Living in a challenging world can take a toll on our confidence. Whether it’s social media, relationship difficulties, or work pressures, it’s easy to feel like our self-esteem is constantly under attack.

But building and maintaining self-esteem is critical for leading a fulfilling life.

Understand Self-Esteem

Before we can start on the journey of building and maintaining self-esteem, it’s important to understand what self-esteem is and how it affects us.

Self-esteem is the opinion we have of ourselves.

It’s how we perceive our worth and value as a person. High self-esteem means we have a positive view of ourselves while low self-esteem means we have a negative view of ourselves.

Low self-esteem can lead to feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, and depression while high self-esteem can lead to confidence, happiness, and success.

Practice Self-Compassion

The first step in building and maintaining self-esteem is practicing self-compassion. We need to treat ourselves with the same kindness, concern, and compassion we show to a good friend.

When we make mistakes, it’s easy to fall into the trap of negative self-talk. However, it’s important to remember that everyone makes mistakes, and it doesn’t define us as a person.

Set Realistic Expectations

Setting realistic expectations for ourselves is another critical component of building and maintaining self-esteem. Rather than aiming for perfection, we should strive for progress. Celebrate your small wins and progress towards your goals.

This will give you a sense of achievement and motivate you to keep going.

Identify Your Strengths

Knowing our strengths and playing to them is key to building and maintaining self-esteem. Each of us has unique talents and abilities that make us who we are. Celebrate your strengths, and focus on them rather than dwelling on your weaknesses.

Remind yourself that nobody is perfect, and we all have areas for improvement.

Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others

Social media has made it easier than ever to compare ourselves to others. The problem with comparisons is that it’s always a losing game. There will always be someone prettier, smarter, or more successful than us.

Rather than comparing ourselves to others, we should focus on our own journey and progress.

Surround Yourself With Positive People

The people we surround ourselves with can have a significant impact on our self-esteem. If we’re around people who bring us down, we’re more likely to have low self-esteem.

On the other hand, if we’re around people who lift us up and encourage us, we’re more likely to have high self-esteem. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting people who will support you in your journey of building and maintaining self-esteem.

Focus on Self-Care

Focusing on self-care is an essential part of building and maintaining self-esteem. Taking care of our mental and physical health will help us feel good about ourselves.

This can include getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and practicing stress-reducing activities like yoga or meditation.

Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity

Rather than fearing failure, embrace it as a learning opportunity. Failure is not the end of the road but rather a chance to try again. Many successful people have failed multiple times before reaching their goals.

Remember that success is not a straight line but rather a series of ups and downs.

Practice Gratitude

Practicing gratitude can help us appreciate the good in our lives and counteract negative self-talk. Take a few moments each day to reflect on what you’re grateful for in your life.

This can include things like your health, family, friends, or a warm bed to sleep in at night.

Seek Professional Help if Needed

If you’re struggling with building and maintaining self-esteem, consider seeking professional help. A mental health professional can provide tools and strategies to help you improve your self-esteem.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a commonly used approach to help individuals work through negative thoughts and beliefs about themselves.

Conclusion

Building and maintaining self-esteem is a journey, and it’s not always easy.

But by practicing self-compassion, setting realistic expectations, focusing on our strengths, avoiding comparisons, surrounding ourselves with positive people, focusing on self-care, embracing failure as a learning opportunity, practicing gratitude, and seeking professional help if needed, we can begin to build a positive view of ourselves and lead a fulfilling life.