Self-esteem Test

'I feel low.....'
'Why do I hesitate to speak what I feel like.....'
'I think, I am not that pretty.....'

.....and there goes a list of woes of a person who is unhappy with whom he is, what he is and with the conditions that make him the most miserable person under the sun. One word gives a gist for the above lines and that is a low self-esteem. The traits exhibited by a person, solely depends on the levels of his self esteem, which is an important aspect of a growing personality. Or should I say, it is one unparalleled quality which could make or break a person. In short, it is a feeling that makes you comprehend the dignity and importance of you being you. A low self-esteem is worse than an instant death as it makes you feel wretched and gross, further blinding you against the greener pastures of life, which could have been visible only if the self-esteem level was high.

Activities to Boost Self-esteem

Self-esteem is a feeling that comes with confidence, and more with love for self. Or let me put it this way, self-esteem adds 'life' to your otherwise mundane life! Here, let me share some interesting self-esteem activities, which did make a big difference for me! Trust me, after implementing the below tips to improve self-esteem, you will rediscover yourself. Be assured that the new 'you' will be more confident, more stable and more focused in life!

Learn to laugh at yourself.....
The first step to overcome low self-esteem, is learning to laugh at oneself. By this statement, I do not mean laughing literally, but in the sense that, learn to accept a situation in life with a smile, by first calculating the positive outcome of the given state of affairs. Here, let me share a hypothetical example: You are walking down a lane, and a banana peel on road successfully eludes your sight and you unsuccessfully slip over and fall flat on your face.. I know, it is a very embarrassing situation. But can something that is bygone be undone? No! So now, what are your possible reactions to this situation?

1. You sit there with your face down, wait for someone to come and help you.
2. You get up, look around to see if anyone caught you in that awkward pose, and walk away with a frightened expression with your eyes almost popping out.
3. You just get up, dust yourself, throw the peel into the dustbin, smile at yourself and walk off!

Now, the first point says, your self-esteem is low and it is so low that you are unable to grab the situation by neck and face it! The second reaction indicates, there is a fear in you, fear of having been caught in such a sticky condition, where the crowd that may (or may not) have watched you, may (or may not) have giggled and there may have been people whom you knew and who might have aired your anecdote to the world! (I must say, being apprehensive is normal, but an apprehension anticipating things which possibly may not even happen is absolutely dopey!) The third reaction is one, which exhibits the trait of a person with a good self-esteem! Now let me explain! The person (which here, is you) in the third case, has possibly understood, that nothing could avert what happened. He has also understood the fact that the situation can be avoided in future, if it has a chance of recurring.

The smile here, is what I call as laughing at one's own mistakes. Why I call this as a boosting up of self-esteem, is because such accidents in life speak volumes of philosophy. It implies, "Nothing abnormal has occurred. Today, it was you, tomorrow it could be someone else! Throw the incident into your baggage of the past, unmount it not without imbibing the lessons learned and move on!".

Activity
To make this an activity, make a group with your peers, friends and kin, and help everyone narrate the funny, embarrassing, sad, happy, traumatic incidents of their lives. The first person always feels the heat of the situation, but gradually when the crowd joins him, he will be able to overcome his inferiority complex and will understand that he is not the only one, after all! And the best thing is, you along with the crowd will laugh, cry, empathize and then feel the importance of the smile that follows that no situation in life is too embarrassing to trouble your self-esteem all life long!

Engage yourself in a world beyond academics.....
Someone has rightly said, "When you dance, forget there is an audience and forget there is a podium and just dance like you never did before!". When you do this, you will automatically feel an aura of high energy engulfing you, which in turn boosts your confidence levels. If you are in school or in college, or even in a job, ensure that you participate in all activities, which can include dance, music, painting, debating etc.., no matter how much poorly you perform and believe me, there will be some activity which will make you discover your passion and tempt you to chase it!

Activity
Enroll yourself in singing or dance competitions, or may be if you like painting, you may attempt one. Trust me, you will have a reason to be happy and proud, which at one time may not have been a part of your emotions. This is one of the best means of to boost self-esteem.

Speech is your birthright! Use it!
I would say, of all the senses, speech is one aspect which portrays the real you in the crowd! Many times, failing to speak, to ask what one feels like, becomes a root reason for a low self-esteem, which further churns the feeling of fear and shame. Well, there is absolutely no harm in speaking your mind out! For instance, you are attending a lecture and you do not understand a point, the best thing for you to do is, to get up, shoot your query and get your answer. It does not matter, if people giggle at your ignorance but what matters is, you get what you want and may be a few more people like you get the piece of knowledge they may have been missed otherwise.

Activity
Participate in debate competitions and extempores. The first time will be grueling to face a crowd and talk to them. But trust me, this is one of the most effective ways to raise your self-esteem and confidence.

Melt in the crowd.....
Socializing is the best way for improving one's self-esteem. Meeting new people will help you broaden your perception about people. Let's say, it will help an ignorant frog in a well to take a big leap into the ocean! Attending technical workshops and personality building programs are some of the best ways to be a part of the crowd, you never knew!

Activity
Try compering! This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there is no harm in trying it either! When you host a show, you get to see the maximum number of people in different moods and it gives a feeling 'on the top of the world', when you come to realize that you can actually control the atmosphere of the crowd you are facing.

Say to yourself 'I am the best'
Last but not the least, love thyself! A beautiful life, a strong body and a mind to keep both in sync, is a gift from nature. Value it! As soon as you get up in the morning, the first person you meet, is you! Smile at your mirror image and the other look alike smiles back at you! Speak out 'Rise and shine! Today, it is a beautiful day!'. This is one of the best daily affirmations for self-esteem. It is said, positive thinking is like a booster for self-esteem. Practice this self motivation technique everyday and your self-esteem will grow in leaps and bounds!

Activity
Pamper yourself! Eat healthy food, drink a lot of water and wear clean clothes. Help the needy and at least make three people laugh a day! Not only will you love yourself more, your enhanced self-esteem will help you look at the brighter side of life, of course with its shades of gray!

Test Your Self-Esteem

You do not have to give me answers, but try to assess yourself with the answers you decide and you will come to know whether you need to work or not on your self-esteem level.

• Do you always procrastinate?
• Do you feel ashamed of who you are and what you are?
• Are you always afraid of what the world thinks of you?
• Do you blame yourself for all the Pandora boxes that come unwarned?
• Do you think, the whole world has some personal vendetta against you?
• Are you quite dependent on people to dictate your tasks and schedule?
• Are you afraid to speak the right thing at the right time?
• Do you think you are not very attractive?
• Do you predict that, something that is in store for you is never going to be good?
• Do you love yourself?

These answers will help you understand whether or not you have passed this self-esteem test! Building self-esteem in children is very important, and must be done right from a tender age. Schools and colleges must make every child participate in maximum extra curricular activities to help them explore their hidden talents. Workplaces should have a lot of team building activities for their employees to help them overcome their unknown fears.