Self-esteem is a word that describes the level at which you value yourself as an individual. The amount of self-esteem you possess at any time sets forth what you believe yourself worthy of attaining in life. Although much of your self-esteem is constructed during early childhood, it can be enhanced throughout your later years. Certain activities can promote the development of high self-esteem, thereby improving your command and experience of life.
Calendar
On a calendar, write in a small activity that you would find pleasure in doing on the space reserved for each day of the present month. Every morning, review the day's scheduled activity and make a firm pledge to complete the task. Doing things that you enjoy gives you a sense of fulfillment and demonstrates that you are a person who deserves to satisfy his own needs.
What's Going Right
Having an attitude of gratitude is essential to building high self-esteem. Keeping your eyes on what you have to be thankful for removes your focus from what you perceive to be your weaknesses. Psychotherapist and wellness coach Randi Fredricks contends that "Cultivating gratitude is one of the simpler routes to a greater sense of self-esteem". Often, a person with low self-esteem has developed a distorted view of reality, one inordinately focused on wrongdoings in preference to successes. Maintaining a spirit of gratitude, however, reminds you of your strengths and abilities. After all, most of the things going well in your life are directly attributed to your ability as the creator. Make a thorough list of all you have to be grateful for. This may take some time, so set aside an ample portion of your day to focus completely on this task. Continue writing until you put down at least 20 items. Place the list on a wall or door that you frequently pass throughout the day. This will serve as a reminder of the good you have already produced, as well as an indicator of future success.
Counteract Criticism
To enhance your level of self-esteem, you will need to neutralize unjustified criticism coming from yourself and others. Social psychologist Vijai P. Sharma, Ph.D., suggests to "Protect your self-esteem from negative judgments and opinions of others. Above all, protect it from your own assaults on your self image." Self-esteem is diminished when we allow ourselves to be bombarded with negative messages about who we are and what we are capable of achieving. You can offset the effects of negative criticism by using what are called "opposing examples." At any time you find yourself or another person attempting to tag the idea of who you are with an unfavorable label, immediately scan your experience for opposing examples. For instance, if someone calls you lazy or incompetent, bring to mind past achievements and tasks that you have completed successfully. Your ability to perform is an active process and not a fixed state of being. There are, undoubtedly, challenges that you have overcome in the past and times when you took action at the appropriate time. Doing this exercise helps you to keep a balanced perspective and determines the difference between behavior and identity.
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