Self-esteem is about appreciating you for who you are – the good and the bad. If you want to improve your self-esteem, then you have to change the way that you think and feel about yourself. So here are a couple of ways that you can boost your self-esteem.

Take stock

If you want to improve your self-esteem, you first have to know what it is that you are unhappy about. You can start by writing a list of your ten strengths and weaknesses. You might find it easier to list all your weaknesses, but it’s equally as important to list your strengths.

Once you are done you’ll probably find that there are more good things about yourself than you first thought. If there are some weaknesses you want to change, then give yourself some time. Your behaviour won’t change overnight, so be sure to set some realistic goals.

Don’t be a perfectionist

Sure, everyone wants to do a good job when it comes to their work and studies. However, when you try and make everything perfect all the time – that’s when problems start to occur. You’ll feel like the work that you do is never good enough, so you’ll beat yourself up about it. Or you’ll keep procrastinating out of fear that it won’t be perfect.

Rather than aiming for perfection, aim for it to be good enough. This way when you are about to finish off a project, you can finally hand it in because you have met all the requirements. Another trick is to remind yourself that this is the real world and that things aren’t always perfect.

Stop comparing yourself to others

Comparing your body, your job or your house to that of others is a very destructive habit. This is because you will never get what you want. There will always be someone who will appear to have a “better” life than yours. Sure you think that their lives are better, but you never know what kind of issues and problems they are dealing with.

Instead of comparing yourself to others – compare yourself to yourself. Look at your own life and at everything that you have accomplished. Look at how far you have come and how proud that should make you feel.

Accept your make mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, it’s normal. So if you find that you have failed a test or missed an important work meeting – don’t beat yourself up about it too much. Acknowledge that you have made a mistake and look at how you can improve for next time. Don’t let yourself fall into a downward spiral. Just remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes and that you should rather look at this opportunity as a learning experience.

Building your self-esteem is about looking at yourself, your flaws and your strengths, and accepting them. It won’t always be the easiest thing to do, but you can start by following these tips.