Tips to Boost Self-Esteem

Written by Katie Jackson-Griffin, LCPC

When you compare yourself to others or set unrealistic expectations, your inner critic can become your worst enemy. Often, people let the need to fit in and be accepted by others drive their behavior. Building and maintaining healthy self-esteem, or a strong sense of self, requires some effort, especially when you start to compare yourself to others. When these moments arise, remind yourself, “I may not have everything that person has, but I appreciate my strengths and am grateful for the opportunities in my life.” You will feel much more grounded in your decisions in your life when you focus solely on you! Here are some tips to boost your self-esteem.

Practice Gratitude

Gratitude can be a significant aid in improving your self-esteem. Practicing more gratitude often leads a person to have higher self-esteem, feel less anxious, and be overall happier.

Try using these 3 gratitude tips to improve your self-esteem:

• Identify a conversation you feel grateful for that you had recently.
• Make a list of aspects of your physical health that you feel thankful for.
• Recognize 3 personality traits that make you, you!

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Identify Strengths

Set aside some time to do things that highlight your strengths. By spending time doing things that make you feel good about yourself, you can be reminded of all the positive qualities and attributes you have. You can also gain confidence when you highlight your accomplishments.

Here are three ways to do so:

• Make time for a hobby that highlights your strengths.
• Finish a personal project like learning a new skill or creating something.
• Give yourself praise when you feel that you have done well with your hobby or when you finish a project.

Build Up Others

Aside from focusing solely on your own self-esteem, making others feel good is just as important. When you build up the self-esteem of those around you, you reap the benefits as well. While you work on building and maintaining your own self-esteem, remember that your actions have effects on others. Therefore, always try to interact with others in a positive and uplifting manner!

Keep these 3 tips in mind when you are communicating with someone you care about:

• Show gratitude in each conversation you have with others in small ways, such as by saying, ‘Thank You.’
• Demonstrate interest in the things that people in your life like and dislike.
• Tell someone how grateful you are for their friendship.

Remember that it is okay to have bad days. Not every day is going to feel great. Boosting your self-esteem means that you are willing to continually work on loving yourself and showing compassion to yourself and others, even on the bad days. The more you learn to love yourself for who you are and forgive yourself for your mistakes, the higher your self-esteem will be.

Restorative Counseling can help you overcome challenges to boost your self-esteem.

Are you struggling to feel happy in your day-to-day life? Is your self-esteem suffering even though you are trying to manage your life to the best of your abilities? The clinicians at Restorative Counseling are here for you. We provide the tools necessary to assist you in overcoming your self-esteem challenges. Contact us to find out more about how we can help!