It is also important to feel positive and healthy. The following will help you achieve this:
Looking after your physical health can help you feel happier and healthier, and improve your self-image.
Physical activity helps improve people’s sense of wellbeing and image of themselves. Exercise releases endorphins – ‘feel-good’ hormones that can help improve your mood, particularly if you do it outside.
Lack of sleep can cause negative feelings to be exaggerated and means you can feel less confident, so it’s important to make sure you get enough sleep.
Eating a well-balanced diet at regular meal-times with plenty of water and vegetables will help you to feel healthier and happier. Stopping or reducing your alcohol intake, and avoiding tobacco and recreational drugs can also help improve your general wellbeing.
As we have identified earlier how you think is very important in how you see yourself.
Learn to identify and challenge negative beliefs
If you are going to improve your self-esteem, it will help to understand more about your negative beliefs about yourself and where they came from. (See section on self-talk)
Focus on positive things
If you have low self-esteem, it can take practice to get used to thinking more positively about yourself.
Exercise 2 – How I see myself
One way you can do this is by making a list of things that you like about yourself.
You might include:
- things about your personality
- things about the way that you look
- things that you do
- things you are good at- your skills.
Keep this list and look at a different part of it every day. If you are feeling anxious or worried about an event, such as a job interview, you can use it to remind yourself of the good things about yourself.
If you struggle to come up with a list of good things, you could ask your partner or a trusted friend to help you begin. This may also help you to see how others may have a higher opinion of you than you do.
Another technique is to write down at least three things that went well or that you have achieved that day before you go to sleep. Some people also find it helpful to keep objects that make them feel good about themselves e.g. cards and letters which they can keep in a ‘feel good box.’
Try mindfulness techniques
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga. It has been shown to help people become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, it is easier to manage them.
