Wed, 17 July, 2024
The lack of sunshine, politics and conflict around the world has left many people feeling bad and pessimistic. So while things are slow to improve it is important spend time looking after our mental well-being, and that can start by looking at how to feel great about yourself.
Through small, positive changes to our day-to-day habits, we can learn how to react to unavoidable negative thoughts and bad feelings, building our self-confidence and self-esteem.
To acknowledge that external forces affect your mental health is not to say that you are weak. In fact, being truthful and honest to yourself about how you are coping is a sight of great strength. Just like asking for help when your workload is large is not a sight of failure, but a necessity to help you be at your best.
How to feel better about yourself
5 ways help you feel better in 2024. Photo: Pixabay
1. Try not to lie-in and instead keep to a routine
Have a stricter routine during these tumultuous times can play an important role in getting a better nights sleep. Try to be strict with yourself, that means being in bed and rising within a 15 to 20-minute window. Also, keep this up on the weekends too.
Improving your quality of sleep will improve the quality of repair to your body and mind overnight. And that will begin as soon as your head touches the pillow and you start to rest properly.
2. Paying attention to the things that make you feel grateful
This is quite a well known practice for well-being and it has even been taught to Harvard students that have been struggling with negativity.
The practice is simple: Each morning, write down three things you are grateful for, then choose one and elaborate on it a little. For example:
- The support of my family
- For starting a new courses
- Having a video call with my friends today
I'm very excited to start my new masters course and I cannot wait to meet my fellow students and our lectures.
Now it may be difficult at first to come up with three each day, but try to keep your chooses unique. Keep it up for more than 21 days and you'll have start to readdress the balance between focusing on negative and positive news, actions or feelings in your life.
3. Acknowledge bad feelings like stress, then bin them
Bad feelings are a fact of life and they can become more prevalent when our self-esteem is low and we going through hard times. But when we start to feel bad thoughts or feelings coming into our minds, mindfulness teaches us not to ignore them, feel them, acknowledge them, and tell ourselves to worry about them later. However, this exercise recommended by Psychologist Nick Wignall makes a slight twist.
Write down onto a piece of paper all the things that are making you feel stressed or anxious. Next, take the piece of paper, scrunch it up, and throw it in the bin. If you do this at around the same time each day for over 21 days, you'll be training you mind to only worry at a designated time and location. This should be particularly effective if you find inhibiting feelings of stress popping up throughout a typical day. Instead, you'll be reducing the overall time that you are feeling stressed and more time feeling good.
4. Allow good feelings to become reality
We have all heard the phrase 'Thinking makes it so,' and it express that through our own thoughts we create our own reality. One basic example of this is that when we're thinking of buying a certain car, we start to see it everywhere.
So learning from that, if we start to think about positive outcomes more often, we should start to spot them more regularly. Positivity isn't about dissolution, it's about not letting the two bad things that happen not out-way the ten good. It's about believing that the odds are in your favour, rather than against. And it's about believing you can do something, rather than a fear of failure holding you back.
5. Keep comparisons in context
The final point to think about is keeping comparison in the right context. We compare our bodies to the images we see on social media, rather than thinking about what is most important to us. The same can happen with research work or education.
Keep your comparisons to what matters most to you and your values.
Try not to compare you work or progress to others. For a start, if someone has made more progress than you, that can make you feel bad and hold you back. On the other hand, if you've done more than another, that might give you a false sense of security. At the end of the day, these kinds of negative comparisons help nobody.
Low Self-Esteem: 10 Things to Boost Your Self-Esteem
Another effective way to overcome low self-esteem is to practice self-compassion. This involves treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a good friend. When faced with self-criticism or feelings of inadequacy, try to respond with self-compassion by acknowledging your struggles and comforting yourself with words of encouragement.
Another helpful approach is to set realistic goals and celebrate small victories. By breaking larger tasks into manageable steps and acknowledging your progress along the way, you can boost your confidence and sense of accomplishment. This can help counteract feelings of inadequacy and build a more positive self-image over time.
Developing a healthy level of self-esteem is essential for overall well-being. Here are 10 strategies to help you feel more confident and build a positive self-image:
- Challenge negative self-talk: Identify and challenge any negative thoughts or beliefs you have about yourself. Replace them with more positive and empowering affirmations.
- Seek support from friends and family: Surrounding yourself with supportive and caring individuals can have a positive impact on your self-esteem. Seek encouragement and reassurance from your loved ones.
- Set achievable goals: Setting and accomplishing realistic goals can boost your confidence and self-esteem. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem.
- Understand your strengths and weaknesses: Acknowledge your strengths and accept your weaknesses. Embracing your uniqueness can help you develop a more realistic and balanced view of yourself.
- Practice positive affirmations: Engage in daily affirmations that focus on your strengths and abilities. Repeat these affirmations regularly to reinforce a positive self-image.
- Consult a mental health professional: If you're struggling with mental health conditions that impact your self-esteem, seek the guidance of a mental health professional. They can provide valuable support and strategies for improving your self-esteem.
- Focus on day-to-day victories: Acknowledge and celebrate the small victories in your day-to-day life. Recognizing these accomplishments can contribute to a more positive outlook.
- Embrace body positivity: Cultivate a healthy body image by focusing on self-care and self-acceptance. Treat your body with kindness and respect, regardless of societal standards.
- Build confidence in your abilities: Engage in activities that make you feel competent and capable. Developing confidence in your skills and talents can positively impact your self-esteem.
- Consider the long-term impact: Recognize that building healthy self-esteem is a long-term process. Be patient with yourself and stay committed to nurturing a positive sense of self-worth.
By implementing these strategies and seeking support from those around you, you can gradually enhance your self-esteem and experience a more positive and confident outlook on life.
If you are continuing to struggle with thought patterns that are leading you to feel worse, it might be time to consider accessing the professional help available to you, either via your local NHS service or via private healthcare.
You might believe that what you are going through is not severe enough to require professional help, but just as you would consult your GP over your physical health, it is important to let health experts make that diagnosis regarding your symptoms, and not to continue Googling your own health concerns in silence, leading to misdiagnosis and challenging situations.
A simple phone call with the mental health expert at your local GP Surgey might be all that is needed for you to access free NHS services for cognitive behavioral therapy, or other types of therapy available in your area.
So if searches like 'how to make yourself feel good about yourself' haven't proved fruitful, maybe it's time to speak to someone. Practising gratitude, and positive self talk are good things to do and it's what we should all be doing. But's time to start treating mental health like physical health. We promise you'll notice the benefit immediately.