Ever feel like you need to boost your self-worth? It’s a seemingly mysterious concept this idea of finding or rediscovering personal self-worth!
Or I guess I should say, the complexities of improving your self-worth because what we’re talking about here; is how to make that self-worth shine in the most positive way possible and a few methods of improving self-worth that I’ve found helpful.
We all may think we know exactly what this so-called positive self-worth is exactly, but let’s dive in.
What exactly am I talking about when I say “positive self-worth?”
The Definition Of Self-Worth
Self-worth, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is: “A sense of one’s own value as a human being.”
Why is finding ourselves ‘worthy’ such a complicated subject for so many people? I’m definitely one of those people!
If you’ve read some of my other articles, such as: “is this motherhood? Let’s keep an open-mind” you may already have an idea of how I’ve had my own self-worth knocked down a leg or two, or ten… and that I am currently on the journey of improving…in every area of my life.
An Honest Approach
I am by no means an expert on self-worth in general, nor am I going to tell you that if you do XYZ then you’re gonna be a power-house of self-worth or will be magically “fixed” in anyway… but I do want to provide some helpful tips that I can honestly say have really been a big help to me me on my personal journey.
Related: “Self-Worth And What It Means To Me | My Story.”
Is Self-Worth And Self-Esteem The Same Thing?
You may hear that self-worth goes hand in hand with self-esteem, but in my opinion, as closely as they’re related, they’re different in a lot of ways.
For example: it’s totally possible to have higher self-esteem while simultaneously having low self-worth.
Say, you’re excelling in your job, or in a hobby you enjoy, but this esteem you feel towards your accomplishments doesn’t exactly overrule your general acceptance of aspects of yourself (especially unchangeable ones, such as, say, genetics).
Like many women, my goal is to have a high sense of self-esteem, an insanely high value on my self-worth, super high confidence, and, well…all the good self-things!
Yes, self esteem and self worth are different overall, BUT It’s also very likely that people who have a positive sense of self-worth will typically have greater self-esteem as well as confidence.
Our Self-worth, Be It POSITIVE or NEGATIVE, Impacts All Aspects Of Our Lives.
If you view your self-worth in a negative way, it’s far too easy to say “I give up” or “I can’t do this!” when faced with tough situations. It’s like you’re in a perpetual state of fear or failure.
But on the other hand, if you are working on reinforcing your self-worth and determined to view yourself in a positive way, it’ll be much easier to face life’s challenges with an “I got this” attitude, even going so far as to say “bring it on!”.
The energy shift alone in the positive scenario is enough to bring a smile to my face.
Let’s Compare
The Negative:
What does it look like to see self-worth in a negative way?
If you’re anything like me, you may find it easy to:
- Tear yourself down
- Berate yourself when you make a mistake
- Talk negatively towards yourself, more so than you’d ever talk negatively about anyone
- Criticize the image in the mirror
And the more this continues you may even find it increasingly easy or even typical to also view others in a negative way too.
Because let’s face it, if we focus entirely on flaws, those will stand out in all areas!
Low self-worth is connected to feelings of depression and anxiousness.
It really becomes a black-hole cycle of just… blech.
Anything you do with repetition and consistency can and most likely will become a habit. This totally applies to self-worth!!!
The Positive:
Those lucky enough to have an overall sense of positive self-worth typically have some of these attributes:
- They smile easily
- They believe in themselves
- They celebrate their accomplishments and successes
- They see the positive in almost every situation or circumstance
and so much more!
So how can we increase our own self-worth? Our self-image in a positive, kind way? And even more, how can we reinforce it after improving it so we won’t be so easily knocked down when that thing called life comes crashing in?
What Impacts Self-Worth?
There is a lot of factors that can influence self-worth, such as:
- Our emotions and overall well-being
- Our experiences and interactions with other people
- Our health
- Our core beliefs and overall values
- Relationships, both from the past and in the present
- Our childhood
- Physical appearance and how we feel about it
- Our finances
…Just to name a few.
How would you measure your self-worth?
What would you say having positive self-worth looks like? To me, it’s when you’re excited to get out of bed in the mornings, a smile already on your face because you’re confident that your day is gonna be a great one because you love life (and yourself) in general!
I’d also say it’s a daily habit of reinforcing your mind to handle all that life throws your way, knowing that whatever that is – “you’ve got this!”
Tips To Improve Your Sense Of Self-Worth In A Positive Way
Honestly, a positive sense of self-worth is so much more than what I touch on above, but let’s dive into some methods that have really helped me go from where I was about a year ago, totally hating myself, to where I am now… Improving.
We can all implement some of these tips to increase our self-worth and cultivate growth in our life.
I’ve found each and every one of these truly helps increase self-worth and put a more positive light on your day.
My goal is to help someone who may be in the exact position I was not so long ago.
So to that woman, like me, who is in need of what I searched high and low on the internet for when I truly needed to know I wasn’t alone. This is for you.
You’re not alone. Try these. It may feel so hard to even want to, but trust me, if you do – It can help.
It’s helping me.
You can even pick and choose just a couple that resonate and build from there.
