For example, if you think you are a loser and can’t do anything right, you will feel hopeless because you don’t believe you can change the way you feel. Thinking this way will leave you stuck at the place where you give in to the negative thought pattern. Your actual behavior will be so affected that you can become depressed and disinterested in many aspects of life. In effect, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You have taken on the negative posture and behavior that your thoughts have led you to become. Naming your emotions accurately can help you to better understand how you’re feeling at any given time. Lookup a list of emotions and consult it whenever you are feeling self-conscious and try to name the emotion as accurately as possible. This will help you be able to move past the emotion more successfully. [1] X Expert Source Julia Lyubchenko, MS, MAAdult Counselor & Certified Hypnotherapist Expert Interview. 29 April 2020.
Take a few minutes every day to recall times when you thought something negative about yourself.
This list can encompass anything. For example, you might include that you’re really good with animals or you can make a fantastic chicken pot pie. This list will serve as a reminder that you have accomplished things and that you do certain things well. Refer to this list on a regular basis to improve your self-outlook.
For example, if your mind keeps telling you that you’re worthless, you can say, “I have many friends who think that I am worth knowing. I have a lot to contribute. ”
For example, tell yourself: “I am a worthwhile and likable member of this family. ” Write down your mantra and post it on your bathroom mirror as a daily reminder.
When you wake up each morning, take a few moments to appreciate yourself. Give yourself a pep talk to highlight your good points.
For example, if you’re mad that you were laid off, think about how you have been able to spend valuable time with your children.
It might help to write down your accomplishments. Then you can compare your new accomplishments to older ones and recognize how far along you’ve come.
Don’t put yourself down, especially in front of other people. If people hear you talking badly about yourself, they may think this is an acceptable way to treat you.
This is a good time to repeat your mantra, or adapt your mantra to a new situation.
If you’re by yourself, don’t pull out your phone and start texting. Instead, pay attention to your surroundings. Do a simple activity like drinking a cup of tea and feeling present. If you’re out and about (at a coffee shop, or at a party), remind yourself that your worth is not based on who, or how many folks, interact with you. This is also true if you are not in a relationship. Don’t define your worth based on whether you’re single or not. You are a good companion for yourself.
Look around in your community for free workshops. Most communities offer all kinds of classes, from cooking classes to glass blowing tutorials. Check the flyers at your local library, or peruse your community’s events calendar.
Savor and ponder the things you write about. Just going through the motions of writing things down won’t make you feel more grateful. Instead, spend a bit of time remembering the moment or feeling.
This will let you take a time-out from your worries and the stresses that are causing your doubt. Once you’ve recharged, you can jump back into life feeling more relaxed. Pampering yourself is also important because it reminds you of the importance of your time and of your health. When you take a break, you are putting yourself first, instead of work, your significant other, your friends, family, school, etc. ).
Get together with a long-friend and reminisce about hilarious events that you both experienced. Watch a funny movie or read a funny book. Just find a few moments in your day to have a good laugh.
Make sure to eat right. Having a healthy diet will make you feel better inside and out. Try to avoid processed and friend foods. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains. Get enough sleep. Quality sleep is necessary for your body to function properly and to feel good. Sleep boosts your immune system, and helps alleviate depression and illness. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Drink plenty of water. Your body needs a lot of water to function properly and dehydration can lead to headaches, fatigue, and limited mental faculties. Women should get 72 ounces of fluids per day, and men should get about 104 ounces of fluids per day. [7] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Exercise regularly. Exercise releases endorphins in the brain. These chemicals boost your mood and make you feel good, which in turn can help you like yourself more. Likewise, exercise helps keep you healthy. [8] X Research source
Perhaps the best example of fear paralyzing people is found when we ask why battered women stay in abusive relationships. [10] X Research source The fear actually keeps them from acting in the own best interests. The emotional dependence they have on their batterer is what prevents them from leaving a situation where their very lives may be at risk.
Start with small changes like smiling at one stranger every day, or repeating a positive mantra to yourself, or getting more sleep every night. Making small steps one at a time can be less overwhelming than trying to make drastic and massive changes all at once. With these small steps, you might be taking yourself out of your comfort zone. Getting outside your comfort zone is something that will happen to you a lot in your life. If you can control certain instances of it, for practice, you’ll find that you’re better able to feel confident in yourself and your own abilities when life throws you a curveball.
Have trust in yourself. You are a survivor and you will do whatever it is that you need to do to improve your quality of life. If nothing else, you survived your difficult past. That takes a certain amount of strength and perseverance that not everybody has. Build on the strengths you have shown to get this far in your life.
Don’t insult others. Listen when someone else is talking. Don’t tease others. Be sensitive about someone else’s feelings. Do not stereotype people.
For example, your help can be an act as small as holding the door open for someone at the bank. Or, it can be something as large as volunteering a Saturday to help an elderly neighbor in need of yard work. This is not to say that you have to help every single person. Remember that you have to treat yourself as well as you treat other people, which means respecting your own boundaries.
Don’t be afraid to look at old wounds. In order to feel good about oneself, we need to understand what’s holding us back. The healing process isn’t complete until you are willing to face some difficult emotions you may be stuck in. Only by examining these events will you be able to move through them. When we have the courage to pry off an old scab, there is often new growth underneath. This new growth can lead you away from negative thoughts about yourself and help you face a more positive future.
This also means that you should spend less time with people who treat you poorly or disrespectfully. If you have to spend time with these people, such as a work colleague or supervisor, then you will need to learn how to communicate assertively with them. You can let them know that their comments are unwelcome.
For example, if you find a mentor at work, this person might tell you how she overcame her own personal challenges to become confident in her job. Hearing someone else’s story can give you a little room to be kind and generous to yourself.
