What are some positive ways to boost your self-esteem?

Oh my gosh. what an ingenius question. if i knew the answer to that i wouldn’t be wallowing in a puddle of self pity.

I tried finding the things that im good at doing (like reading, writing, etc.) and posting my stuff on the internet so people can critique it. It’s been making me feel good about myself. Like i can finally accomplish something, and people are recognizing a talent i have.
I can actually feel myself gaining more confidence. It really is helping me.

1. Restructure your thinking the way this book advises…
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Days-Self-Esteem-David-Burns/dp/0688094554/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1248635946&sr=8-1
in other words cognitive therapy.
For example, take a negative statement you tell yourself. “I’m no good; I’m stupid.” Then question htat. It is really true? If not, then re-phrase it, like “Actually, I do make mistakes at times, but really I’m pretty smart, and there are things I do well.” You emphasize the positive version, and repeat it everytime the negative one reoccurs.

2. Notice everytime you do something well and congratulate yourself (privately), emphasize it. Recognize when you make mistakes and learn from them and then put them behind you.

It for some reason takes longer to rebuild ones self-esteem than it does to lower it.
However, to work on having high self-esteem and self confidence, I suggest the following:
-Stand before the mirror EACH and EVERY day and call aloud 2 positive things you genuinely like about yourself. It could be anything… the color of your eyes, your smiles, etc. By saying these things out loud, you slowly but surely come to believe it. As they say… if you decree it, you will become it. =]
-Talk to yourself each morning when you wake up. Give yourself a pep talk… tell yourself that you are going to have a GREAT day and that nothing will get in the way of it.
-Read self-help books. Believe it or not, they really work! And no, they are not for losers. They are actually encouraging and great help. You have to be open and willing to work on self.
-Try new things. Do things you never thought you would do. Meet new people. Randomly interact and socialize with people you do not know… this gives you confidence to do so and helps you with social skills. Participating in after school activities are a great way!
-LEARN TO LOVE YOUR SELF! Be happy with the individual you are and become comfortable in your own skin.

=]

Evaluate yourself on your own terms–not others expectations.

Please, read the conclusions of psychologists who have studied this, not people who are just shooting the breeze. A psychologist who is very famous for his study of successful people is Maslow.

Hi,

In my experience, I would say the following things are important:

1) Have a support network of some kind – people who will be your cheerleaders. If your parents are out of the question or you don’t have a few good friends to turn to, get a therapist.
2) Next try some new activities you’re interested in. Ideally, something to take you out of your current comfort zone. A sport? A martial art? Painting? Just start small. Growth occurs in baby steps, not leaps and bounds.
3) If you fall down, get back up and try again. An instructor once told me, “fall down twice, get up 3 times”. That advice has served me well.
4) Also, take a sheet of paper and write down all the ways in which your appreciate yourself. Write “I like myself because I’m…(kind, generous, etc.)” and really let that sink in. If you catch yourself thinking negatively of yourself, think about that piece of paper and what’s on it.

And remember, as a little kid gold medalist Michael Phelps was afraid of the water, so the first stroke he mastered was the backstroke. But with the right attitude, training, and support, we’d probably all agree he is someone who has a very high level of self-esteem. But he didn’t start out that way. It was built over time. You can do that too.

Good luck.