“Do L.E.S.S!”: 4 Tips for Building Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is essential to mental as well as overall health.  Low self-esteem can contribute to anxiety, depression, weight issues and many other health challenges. Everyday we encounter situations that can either improve or degrade how we see ourselves.  But the key to determining which of those happens can be found in your own brain!  The following is a set of tips designed to help you turn obstacles into moments of peace and satisfaction:

• Lighten up!: Easier said than done, I know.  But taking yourself too seriously is a great way to wind up down on yourself over insignificant things.  That A+ paper you turned in came back as a B-? You’ll be ok! Just got dumped by your boyfriend?  Go meet one of the billions of other people on the planet!  As we discussed last week, things don’t always go the way we plan but sometimes that’s for the best.  Sometimes there’s something even better out there.  The point is that we never know, so getting down on yourself over what could just be a step towards something amazing is a waste of time!
• Embrace failure:  There’s a saying that goes something along the lines of: “If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough”.  Any time you go outside of your comfort zone and try something new, there’s a pretty good chance you won’t be very good at it.  But that’s ok too!  Learn to embrace that instead of blaming it on something about yourself and you’ll be back on track towards success.  Just ask Michael Jordan:

• Set (realistic) goals: Low self-esteem often leads to a feeling of worthlessness.  What better way to prove your worth than by setting detailed, realistic goals and working towards accomplishing them?  Buy that gym membership you’ve been putting off, pick up a new language, anything that involves doing something new that’s important to you.  At the end of the day you can go to sleep with a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
• Stop the comparisons:  How many times have you heard “I wish I had ____’s ____”? Whether it’s Albert Einstein’s brain, Angelina Jolie’s lips, or The Rock’s everything  (personal example.  I wanted to switch lives with that guy when I was a kid), it seems like everybody wants to copy some aspect of another person.  The problem is, that’s pretty much impossible.  All the people mentioned above have something special about them but guess what, so do you!  Figure out what you’re really good at and put your heart into it.  Next thing you know you’ll feel great about yourself and you’ll be the one everyone wants to copy.

If you have more tips or some feedback, we’d love to hear it!  Leave a comment below!