Improving Self Esteem

"Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true" - this is a sure way of improving self esteem.

Football had always interested John and he wanted to join his college football team. However, he never had the courage to even go and talk to the football coach, fearing that he would be rejected almost immediately. This is an example of low self esteem. Like John, there are many people who suffer from lack of or very low self esteem.

Self Esteem

The term self esteem can be explained as an essential quality that one should have, to become a confident and independent person. It is also called as self pride, where the person feels proud of himself and the things he does. A person with high self esteem considers himself capable to achieve whatever he sets out to do. He not only knows about his strengths, but also his weaknesses. On the other hand, a person with a low self esteem doubts his abilities for every step he takes, and this attitude may lead to failure in his professional as well as personal life. This surely shows the importance of having a high self esteem. It is important to know certain ways to improve self esteem which are essential for the development of one's overall personality.

Improve Self Esteem: Tips to Improve Self Esteem

One of the main causes of low self esteem is that people compare themselves with others in matters of physical appearance, athletic or academic abilities, etc. The mistake what people do here is that they focus on how people around them are talented, whereas, they feel that they themselves do not have any talent. However, they do not realize that they have certain abilities that others do not possess. Many times, this insecurity is because of physical appearance like short height, skin color, etc. One must realize that each person is different and has different abilities. One should not waste time brooding over what one does not have, rather, one should try to find out one's hidden talents and try to develop them.

Another way to improve ones self confidence is to take up challenging activities. Take up a project or an activity where you can explore your skills, or where you are able to learn new ones. While you are working on some project, there are chances that you may commit certain mistakes and may also have to face failures, but it is important not to feel defeated by them. One must realize that failures are part and parcel of life, and more than the end result, what really matters is what one has learned from the whole experience.

Doing something worthwhile would also help in self esteem improvement. You can take part in voluntary activities for building self esteem, like cleaning your neighborhood, helping the poor, organizing an event for cancer patients, etc. Doing such work will make you feel that you are making a contribution to improve other people's life, and this would surely increase your pride in yourself and subsequently improve your self esteem.

Most of the times, the cause of low self esteem is criticism from others like family members, friends or colleagues. If you find that someone is constantly pointing out your weak points to you, it would be beneficial to keep a distance from him or her. Engage in doing things that you like and do not forget to reward yourself when you achieve your goals. Appreciating yourself will help in building up your confidence while interacting with others, which automatically would change the way others perceive things about you.

How to Improve Self Esteem in Children?

Self esteem in adults is determined by the experiences they had in their childhood. Children who are always criticized by their parents and teachers for everything they do tend to grow up into people with low self esteem. On the other hand, children whose parents accept and love them as they are learn to love themselves and grow up to be confident individuals. Parents and caregivers can take the help of self esteem activities for children to improve self esteem.

Positive thinking plays a big role in keeping a high self esteem. Improving self esteem would help a person to develop a positive attitude and feel good about himself. Self esteem is a tool that is essential for a person to lead a successful and content life.