Self-worth is a topic worth discussing.
The lack of self-worth (self-esteem) leads to self-hatred,
unhappiness and despair. Therefore, this means that mastering the journey of
self-worth is crucial. Some people learn about self-worth naturally through
their life experiences. Others struggle to feel a sense of self-worth.
Self-worth could be defined as:
“ The feeling
that you have good qualities and have achieved good things”
As a concept, self-worth is highly subjective as it is based on
feeling good within yourself. Hill (2015) found that self-esteem was linked
with higher subjective happiness scores and overall life satisfaction. Whereas,
Judge et al (2001) demonstrated that higher high levels of self-esteem in
employees predicted their job satisfaction and improved work performance.
Research is clear – A person needs a sense of self-worth to be content in life.
In this post, I will be discussing 11 habits that you should adopt for feeling
good within yourself. Through simple practice of these habits, you will master
your journey towards self-worth.
1. Accept critique, don’t take things personally
The key to maturation is not
taking things personally. It’s difficult to learn from mistakes or poor
behaviours when you are not aware of them. You should accept critique and use
it for bettering your own character. Remember that there is a difference
between critique and criticism – one is a careful judgment, another is more
like a disapproving attack.
2. Compare yourself with your past self
The only person you should
compare yourself with is your past self. When you are feeling worthless think
about what you have achieved. How do you compare with your past self? Have you
improved, grown, learned new things? Live your own life, do not let the rosy
lives of other people let you down.
3. Accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes
The key person that is
responsible for your life, how you behave and how you feel is YOU. Learn to remember
that you are an active agent in control of your life. Learn from your mistakes
and be a better person. Accepting responsibility is a facet of empowerment.
4. Dedicate life for self-improvement
Dedicate life
for self-improvement. Whether it’s education, reading books, watching
documentaries or trying a creative hobby. The more you learn – the more you
grow and the more you grow - the more worth you feel.
5. Do something about your problems
This one comes
from my own experience. Nothing will ever improve if you fail to do anything about
your problems. Instead of complaining about how you feel – do something different. Whether it’s mentioning to your friend or doctor about your mental health, taking yourself away from a negative environment or keeping yourself busy. Do something about your problems do not let them control you.
your problems. Instead of complaining about how you feel – do something different. Whether it’s mentioning to your friend or doctor about your mental health, taking yourself away from a negative environment or keeping yourself busy. Do something about your problems do not let them control you.
6. Observe your body language
To have a sense of self-worth you
need to behave like a powerful person. If you don’t feel any sense of power,
start from pretending. Head up, shoulders back, smile. Presenting yourself to
others as a ball of shame does not help. Believe in yourself and the good
things will come from there.
7. Take care of your physical health
Take care of your physical health
– whether it’s walking more, taking the stairs instead of the lift or seeing
your health professionals when you need to. Have enough sleep, do not force
yourself to work when you don’t feel a 100%. Your physical health is closely
related to your mental health. Jade Marie has written a fantastic post about
practicing self-care on low energy days, go check it out!
8. Live in the present moment
Live in the
present moment, pay attention to your senses. You can’t turn back the time, unfortunately, real life is not like Back in The Future. Do not worry about what-ifs, do what
you love in the present.
9. Restructure your negative thoughts
This one needs its own separate
post. I learned about cognitive restructuring in a group CBT session. You need
to fight your negative thoughts with alternatives. Reconstructing your
perception of self and life is super important for self-worth. Notice when your
negative thoughts lack accuracy.
10. Express daily gratitude
Spend a few minutes each day
expressing gratitude. You could do it in your head or keep a fancy gratitude
journal. What are you grateful for?
11. Learn to truly be yourself
No one is ever truly ‘good’.
People are complex and full of flaws. You should learn to accept yourself. It
is through acceptance that we learn to feel whole. Life is not black and white,
people are not either.
Here are the 11 habits that you should follow for feeling good within
yourself and mastering the complex journey of self-worth. Do you have any tips
for improving one’s sense of self-worth? I wish you all the best, keep your
head up.
This was such a helpful and useful post.. particularly for me at the moment:) I’ve been struggling with self-worth a lot lately, so I’m definitely going to refer back to this post a lot<3
ReplyDeleteLexie x
www.whatlexieloves.com
Aw bless, I am glad you found this useful x Keep your head up hun
DeleteI loved reading this it's full of great advice especially for someone like me who's very negative and doesn't have much self-esteem!
ReplyDeleteJess // foundationsandfairytales.wordpress.com
xx
Thanks for reading, i'm so happy it was helpful x
DeleteWow I really needed to read this today! Such a well written and informative post. I particularly liked point 9 and definitely going to read more about that. Thanks so much for sharing.x
ReplyDeletewww.melisliving.com
You are very welcome x
DeleteI SO take things too personally, I really need to learn not to. Self-care, not comparing yourself to others, & most of all just being YOU are so important! Just when I needed a reminder - thank YOU.
ReplyDeleteTracy xxx
http://bloggerbythesea.com
No worries, thank you for reading x
Deletesuch a great post, self improvement is a constant job but its one well worth doing! being critical of ones self is far to easy but its so rewarding to overcome that. xx
ReplyDeleteViolethollow.com
Exactly, it's such a difficult process but practice makes perfect x
DeleteThis is great advice for those who experience low self worth or self esteem.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading x
DeleteThis is such a fantastic post Laura, thank you for sharing your helpful suggestions. I especially love the point about dedicating your life for self-improvement, that is such a good idea. I think we are all constantly a work in progress, and everyday is an opportunity for self development and learning something new. Thanks again for sharing, I really enjoyed reading this! <3 xx
ReplyDeleteBexa | www.hellobexa.com
This is such a great post! I resonated with every single thing you said, although I would give absolutely everyone the same advice, I don't know how good I am at taking it. It's always good to read posts like there. Lovely post!xxx
ReplyDeleteThis was such a fantastic post! I have very poor self-esteem, so your post really spoke to me and you had some great tips that I felt like I needed to read, right at this moment. Thank you for this amazing blog post. I'm going to be using the tips you provided because all of them were spot on.
ReplyDeleteEmily | https://www.thatweirdgirllife.com