How Can Good Self-Esteem Help You In Difficult Situations?

Having a solid sense of worth and value are essential criteria for success in all areas of life. Learning to love and appreciate yourself gives you the power you need to become an acting decision-maker, whilst taking the reins of your own life. It is a synonym for taking back the power and living for yourself and only you.

11 Things having good self-esteem helps with

1) Standing up for yourself

Whenever you feel oppressed, bullied, or pushed into a corner, your solid self-esteem will fly to the rescue and awaken your voice. Being able to speak up for yourself and voluntarily going against the grain are complicated tasks for many people, but when you believe in yourself, they become simple. Speaking your mind is almost therapeutic and will free you of a crushing and repressive weight too.

2) It helps you feel secure

When you feel good about yourself, you inevitably feel comfortable in your own skin and therefore untouchable. Whenever you are faced with trying situations, being able to recognize your worth and knowing that you are a good person are elements that will help you push through whatever is holding you back, despite the intimidating barriers.

>>> Discover these 9 tips for self-belief!

3) You feel confident in the decisions you make

Whether they are day-to-day decisions or more life-changing ones, healthy self-esteem means that you are clear about what you want, and can’t be swayed or sidetracked by anyone else. In short, no matter what happens in your life, or what you find yourself up against, you know that you’ll always put yourself first and do what’s best.

4) You are confident enough to express your needs

Whether it’s in a romantic relationship or in a friendship situation, having a good level of self-esteem will be useful in expressing what you want and need. It will also give you the confidence to open your heart and make yourself vulnerable, which will ultimately strengthen your relationships and make them much more sincere.

5) You become resilient in the face of setbacks

The truth is, life events can be both positive and negative, which means each of us has to deal with setbacks once in a while. Now, whether you are faced with problems at work or in your love life, recognizing your value will give you the determination you need to overcome absolutely anything. That’s right, it will turn you into the strongest version of yourself.

6) Stress becomes a piece of cake

Believing in yourself and your capabilities ultimately means you have the power to handle stress and negative thoughts like a pro! Having amazing self-belief is of the utmost importance where your mental health is concerned. Plus, it is also a useful tool for dealing with anxiety-related issues too.  

>>> Read up on the effects that stress has on our skin

7) You automatically feel more positive

When you feel confident in yourself and what you have to offer, nothing can hold you back, not even the most complex of situations. Plus, your positive frame of mind means people rely on you to pick them up too as well as reassure them that things will get better and turn out for the best.

8) Boundaries become easier to fix

People with low self-esteem have a hard time fixing boundaries in relationships and struggle to draw the line indicating where their level of comfort ends. Their lack of ability to express what they find troublesome explains why they are likely to end up in toxic relationships with relentless narcissists, but this isn't the case for you.

9) Goals become easier to achieve

Having confidence in your abilities means you can aim high and strive to achieve your wildest dreams. I mean, why wouldn’t you? Strong self-esteem is enough to see you competing with the greats and chasing after what many others would class as impossible.

10) It gives you control over your relationships

That’s right, it gives you the power to decide what you want in a power, and gives you the strength to walk away with confidence when you have decided it’s best to move on. In short, you’ll never fall victim to a narcissist and will defend yourself against gaslighting tactics too.

11) It helps you maintain good social links

Because stress doesn’t eat away at them, people with good self-esteem always find ways to keep their heads above the water and go on as normal. Their strength of character means whatever they come up against, nothing will ever ruin their lives or eat away at their friendships.

How do you build good self-esteem? 3 exercises to learn to love yourself

While regaining self-confidence usually takes time, small exercises to do on a daily basis can be a good start to having better self-esteem.

• First exercise: When you need information, push yourself out of your comfort zone and go talk to strangers to ask for the time, for example, or a direction in the subway. It’s a good way to fight against excessive shyness.
• Second exercise: List in your head or on a sheet of paper all the "proud moments" in your life. Your diploma with honors, your beautiful children, your fulfilled relationship, your great friends... The same goes for your moral and physical qualities: your ability to listen, your intelligence, your intuition, your long and slender legs...
• Finally, the third exercise in self-confidence: Learn to say no! Your personal opinion must be respected as much as that of others and if you don't want to do something, you have the right to refuse. In an intelligent way, of course, especially in the work world. It is not a question of answering "no" aggressively or at all, but to explain to your interlocutor why you do not wish to answer positively to his request. The important thing is to stop systematically putting your opinion (or your wishes) after those of others.

How to improve self-esteem as a woman - 5 Ways to find your value

Women often have a hard time finding their value in life, but each one of us has one!

1) Focus on your qualities

The vast majority of women often tend to focus on their flaws. On average, 6 out of 10 women today lack confidence, don't think they are good enough, and denigrate themselves. But it doesn't have to be this way. Every woman has a whole universe within her with very specific and unique qualities! So, take a seat, sit comfortably, breathe calmly, and make a list of everything you like about yourself.

2) Apply the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 countdown method!

This five-second method has proven to be effective with all women who had negative thoughts. So every time a bad scenario or negative thought crosses your mind, count down 5 seconds. Once you finish the countdown, close your eyes and replace the bad scenario or negative thought with an inspiring image where you are happy and smiling. By doing this, you activate a part of your brain called the frontal lobe, and this has the effect of breaking the negative unconscious mechanism.

3) Talk about yourself positively

Pay attention to what you say about yourself. Are your words always negative, like "I'm not smart enough" or "I'm not beautiful enough", etc.? Would you be able to talk to one of your girlfriends the same way? Usually, the answer is "NO"! So why would you do it with yourself? So before being lenient with others, start by being lenient with yourself!

4) Adopt a good posture

The position we give our bodies has more effect than the words we say. So, instead of letting yourself get into the uncomfortable posture your body puts you in or putting yourself in a position to make yourself look small and unnoticed...

5) Catch your body in its own trap

When your self-confidence drops, retreat to a quiet place for a moment when possible and assume a relaxed posture, then take a deep breath. If you can't get out of the way, close your eyes for a second, clear your mind, stretch your arms and neck, breathe, and come to your senses!

Be sure to read these articles too;

• 10 Tips on how to let go of your worries
• Techniques on how to manage hypersensitivity