Self-esteem is a reflection of one's own perception about oneself. In other words self-esteem is our opinion of our self and our abilities. It can be high, low or somewhere in-between. While everyone occasionally has doubts about themselves, low self-esteem can leave you feeling insecure and unmotivated. You might be able to identify a few things that are affecting your opinion of yourself or it could go undiagnosed. Either way, there are effective steps which you can take to improve your self-esteem. Here are a few:
Stay away from negativity and leverage positivity: This is the time to really evaluate your inner circle, including friends and family. This is a tough one, but it's time to seriously consider getting away from those individuals who put you down and shred your confidence.
Be positive, even if you're not feeling it quite yet. Put some positive enthusiasm into your interactions with others and hit the ground running, excited to begin your next project. Stop focusing on the problems in your life and instead begin to focus on solutions and making positive changes.
Change your body language and image: This is where posture, smiling, eye contact, and speech slowly come into play. Just the simple act of pulling your shoulders back gives others the impression that you are a confident person. Smiling will not only make you feel better, but will make others feel more comfortable around you. Imagine a person with good posture and a smile and you'll be envisioning someone who is self-confident.
Look at the person you are speaking to, not at your shoes--keeping eye contact shows confidence. Last, speak slowly. The added bonus is they will actually be able to understand what you are saying.
Don't accept failure: Never give up. Never accept failure. Make this your new mantra. Succeeding through great adversity is a huge confidence booster.
Low self-confidence is often caused by the negative thoughts running through our minds on an endless track. If you are constantly bashing yourself and saying you're not good enough, aren't attractive enough, aren't smart enough or athletic enough, and on and on, you are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. You are becoming what you are preaching inside your head, and that's not good. The next time you hear that negativity in your head, switch it immediately to a positive affirmation and keep it up until it hits the caliber of a self-confidence boost.
Always be pre-prepared: Learn everything there is to know about your field, job, presentation--whatever is next on your "to conquer" list. If you are prepared, and have the knowledge to back it up, your self-confidence will soar high.
Make a gratitude list: Life is full of challenges and there are times when it's difficult to keep our self-confidence up. Sit down and make a list of all the things in your life that you are thankful for, and another list of all the things you are proud of accomplishing. Once your lists are complete, paste them somewhere where you can easily be reminded of what an amazing life you have and what an amazing person you really are. If you feel your self-confidence dwindling, take a look at those lists and let yourself feel and be inspired all over again by you.
Exercise helps: Exercise is a great way to increase motivation, practice setting goals and build confidence. Breaking a sweat also cues the body to release endorphins, the feel-good hormones.
Always strive to be the best version of yourself, but it's also important to accept that perfection is an unrealistic goal. You've got to make mistakes in order to learn and grow. Remember everyone has been there. Just practice these easy to build mantras to re-build your self- esteem in a very short period of time.
The writer is Pallavi Prakash, Motivational Speaker and Founder-CEO of Knowledge Seed Learning Centre