8 key ideas to improve self-esteem

Self-esteem is an essential element for the construction of a healthy psychological well-being that helps us adapt to the challenges that life presents us.

It is the subjective perception we have of ourselves in all areas of our person, both physically and intellectually, and also the assessment of our way of being in its set.

This perception of ourselves can coincide with reality in cases where we have good self-esteem; however, in other cases some people may have a negative assessment of themselves, something that not only it causes them discomfort, but also leads them to lose opportunities and maintain relationships dysfunctional. However, all bad self-esteem can be transformed into a more balanced and close to reality.

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Understanding the keys to improve self-esteem

Self-esteem is a complex psychological element that, in the same way that it is influenced by daily experiences of all kinds, is reflected in a great variety of behaviors that we carry out habitually; that is why it is important to pay attention to it and improve it. Let's look at some key ideas to achieve it.

1. Don't be afraid of being wrong

The fear of making mistakes in our daily life is related to a feeling of permanent insecurity and many times it also hides a low level of self-esteem, considering that we would not be able to face failure.

Losing the fear of making mistakes and understanding that mistakes, if they occur, help us learn and improve in life, is fundamental to progressively lose that insecurity and therefore give us the opportunity to show ourselves what we are able.

To integrate this learning into our day to day we can train it based on taking risks in various areas of our life and get used to failure or making mistakes that are not of great importance.

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2. Maintain healthy habits

To achieve optimal mental health it is also necessary to maintain healthy habits throughout the day related to physical exercise, proper nutrition or sleep habits that allow us to rest at night the necessary hours.

Doing moderate physical activity weekly will help us feel better due to the large amount of endorphins that are released. released during exercise and will also help us keep fit, which will help improve our self-assessment On the other hand, something as simple as dedicating approximately half an hour a day to hygiene tasks and personal image care has spectacular results almost immediately.

• Related article: "10 psychologically healthy daily habits, and how to apply them to your life"

3. Do things that fill us up

To be happy in life we ​​must try to truly aspire to those objectives that we propose, related to our interests and carry out those activities that fill us and perform. It is important not to stay only fantasizing about achieving our goals.

All people have vocations in life, even if they are latent. Causes for which they are willing to fight and that generate happiness and well-being. To have a good self-esteem it is important that we do as much as possible what we full, knowing how to prioritize the most significant projects for us and dose the time available.

4. Surround ourselves with friendships free of toxic dynamics

To live a full life it is better to surround ourselves with honest people who make us see our positive qualities and allow us to improve those small defects that we may have, thanks to constructive criticism (very dosed). In this sense, we must avoid the dynamics of constant attacks to try to dispute the role of leader in a group of friends.

Prioritize healthy friendships over toxic people It will help us to have more emotional peace and to achieve higher levels of self-esteem on a day-to-day basis.

5. Maintain an active social life

People are social beings; that is why it is so important to continue maintaining an active social life with friends, family and interesting people we don't know well yet, something that allows us to have a richer vision and full of details about all our facets.

Instead of staying at home and isolating ourselves, we should try to go out on a regular basis and meet people who make us feel good about their presence.

6. Identify the source of discomfort

One of the first things we must do to start a process of improving self-esteem is to identify the origin of the self-esteem. discomfort, which prevents us from feeling comfortable with ourselves and having a negative self-concept of our own body or personality.

Once we know what is preventing us from having the self-esteem we desire, we must start working strategies to improve as people or change our perspective on ourselves towards a more positive. To achieve this, the routine of take notes in a personal journal and check it out regularly.

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7. practice self-compassion

Self-compassion is putting into practice a model of positive interaction with ourselves, avoiding being too harsh when we fail at something or making harsh judgments of ourselves on a day-to-day basis.

Treat ourselves well, be respectful of ourselves and value positively what we do daily, accepting that it would be unfair to wait for the Perfection in everything we do will help us improve our self-esteem, but that is something that must be trained for weeks or months to achieve internalize it.

8. Go to a psychologist if nothing works

As always, if the above keys do not help us improve our self-esteem levels, we can go to a psychology professional; not only is it not a sign of weakness, but it constitutes an example of the ability to take action to overcome a crisis doing what is necessary to move forward.

A psychologist will provide you with knowledge and practical strategies to use in your day to day and that will allow you to value your positive qualities, your talents and your signs of self-improvement.