How to Boost Self Esteem

Self esteem is something that everyone has yet some people seem to have lower self esteem than others. When you have high self esteem you are confident and sure of yourself. Those with low self esteem often suffer from a negative self image that can corrupt every aspect of life. The best way to achieve your goals is to boost your self esteem.
Low self esteem can erode your relationships, your work productivity and your health. When you have low self esteem you may feel down or depressed. This is often simply a result of feeling the negativity that low self esteem brings to every aspect of your life. You can learn how to raise your level of self esteem. A healthy level of self esteem will effectively improve all areas of your life.

The way to boost self esteem is to change the way you think - this is one of the biggest law of attraction secrets. You will need to change the way you look at yourself and others. One way to do this is by using cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. Practicing CBT techniques will help you change from unhealthy thinking patterns to healthy ones.

In order to change the way you think you’ll need to first learn how to recognize the negative thoughts that are likely a part of your thinking process. Changing the way you think can ultimately change your feelings and behaviors. This change process will work as long as you continue to stay focused. The mind gets into a pattern of thinking which you will need to change. This process will take place over the course of several weeks or more.

The first step towards improving your self esteem is to identify the areas of your life that are problematic. In many people there will be several or more areas that will be noted. A good way to sort out your feelings is to use a journal. Take notes of every area of your life where you are affected by low self esteem. This may include such things as relationships, work situations or life situations.

Once you’ve noted these areas the next step is to review how your own thoughts or beliefs are contributing to your low self esteem. Everyone has internal dialogue about the events of life. Listen closely to your internal dialogue about the areas of your life that are troubling you.

Next you’ll need to think about negative thoughts that you have during your internal dialogue. This negativity is directly impacting your self esteem and must be changed. The negative self-talk is often found in your internal dialogue but may also be shown through outward behavior or emotional response. For example you may feel helpless to express yourself at work yet your response may actually come out as depression or anger. You may also have responses such as overeating or avoidance.

Once you determine the areas of your life that are caused by negative thinking you’re ready to affect change. Think about the alternate way of looking at a situation so you can see a more logical or effective way to treat it. It’s important to understand that your thinking and behaviors are often the result of life-long habits – always looking at things a certain way. It will take an effort to change your thinking.

Replace any negative thinking with positive thinking instead. Stop looking at things as black or white since most situations are actually somewhere in the middle. Learn how to look at things in a positive manner rather than a negative one. Don’t automatically think the worst or jump to a negative conclusion. Take your time to look fully at the entire situation first. Most of all you’ll need to recognize when you put yourself down and stop doing it. This alone will make a big difference to your response.

Changing your thoughts requires the use of some strategies. Encourage yourself by using positive statements such as “I can handle this tough situation”. Allow yourself room for error. If you make a mistake it’s not the end of the world. Learn from it and go on. Remove the words “must” and “should” from your internal dialogue. This means you need to stop placing unrealistic demands on yourself.

Learn to focus on the positive in the situation rather than the negative. Even though one thing may not go your way don’t dwell on it. Rather think of the things that you have done well. Give yourself high marks whenever you do something good. A pat on the back is helpful in raising your self esteem.

As you continue to make an effort to change your thoughts you’ll soon find that you’re beginning to think more positively. This will change your habits in thinking and behavior until you will no longer need to pay attention to them. Follow these steps and you’ll soon be on your way to great things and healthy self-esteem.