Life isn’t always kind to us. We enter with a clean slate, full of hope and optimism, but sometimes we get lost along the way. Things happen that cause us to lose sight of our own value.
Experiences, people, and circumstances have the ability to dissuade us from believing in ourselves. But just because life beats us down doesn’t mean we have to stay on the ground. Building self-worth takes time and effort, but it can be restored if you strive for it.
Below you’ll discover a collection of tips geared toward helping you rediscover your own value.
15 Tips on Building Self-Worth
Self-worth can be deflated in various ways. It’s always best to start by making a list of the reasons why you feel the way you feel. Once you identify your insecurities, you can start tackling them head-on.
Take advantage of these 15 tips on how to build self-confidence while developing the thick skin and firm belief in yourself that will defend against life’s trying moments.
1. Begin by Envisioning the Person You Desire to Be
When we lose sight of our self-worth, we become obsessed with our downfalls. In order to build yourself back up, start by envisioning inside your mind your ideal self.
Who do you desire to be?
What does he or she look like?
What is he or she capable of?
Take your time painting a picture of this ideal you. Write it down, then ask yourself what is keeping you from being that person?
This is where the steps begin to form; your roadmap from who you are to who you desire to be will be drawn out for you as you identify the imperfections holding you back.
2. Convert the Voice Inside Your Head to Your Side
Next, it’s time to convert your inner voice so that it’s on your side.
When we lose confidence, our consciousness can turn into a bully. Our thoughts go south and we become negative, beating ourselves down further by berating our actions, or lack of action.
Instead, turn that little voice into your cheerleader. Combat the negativity with encouragement and assurance. Be your greatest ally in the fight to rediscover your self-value.
3. Question Your Inner Judgments
Fighting that voice isn’t always easy though, is it? Sometimes it seems so convincing, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.
Whenever your thoughts try to convince you of something negative, don’t be afraid to question it. Test the claim and determine whether it’s true or whether your mind is just echoing the fears and the taunts you have collected through your personal experiences.
4. Face Your Fears
As you learn to be kinder to yourself, you’ll want to rebuild your courage, too. Consider the things you fear doing, then face them. Prove to yourself you are stronger than you think.
In psychology, this is often referred to as desensitization therapy, which is the practice of conditioning yourself to no longer be afraid of your fears through repetitive exposure followed by relaxation techniques.
The more you face your fears, the less frightening they become. With practice, you get better at facing them until, eventually, they become manageable or even non-existent.
5. Turn Rejection into Constructive Criticism
Rejection can do a number on our self-confidence. It may even be the reason that you found yourself at an all-time low. However, a tweak in perspective can turn those harsh words into opportunities for growth.
When justified, a rejection can become a learning experience. If you take a rejection with constructive feedback, you can build upon the experience and turn it into a positive.
If not justified, a rejection can be painful. However, if after thinking critically you acknowledge the rejection isn’t justified, you are free to let it go.
Never harbor unjustified judgments in your heart.
6. Give Yourself a Chance to Win
Successes great and small are powerful things. Set yourself up to win, even if it’s something as simple as cleaning the house, doing your laundry, or making someone you care about smile.
7. Find Value in Giving Back
There is something incredibly therapeutic about helping others. In many ways, through selfless acts, we can find ourselves and identify what’s truly important.
Anxiety and depression often follow our loss of self-worth, and they can be very isolating. Through showing empathy to others, we are forced to step outside of our own head and see other people and their circumstances.
It puts life into perspective, which we sometimes need.
8. Don’t Forget about Self-Care
On the other side of the scale is self-care. While it’s healthy to help others, it’s also important to pour some of that compassion back into yourself.
Make sure you take the time and energy to nurture yourself. This includes making time for yourself and tending to all of your basic emotional, physical, and mental needs.
Create for yourself a regular routine that nourishes your body, accommodates plenty of sleep, promotes exercise, and provides for your social needs as well as personal space.
9. Learn How to Say No
“No” is not a bad word. In fact, sometimes it’s entirely necessary. Standing up for yourself and your own wellbeing is essential to acknowledging and maintaining your self-value.
Telling people no can be frightening. Not everyone takes kindly to the word, yet if it’s justified then you should face your fear and stand by it. That bravery lies within you.
When you acknowledge your right to stand up for yourself, you find it justified to demand that others acknowledge it, too.
10. See the Value in Yourself and in Others
Part of self-value includes self-awareness and awareness of others. As you look around you, see yourself as an equal to everyone around you.
Just as they matter, so do you. As people, we all deserve equal amounts of love, empathy, compassion, and opportunity.
Not only does this elevate your own self-worth, but it also promotes worth in the people around you. Acknowledging you’re on equal terms makes you a part of society, not above or below it.
11. Fall in Love with Your Reflection
Look in the mirror. What do you see? If you hate the image staring back at you, then it’s high time you work on self-love.
Often, this can mean falling back in love with the body you were born in. While no human body is perfect, the person within it is just as precious as every other soul around him or her.
Sometimes this means doting on ourselves and investing in the way we want our body to look using clothing, makeup, or a new hairstyle that flatters your natural features.
Other times it’s finding the beauty in our own imperfections.
But then there are sometimes when the answer might be in the hands of a doctor.
Plastic surgery isn’t just about turning average Joe’s into America’s Next Top Model. Sometimes this medical practice can transform lives by turning self-conscious deformities or imperfections left behind by surgeries or illness back into something beautiful.
Medical practices like the one featured on this website offer surgical and non-surgical procedures to help individuals feel more comfortable in the body they’re in.
12. Dress the Way You Want to Be Seen
But not all transformations have to be as drastic as surgery. Sometimes a new wardrobe or a fresh makeover can be the pick-me-up we need to feel better about ourselves.
If you look in the mirror and see a drab image, spice it up. Give yourself a budget and refresh your clothes and accessories to match the ideal version of yourself.
13. Start Smiling More
Do you know the power of a single smile? This simple gesture is highly influential not only for the people around you but also for yourself.
Even when you don’t feel like smiling, physically doing so can actually change the way you feel. It’s a physical stimulation that creates a positive chemical reaction in your body.
Studies have shown that smiling can:
- Elevate your mood
- Reduce your stress levels
- Make you more attractive to others
- Give people a trustworthy impression of you
- Train your brain to be more positive
- Release tension
- Make you more productive
- Stimulate creativity
So don’t be afraid to share your smile both with yourself and others. They’re contagious, after all.
14. Remind Yourself of Your Achievements so Far
If you find yourself falling back into a rut or doubting your own progress, take a moment to stop and remind yourself of what you’ve achieved so far.
Life isn’t about rushing to the end of the journey, but rather the experience along the way. Be kind to yourself by being patient with slow progress and rewarding even the small wins in life.
15. Practice Emotional Intelligence
Finally, discover the liberation of emotional intelligence. Being able to recognize, acknowledge, and process what you feel will give you more control over your personal self-image as well as your confidence, especially when faced with rejection or disappointments.
By following these 15 steps you’ll find yourself well on your way to rediscovering your self-worth.
Continue the Path of Self-Growth
A big part of building self-worth is creating new habits. If you want to continue on the path to growth, take a look at our healthy living articles. From clean cooking to positive thinking, you’ll discover new ways to transform your life.