yourself and your abilities, and the fact that you can achieve anything you want if you put your mind to it.
The concept of self-confidence sounds fairly easy when you say it out loud, but the task of actually accomplishing it is tiresome and very difficult. This is because most people grow up being told that they need to care about what others say or that their opinion is not as important as others’ opinions.
How many times have you heard the phrase ‘Listen to others because they see the situation from the outside perspective’? This sentence may be accurate in some circumstances, but it also teaches you that everyone else is correct and that you should ignore your instincts. That’s somewhat misleading because, at the end of the day, you tell your friends and families your side of the story, and half of the time they have no idea what the other person is going through. In addition, no one knows the problem better than you, so why place your trust in someone else instead of yourself? Taking the opinions of others onboard is good but allowing it to blur your judgment is a different story.
This is just one of many examples, but the point is that self-confidence and self-worth are developed from an early age. This uncertainty you may be feeling is actually carved into you by your friends and family from a time when you were learning and developing, so it’s not necessarily due to the current life you’re living.
There are many programs or online courses that teach you to be self-confident but no matter what someone says or how clever they phrase things, it’s all about changing your own perspective. You must start seeing the true self and current life. The moment that you let go of the things from your past that has made you feel uncertain in yourself, the sooner you’ll feel the freedom of mental clarity and self-love.
5 ways to boost your self-confidence
1. Identify your perspective
Have you recently felt like you’re not good enough? Or that the life you’re living is not what you’ve expected at this age? Don’t worry, many people feel the same way. However, it’s so important to acknowledge the journey you’ve been through.
Take a look at yourself! Take a look at how far you’ve come! It’s not about where you are right now, but about the journey you’ve taken. Who’d have guessed you’d get this job, travel to this location, or find a loving partner! All of this is significant.
Write down everything that happened in the last year and acknowledge the journey; even if you aren’t where you want to be, cherish it because more changes are on the way! It’s your life, and you get to choose what happens next.
2. Stop relying on others to provide happiness
Studies show that people get jealous and envious when their close friend or family member starts succeeding. The truth is that nobody wants you to succeed. Nobody wants you to be better than them, thus many people may abandon you once you start pursuing your goals and ascending the ladder of personal success.
Therefore, the sooner you realize that you are the only person who can truly make you happy, the better. Sit down and think about your strengths and your favorite hobbies, put the two things together and set yourself a challenge.
Make sure that the challenge is achievable, and reward yourself at the end of it!
3. Stop comparing yourself
Don’t look at anyone else; instead, concentrate on yourself and your ambitions. Everyone has a different goal in mind, and even if you don’t appear to have it all figured out, you could be an inspiration to somebody. This could be someone in your close circle or somebody who’s just seen you around.
The problem with comparing yourself to others is that it causes feelings of inadequacy and jealousy. These kinds of thoughts will only make you sad and keep you from achieving your goals.
Who cares about anyone else’s journey; it has no bearing on yours or helps you reach your goals, so why waste your time obsessing about it?
Everyone has a journey to travel, just focus on yours.
4. Listen to your instincts and ideas
You may have a fantastic idea and want to share it with the world, but you may encounter a lot of judgment and criticism when you do.
Prepare yourself for criticism. Skepticism is common, and especially amongst people who want to discourage you from achieving things in life. Disbelief rubs off easily, but if you think that something is a good idea, then go for it! Start building milestones and see it through!
5. Consider switching up your daily routine
Everything you do on a daily basis, whether you have a simple or a complex routine, has an effect on your physical and mental health.
For instance, if you spend most of your time playing games at home then you are likely to suffer from depression or social anxiety since you aren’t spending a lot of time with people in the real world.
So, think about your current insecurities and see how you can change up your routine to work on them. For instance, if you’d like to lose weight or start meal prepping, why don’t you learn how to do that. Or, if you’d like to improve your skin or hair, why don’t you learn more about different products?
The thing is to try and develop yourself and identify your weaknesses so you can work on them. There are plenty of solutions to everything, you just need to look for them.
Summary
To boost your self-esteem and confidence, you need to recognize your inner strength and acknowledge the journey you’ve been through. Change up your routine and listen to yourself and your instincts because that’s where your power lies! Put the trust in yourself.