18 Ways To Increase Your Feeling Of Self-Worth | Boost Your Self-Worth
- Start Your Day With Positive Affirmations. (to make it even easier, here are some of my favorites: Positive Words Of Affirmation | 21 Affirmations To Increase Self-Esteem, Worth & Confidence)
- Keep A Journal. OR TWO! I have what I call a word-vomit journal, gross I know, but this is where I can just let EVERYTHING…the good and the bad…out! Then I keep a journal with everything I actually want to cherish or remember.
- Do Something You Enjoy. Start with something simple. Anything at all the resonates with you or brings a smile to your face.
- Exercise. I know, you may hear this one all the time. But among the benefits to your overall health, physical activity really doest boost your mental health, which can really help you make other positive choices.
- Eat As Healthy As You Can. Personally, I know how hard this can be, especially when you’re in survival mode or just insanely busy! But I found it really helps to have something to be accountable to – For me, that happened to surprise me when I found I enjoyed the NOOM program (this is not sponsored in anyway, it’s just something I found I liked. There’s lots of programs you could try, free or otherwise!). With Noom, I really liked that it was something I could check in with every day, learn new tips and tricks, and a great way to hold myself accountable to what I put in my body.
- Challenge Negative Thoughts As They Come! Because they undoubtedly will. Think, if this was said to me by someone I loved, how would it make me feel? would I believe it to be true? And would it even be said in the first place coming from that person? Remember that thoughts are not facts. They’re impacted by the situations around us, stress, etc. A good way to combat this is to write them down when they occur and then write three positive things to counteract them. If this happens often (I know it can with me) write out a direct positive affirmation that combats the negative though and put it somewhere you can see it every day. Fake-it-til-you-make it. Do this until you believe the positive thought instead.
- Seek Support Outside Of Yourself! Be it with a trusted friend or a therapist. Talking it out with someone unbiased can really help.
- Write A List Of Things You Like About Yourself. What are some of your strengths? Do you like being a mother, wife, daughter, friend? What are some physical features you love? Go crazy. Write down anything and everything that you can say is a positive about YOU.
- Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone. This one, I have a love-hate relationship with. Getting out of your comfort zone, or challenging it, can be a total high. Think of anything you’d be willing to do that would be a little hard for you, and do it! My method has been to give someone totally random a genuine compliment. I know this may seem totally simple, but to me – It is anything but! I tend to turn bright red when I’m uncomfortable, and when it’s really bad, I could also get all teary-eyed (what the!?) yeah… it’s so fun.
- Stop Worrying About What Others Think. I know, I know. This is so much easier said than done. It takes practice. Lots of it. But similar to challenging negative thoughts, try challenging what you believe these other people think! Most of the time, they don’t think those things! Ever heard the concept that everyone is a little too self-involved to be worrying about what you’re doing? I’ve found this to be true more often than not!
- Pay Close Attention To What Makes You Feel A Dip In Your Self-Worth. Is it social media? Negative people in your life? Whatever it is, try to cut it out (at least as much as possible) of your life!
- Don’t Compare Yourself To Others. They’re completely different than you, even if it seems you have a lot in common! Just like no one understands the entirety of what goes on in your life, the same goes both ways.
- Practice Self Compassion DAILY. Focus on forgiving your past-self. If this is hard, write out a statement for this specifically and add it to your daily affirmations. “I choose to forgive my past-self. I am stronger today than I was yesterday and continue to grow in all the ways I desire.“… Something like that.
- Read Inspirational Stories And Books On Self-Improvement Often. There’s so much we can learn from other people that can really have an impact on our lives.
- Reward Your Successes! Seriously. Celebrate each. And. Every. One!
- Write Down What You’re Grateful For DAILY. You can do this when you journal. Just pick a handful and grow that list. There’s ALWAYS something to be grateful for!
- Try To Separate Your Self-Worth From Your Self-Appearance. I sure do understand how hard this one can be, but there are always things we might want to improve about how we look! But don’t let your appearance justify ANY negative thoughts that can affect your overall self-worth!
- Understand That It Takes Continuous Effort. It’s the journey, not the destination.
In Conclusion:
There are probably many other things that may help, and I’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions in the comments below on what you’ve tried that’s worked in your life to improve your self-worth!
I know it’s no easy thing to master, hell, I don’t know if it’s something anyone CAN fully master, but I do know that there have been so many benefits I’ve found in having followed some of my own advice in the list above that go beyond just my self-worth.
I know when I simply start my day with affirmations, eat healthier, and journal (just three of the above!) My days always tend to go better and I find I treat those around me with just a little more kindness.
It’s just a bit easier to have a little more control over my actions, and that is something that directly impacts my self-esteem which I think totally feeds my overall self-worth.
Keep showing up for yourself.
Show up how you want to be, forgive yourself for your mistakes, and have compassion when you mess up (I mess up all the time).
If you promise yourself you’ll get up a try again tomorrow, do so, then give it everything you got. I tell you, eventually, you’ll be looking back feeling so grateful for how far you’ve come. And you may even find you love the person you’ve become in the process!
