Do you find it difficult to feel good about yourself? Join the club. Most of us could benefit from a boost in our self-esteem. Self-Confidence Affirmations can be an effective way to boost self-esteem.
We’ve all had moments when we lacked confidence and felt bad about ourselves. However, according to the NHS, when low self-esteem becomes a long-term issue, it can have a negative impact on our mental health and our daily lives.
Low self-esteem is the widespread belief that we are imperfect, unworthy, unlovable, or not good enough in some way.
According to Verywell Mind, “self-esteem” refers to a person’s overall sense of worth. It’s essentially your judgment/ opinion of yourself.
Self-esteem entails more than whether or not you like yourself; it goes far beyond that. Self-esteem can refer to a variety of things, including your sense of self-worth, self-confidence, how competent you think you are, and feelings of belonging. It also entails believing you are worthy of love and value your own thoughts, feelings, opinions, and ambitions.
Consequently, self-esteem is important in a variety of aspects of life, which is why low self-esteem can be such a serious issue.
How do you know if you have low self-esteem?
There are numerous indicators of low self-esteem, such as a lack of self-trust, constant comparison with others, self-doubt, a lack of boundaries, and so on, but three of the most common are as follows:
1. Negative Self Talk
The first sign of low self-esteem is the inability to accept compliments. That shows the difficulty in recognizing positive traits and attributes in oneself. In fact, the tendency is that people with low self-esteem may find it easier to engage in negative self-talk. Even when things are going well, our critical inner voice can undermine our efforts and success by convincing us that we are still unworthy of it.
2. Underemployment
Consequently, people with low self-esteem are frequently underemployed because they are afraid of failing if they try. On this one, I have some firsthand experience. Even with this blog, I don’t think I’d have made it this far if it weren’t for my husband, who continues to push and challenge me even when I’m on the verge of quitting.
But now I’ve decided to take the risk, and even though I have no idea whether or not this blog will be a success, I’ve decided to let go of my fear and lack of confidence and give it a shot anyway.
>>Read more: Career Affirmations: How To Overcome Career Setbacks
3. unhealthy relationships
People with low self-esteem are more likely to be in unhealthy relationships because they do not believe they deserve to be treated well or that they are unlovable. As a result, they accept it as their fate and allow others to mistreat them. Also, in order to fit in or be accepted, people with low self-esteem frequently struggle with people-pleasing.
People who have low self-esteem require external validation to feel good about themselves, so they make sure that others are comfortable and happy. This frequently entails prioritizing others’ needs over their own, feeling guilty for saying no, and thus saying yes to things they don’t want to do.
How to increase your self-esteem
#1 Stop comparing yourself to others.
Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible not to compare oneself and one’s life to others in today’s world. We are so used to scrolling through social media that it is almost impossible not to compare ourselves to others. That, however, could be a dangerous path to take.
Certainly, we must understand that not everything we see or hear is the entire truth. Because in reality, nobody knows what’s going on behind closed doors.
To be clear, it’s not always because people are attempting to cover up their problems or situations; rather, certain things are private and no one’s business. So, you will never fully know what people are truly feeling or going through in their lives.
Therefore, you can’t compare yourself to others because you don’t know what you’re comparing yourself to. The important thing is to remember that you are unique, have a one-of-a-kind set of skills, and a one-of-a-kind mind. So, never compare yourself to others.
All you can do is compare yourself with who you were before.
#2 Identify your limiting beliefs.
What story are you telling to yourself?
Self-awareness is the first step toward overcoming low self-esteem. To change something, you must first recognize that something needs to be changed. You can’t really change anything unless you’re aware of your limiting beliefs causing your self-esteem to plunge.
So, first and foremost, you must identify your negative self-limiting beliefs.
What limiting beliefs are preventing you from living your life and achieving your goals?
Some examples of subconscious negative limiting beliefs:
- “He will never go out with me; I’m out of his league.”
- “That only happens to a small percentage of people, and that’s not me.“
- “I will never be able to get that promotion; I am not that smart.”
- “I’m not good at organizing things; I’m too clumsy.”
- “He won’t notice me; I’m not pretty.”
- “I will never be able to have my own business; I’m not good enough.”
- “Nobody will ever love me.”
- “I am broken.”
In the end, whatever it is you believe you aren’t good at, the underlying limiting belief is that you aren’t good enough.
In his book, Use Your Brain to Change Your Age, Dr. Amen explains that just because you have a thought doesn’t mean it’s true. Thoughts can be deceiving. They lie a lot, and your unquestioned and uninvestigated thoughts are the ones that keep you unhappy.
He goes on to say that if you don’t challenge or correct your false beliefs, you’ll believe them and act on them. Hence, that is why you must challenge your limiting beliefs and negative thoughts once you’ve identified them.
Examine your beliefs to see if they are true. That includes examining what you’re telling yourself (self-talk) as well as how you interpret a situation.
