Speak your mind and beat low self-esteem
If we allow it to, not feeling that we are good enough can wreak havoc with our progress towards our goals and interfere with our capacity to live rich and meaningful lives.
Often low self-esteem stems from our experiences in our early relationships with parents and caregivers. It might be linked to feeling that you had to hide certain aspects of yourself in order to gain love and approval.
It might be that the people around you had very high expectations and you felt unable to meet those no matter how hard you tried. It might be that you were exposed to criticism which over time you internalised and has become that negative voice in your head that says you’re a failure.
Overcoming low self-esteem can be a slow process but with effort and plenty of self-compassion along the way, it is possible. from my experience, here are some ideas on how to start believing that you are good enough.
DO NEW THINGS
TO keep growing and moving forward it’s important to practise new skills and activities on an ongoing basis. Start small and slowly build up to bigger goals so that you find the balance between pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone without biting off more than you can chew.
Doing new things will bring more variety into your life, build confidence and help you to maintain your self-respect.
EVALUATE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
Take a good look at your current relationships and consider how you think, feel and behave within them.
Do you have the freedom to be yourself? Do you feel like an equal in the relationship? Do you feel cared for and valued?
If you are currently in relationships that are contributing to your sense of not feeling good enough, either re-negotiate them or end them.
TELL THE TRUTH
STOP hiding how you truly think and feel for an easy life. Be honest with yourself and be courageous enough to speak the truth when it comes to your thoughts, feelings and opinions.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell the truth and other people might not like what you have to say, but it’s worth it. The more you tell the truth, the easier it will get and the more you will learn to value yourself.