Boost Your Self-Esteem to Heal Spiritual Injury
Do you struggle with low self-esteem or low self-confidence? Friend, you are not alone! I, too, struggle with keeping my self-esteem high. Anyone dealing with spiritual injury or moral injury from trauma, likely also experience chronic low self-esteem. Today I’m sharing some of the ways and methods that I use to keep myself soaring and feeling great that you can easily put into practice today to start building and maintaining a healthy self-esteem, boosting your self-confidence, and feeling great about YOU too!
What is Self-Esteem and Why Do I Need It?
Before we head straight into some tried and true methods to boost your self-esteem, let’s talk a little about what self-esteem is and how it impacts your mental health. Self-esteem is an individual's overall evaluation and perception of their own worth and value as a person which can directly impact their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Self-esteem, influenced by various factors, such as personal achievements, social interactions, feedback from others, cultural and societal norms, and one's own internal beliefs and perceptions, can be challenging, but not impossible to change.
On the other hand, low self-esteem often results in negative self-perception, self-doubt, and self-criticism. It can lead to feelings of inadequacy, fear of failure, and difficulty in asserting oneself or setting healthy boundaries. Low self-esteem can also be associated with negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and low self-confidence, as can be brought on by trauma.
Sound familiar so far? For me too! But there’s hope and we can break the cycle; read on!
Having a healthy self-esteem generally involves having a positive and realistic view of oneself, feeling confident in one's abilities, and being able to acknowledge and accept one's strengths and weaknesses. An high self-esteem is not dependent solely on external validation or approval from others, but rather stems from an individual's own self-perception and self-acceptance. Obtaining and sustaining an healthy self-esteem will directly impact your self-confidence, reduce anxiety, and help to relieve symptoms of depression.
How Do You Develop and Maintain a Healthy Self-Esteem?
Building and maintaining healthy self-esteem involves developing a positive and realistic sense of self through a cultivation of self-acceptance and self-compassion; setting and achieving realistic goals; and engaging in self-care and self-affirming activities. It can also involve challenging negative self-talk and unhelpful beliefs, seeking support from trusted individuals, and developing a healthy balance between self-acceptance and self-improvement.
Here are some ways that will help you work toward improving your self-esteem:
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Treat yourself with the same kindness, understanding, and patience that you would offer to a friend. Be mindful of your self-talk and challenge negative or self-deprecating thoughts. Turning negative internal dialog, “I’ll only fail, so why bother?” into a more positive “What do I need to succeed?” is a much more powerful declaration that will lift your mood.
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Set achievable goals that are meaningful to you and celebrate your progress along the way. Recognize and acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. Maybe you’ve been wanting to get more movement into your day and you’ve set a goal to take a 30 minute walk everyday for 30 days. After achieving this goal, celebrate by treating yourself - a new pair of sneakers, cute outfit, new hairstyle, or other fun treat!
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What your strengths and talents? Is there a hobby that you’ve neglected or would like to pick back up? Now is a great time to make a little effort into developing them further. Engaging in these favorite activities in areas where you already excel can help you build confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
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Engage in regular exercise, eat a healthy and balanced diet, and get enough sleep. Taking care of your physical well-being can positively impact your mental well-being and self-esteem. I always feel great after a long run, but I know that’s not a solution for everyone. Even just short walks around the block or not parking close to a store’s door are ways to sneak in a little extra movement into your daily routine.
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Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you. Avoid toxic relationships that bring you down or undermine your self-esteem. Do you sometimes leave a conversation with a friend feeling worse about yourself? It may be time to engage with them less and that’s okay to set those boundaries to protect your well-being.
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Instead of dwelling on failures, view them as learning opportunities. Embrace a growth mindset and focus on the lessons you can gain from setbacks. More often, the failure was due to things out of your control. Even more reason not to dwell in that negative feedback loop, learn from the lesson, and move on!
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Accept yourself as you are, including your imperfections and flaws. Embrace self-acceptance and practice self-love. You are wonderfully and powerfully made by the Creator who loves you! It’s okay to love yourself unconditionally!
Friend, remember that improving self-esteem is a journey that takes time and effort and one that I often need to begin again and again, but showing yourself grace, a little patience, and celebrating your progress along the way, I know that you will be able to build a stronger, healthier you with a healthy self-esteem and generous dose of self-confidence! We here at the Spirit Source Connection team, believe in you!
Need help getting starting building and maintaining a healthy sense of self?
Our beloved coach, B. Von Squires, is here to help and she’s just a quick email away. Reach out today!