Here’s a hint to see if they’re true: Would you tell a friend these things?
Take this as a general rule: Don’t say things to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend or family member.
#3 Change your narrative
Throughout our lives, we create a story in our head that shapes our self-perception and serves as the foundation for our core self-image; how we see ourselves (which is very different from how others see us). If we want to change that story, we must first understand where it came from and be aware of whose voices we are internalizing.
Childhood traumas can lead to the formation of unhealthy beliefs. That, however, is not always the case. Many of our limiting beliefs are formed or transmitted through our families, schools, and society. Which we then carry with us throughout our lives. As a result, these beliefs contribute to the formation of our reality and our perception of the world around us.
Consequently, having an internal belief system that creates a negative reality can be extremely dangerous.
Until you identify your limiting beliefs, start believing in yourself and your self-worth, and believe that you deserve to have everything you desire, you will continue to live a limited life.
So, how do we stop this self-sabotaging low self-esteem conversation?
By practicing positive Self-Confidence Affirmations to counteract the negative talk.
What are Self-Confidence Affirmations?
Positive affirmations are words or statements used to overcome negative thoughts and beliefs.
If you repeat these phrases daily, you will have a better chance of changing your mindset from negative to positive thoughts about yourself. That will assist you in making positive life changes and improve your overall happiness.
So, if you find yourself engaging in negative self-talk regularly, you can use daily positive Self-Confidence Affirmations to counteract these negative thoughts and replace them with more positive ones.
Positive thinking also promotes self-development and self-love. Hence, repeating affirmations throughout the day can help you change your thought patterns and improve your mental health.
How to use affirmations?
The key to effectively using Self-Confidence Affirmations is to affirm them and use them regularly.
Example
For instance, you frequently engage in negative self-talk when you’re at a social gathering because you always feel inferior to others. Perhaps you don’t feel as smart, confident, attractive, or wanted as the others.
So, you’re at an event and you’re in a group discussing a hot topic, but all you can think about is “No one cares what I have to say, I’m not as smart as them.” “I’m not pretty compared to them.” “Look at my thighs in this dress,” and so on.
When this happens try to use Self-Confidence Affirmations to counteract these negative thoughts and replace them with more positive ones.
“My opinion matters. I am smart as everyone else.” “I am beautiful just the way I am.” “Every female body is unique and beautiful in its own way.”
So, you must be aware of the negative thoughts/limiting beliefs and create positive affirmation/s that counteract that negative thoughts/beliefs.
However, I’ll be frank with you: this isn’t a magical tool that will instantly change your life. It will take time and many repetitions to improve your current level of self-esteem noticeably.
But, if you practice them regularly, I guarantee you will notice a significant shift in your attitude toward your self-confidence over time.
>>Read more here to learn more about the power of affirmations.
What are the most effective Self-Confidence Affirmations you say to yourself to boost self-confidence?
Here are 40 affirmations to boost your confidence:
- I am a valuable human being.
- I am worthy of love.
- There’s nothing I need to do or be to earn love or respect.
- I am competent, intelligent, and able.
- I am beautiful, smart, fun, and full of life.
- Others love me for who I am.
- I appreciate who I am.
- I am worthy of the compliments I receive.
- My needs matter.
- I am whole, just as I am.
- I don’t need validations from others to know how good I am.
- Every day I become a better version of myself.
- I am more than enough.
- I deserve to be happy.
- Every challenge is an opportunity to grow.
- I am in competion with no one.
- I love the person I am becoming.
- My family and friends enjoy spending time with me.
- I feel comfortable speaking my mind.
- I let go of my negative feelings and accept all that is good.
- Every female body is unique and beautiful in its own way.
- I accept and embrace myself for who I am.
- I follow my own heart, not the expectations of others.
- Someones else’s worth does not take away from my own.
- I will not judge myself, and neither should anyone else.
- I trust in myself and my abilities.
- All I need to succeed is within me.
- I love who I am inside out.
- I set boundaries and respect them.
- The only validation I need is from myself.
- I am free from self-doubt and filled with self-confidence.
- I naturally feel good about myself.
Final thoughts
Self-confidence is necessary for success in any area of life. It’s important to be confident about who you are and what your skills, talents, and abilities are. Positive self-confidence affirmations can help build a strong sense of worthiness and high esteem.
They can give you the power you need to make changes in your life — to achieve goals or overcome obstacles that may have been holding you back from living up to your full potential. When used correctly, positive self-confidence affirmation statements will actually change how you feel about yourself!
As a result, life will be more enjoyable, and you will be more competent if you have higher self-esteem.
So start practicing affirmations now. Make a list of affirmations and repeat them throughout the day. Write them, read them, and listen to them. I promise your self-esteem will increase.
>>Read more: Positive body affirmations can empower you to love your body
