When we want to work on our self-assessment, we should answer the fundamental questions, “Who am I?” and “How do I feel about it?”
Low self-esteem comes from long term negative perception of yourself. How can you reverse this thinking and stop being so hard on yourself?
We assess ourselves poorly when someone touches and hurts our sensitivity. We may feel that we have been criticized, offended, ashamed or blamed. We perceive that our value in someone else’s eyes has decreased and we automatically apply this perception to ourselves. If criticism surrounds us every day, if we take personally everything that others say, the road to emotional self-destruction can be rapid. Don’t let this happen!
Here are some signs of low self-esteem:
– constantly striving for perfection or having low expectations for yourself
– exaggerating problems
– the habit of thinking negatively and ignoring positive outlooks
– continuous blaming and criticizing yourself
– lack of energy and motivation to live and function
– indecision, stress, tension
– tiredness, inefficient sleep, lack of concentration
– avoiding people and social situations.
Be aware of your emotions. It is very important that you analyse your own likes and dislikes and what you want to do, instead of taking the opinions of others as your own. Also, devote a moment to consider what made you angry, and what caused you to feel sad or depressed. Also, do not try to get rid of these feelings as soon as possible. Go through them, give yourself permission for sorrow or tears. As well, try to identify and name the emotions that you are feeling.
Get some sleep. Research scientists have no doubts that a night of good sleep is a guarantee of improved mood, and well-rested people are definitely happier than those who have problems sleeping. If you belong to the second group, and lack of sleep looms large, think about using a weighted blanket instead of the regular one. Sensory blankets (i.e. weighted blankets) stimulate receptors inside the body and transmit positive information to the brain about our safe location in a given place and time. As a result, our body produces less cortisol (the stress hormone) in favour of serotonin (the happiness hormone), so we fall asleep faster, sleep deeper and wake up rested. It’s really worth a try.
Look after yourself. It’s good to sometimes act as your own friend, treat yourself indulgently, be kind to yourself, think from the perspective of someone else. If you feel you need to hang out with people, go and meet with someone. If you want to lose a few kilos, take care of your diet. If you are afraid of something, think about why, and take the challenge to confront it. Don’t eclipse your needs.
Think about how you lower your self-esteem. Remember the situations that affected you, remember why it hurt you so much. Answer yourself, what are the consequences for you now, and was it really worth it? What did you lose out on because someone said something that hurt? Identify all bad emotional triggers and try to eliminate them.
Get some distance. When you feel that low self-esteem is like a brake on your life, causing you to become increasingly isolated and sceptical about life or relationships – stop! Find time to relax, try meditation methods, take a long bath or read a book. Although it sounds simple, it really helps, and we have research that proves it!
