A Healthy Self Image & Self Esteem is a post from: Recovery Coaching

The best way to improve your life and earn the respect of others is to improve your self-esteem. It may sound like a very difficult task but all that it needs is good guidance. Here are ten tips to help you improve your self-esteem.

1. You should surround yourself with people who are positive and supportive, and shun friends who are cynical and negative. You will respect yourself more, and your self-esteem will grow.

2. You should be clear about what you want to achieve in life. Set goals, and work for their achievement. To make your task easier, break your main goal into several smaller goals which are relatively easier to achieve. This will make the task of reaching your main goals seem easier. It will also give you a feeling of satisfaction whenever you achieve one of the smaller goals.

3. Always be positive about yourself and keep reminding yourself about your good qualities, your accomplishments and how you help your family, friends, others and yourself. Don’t make the mistake of brooding over negative things, and never put yourself down.

4. Develop the ability to accept criticism about yourself, without getting upset or defensive. This will help you eliminate your weaknesses one by one. However, make sure that the criticism is constructive. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by criticism that is cynical or meant to lower your self-esteem. This will be a great mistake, and do irreparable damage to your self-esteem.

5. Everyone fails from time to time. It is ok to fail. We should not let it get us down or to have too much of a negative effect on us. Learn from your mistakes and decide to succeed next time. This positive attitude will help to overcome the most difficult circumstances.

6. Never compare yourself with others. This is the easiest way to feel inferior and lose self-esteem. It is much better to rate yourself on your own achievements. This will give you self-confidence and improve your self esteem.

7. Never put yourself down. Remember, that your self-confidence, self-respect and self-esteem are affected by the way you see yourself. Project a positive attitude even in most adverse situations. Make it a point to filter out all self-criticism.

8. Don’t give in to bullies in your place of work or in your personal life. You must learn to stand up to them. This can only happen if you are assertive about your rights. When you adopt this approach you will earn the respect of others and also increase your self-esteem.

9. If you have low self esteem, you may find it difficult in getting to know other people. Try to approach a person and introduce yourself. Ask them questions about themselves and try to be genuinely interested in the answers. Listen carefully and attentively to what they say and respond to show your interest. Interacting with people will make you feel more relaxed. You will realize that it is easy to speak to individuals and groups of people. Relax by concentrating on what others are saying, rather than on yourself and see your self esteem start to grow.

10. Self-esteem is also dependent upon the felling of well-being. A lazy person or a poorly groomed person will always feel inferior to a confident, smart individual. So, you need to take good care of your body. Remember, a healthy body is essential for a healthy mind.

Ten Tips To Improve Your Self-Esteem is a post from: Recovery Coaching

1. Believe in yourself more – always think positively and feed yourself with positive inner dialogue. Stand in front of a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and tell yourself how wonderful you are!

2. Recognize that you can never change other people. You can only change yourself. A change in your behavior will give others the opportunity to behave differently towards you.

3. Learn to respond, not react. Start choosing how to behave, based on admitting and accepting the consequences. Accept that you – and only you – have made that choice: nobody has forced you into it.

4. Stop beating yourself up for your decisions and behaviors. Instead, turn every situation into a positive learning opportunity for future behavior change.

5. Make sure your body language is in step with your words. People tend to believe what they see rather than what they hear.

6. Use the green cross code: Stop Look Listen – then think about how you want to respond. This will ensure you stay in control of you and the situation, and afford others the opportunity to do so as well.

7. Aim for situation resolution, not self defence. Concentrate on the situation rather than your own feelings, and recognize that the other person is most probably angry about the situation – not with you.

8. Consider and choose your words. Lose the words that signal “I’m a pushover” such as “I’m terribly sorry”, or “I’m afraid”, or “Could you possibly…?” or “Can I just …?”. Substitute big “I” statements followed by factual descriptions instead of judgments or exaggerations. This will encourage the other person to do the same.

9. Say “no” when you want to. Don’t forget to give yourself all of the rights you allow everyone else to have. And if it helps, remember that you are not refusing them personally, you are refusing their request.

10. Take a “can do” attitude. Believe that things don’t just happen to you – but that you can make them happen.

Assertiveness – Top 10 Tips is a post from: Recovery Coaching