Children, teens and adults can benefit from participating in activities to boost their self-esteem. The National Association for Self-Esteem reports that children and adults who suffer from a low self-esteem have doubts about their worth and acceptability. They often blame others for their failures and are too scared to take risks. Working on your self-confidence can improve all areas of your life, including work, school and relationships.
Positive Affirmations
The National Mental Health Information Center recommends boosting your self-esteem by making positive affirmations. Examples include, "I'm a good person," and "I'm a successful business woman." Try to list at least five positive affirmations and pick one that you can repeat to yourself when you're feeling down. Write down that affirmation in bright colors on four large index cards. Put one your bedside table, tape one on your bathroom mirror, attach one to your refrigerator door and put the last one in your office. Parents can help their children to complete this exercise. Encourage your children to decorate a sheet of paper with one affirmation, frame it and place it in the child's room.
List of Positives
If you need a boost of self-confidence, turn on your favorite music, sit down and make a list of at least 25 things you like about yourself. Don't include anything negative on the list, and don't get up until you've completed the project. You might find that it's hard to come up with that many positives about yourself, but it's important to recognize your positive attributes. You can include small things on your list such as the way you write in cursive or the freckles on your nose. Teachers can do this activity in their classroom and encourage their students to share their lists with their parents.
Compliment Exercise
Keep a small notepad next to your bed. Each night before you go to bed, write down three to five compliments to yourself. You might include that you held open the door for a stranger, that you gave your first presentation at work without panicking or that you were able to go the entire day without complaining. The next morning review your compliments before starting your day. By starting and ending each day on a positive note, you'll be more likely to focus on your positive features throughout the day.
Choices and Hope
Some people who suffer from a low self-esteem feel hopeless, as if they have no choices. However, this is often not the case. Every day, people make choices that can improve or decrease their moods. To understand this better, make a list of all the things you feel as if you can't change. Then write down three ways you can actually change it. For instance, many people feel stuck in their jobs and don't realize they could take small steps to change it. They could take a class at their local community college to increase their skill set, take on extra projects at work to reduce boredom and impress their supervisors and start saving money---even if it's not a lot---to build up a cushion for a job transition.
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