High self-esteem is an important part of bullying prevention. Now that you know it is possible to change your low-self esteem, you need to overcome and change your negative thoughts. In order to do this, it is also necessary for you to change your negative behavior patterns, or your current habits, that you have in your life. Some of these habits may include things like:
- viewing the world as a hostile place
- making poor choices in friends/activities
- always viewing yourself as a victim
- avoiding risk-taking
- feeling anxious in new situations
- being reluctant to speak your mind
- comparing yourself to others
Changing these negative behavior patterns or habits into new, more positive habits will help you build a solid foundation of self-esteem. This foundation will allow you to face stressful situations without falling into destructive cycles of negativity. It will also help you improve the way you look at yourself, your life and the world in general. In this post, we will look at the following topics to learn more about changing your behavior patterns to improve your self-esteem.
- Replace Bad Behavior with Healthy Habits
- Be Kind to Others
- Make Personal Hygiene a Priority
- Eat Healthy and Exercise
- Make Time to Do Something You Enjoy Every Day
Replace Bad Behavior with Healthy Habits
It is most important for you to recognize whether or not your first instinct is a bad behavior. Only after you recognize that you are engaging in bad behavior will it be possible to change and replace this behavior with more a positive, healthy habit. Here are some examples of common bad behaviors:
- being quick to anger or blame
- avoiding responsibility
- desiring to be a perfectionist
- making excuses for your shortcomings
- having a tendency toward the use of alcohol and drugs
A necessary part of replacing bad behavior in stressful situations is to accept both yourself and the setbacks you face. You will need to recognize that what you may think of as “failure” is actually okay. In fact, it is a normal part of life. In addition to accepting yourself and your setbacks, here are more healthy habits that you may practice to replace your bad behavior:
- Relax. The most important thing is to take care of yourself. Relaxing and taking care of yourself will help make you better able to handle stressful situations when they come.
- Realize you are in control. You, and only you, are in charge of your feelings. No matter what happens, you get to decide how you feel and how you react to external situations. You may not be able to change the situation, but you can choose how you react to it.
- Look at the big picture. Ask yourself how important the situation actually is and if it will matter in the long run.
- Be grateful. It is likely that the situation you face is not the end of the world. Understand this and look around at all of the things for which you can be thankful in your life.
Be Kind to Others
This may be a surprising part of increasing your self-esteem, but your level of self-esteem actually involves how you treat others. You may be asking how this makes sense. Think about it: When you are kinder to others, you tend to treat and think of yourself in a kinder way, too. Remember that kindness is a habit. Behaving nicely toward others will make you more aware of other people’s feelings and will make you a more sensitive, kinder person. Some examples of things you can do for others include striking up a conversation with a co-worker, visiting a sick friend or relative, or simply holding a door open for the person behind you. If you go out of your way to be kind to others, you will be more likely to be kind to yourself.
Make Personal Hygiene a Priority
You may be asking yourself, “What does personal hygiene have to do with self-esteem?” Although you may have never considered the importance of personal hygiene in regard to your self-esteem, know that it does play an important role in how you view yourself. A good rule of thumb about personal hygiene is that you should try to look your best so that you like the way you look. Paying special attention to your personal hygiene involves bathing regularly, styling your hair, trimming your nails and flossing your teeth. You should also present yourself well in the way that you dress. Dress in clothes that make you feel confident and good about yourself. When you do this, it will give you an extra boost of self-confidence.
Eat Healthy and Exercise
Another way to replace bad behavior with more positive, healthy habits is to take care of your physical health. This involves two main parts: eating healthy and exercising. Eating good food as a part of a healthy, balanced diet will give you more energy and improve your mood. Exercising regularly will also help you feel better about yourself. Exercise has many benefits, including helping you to look good, feel strong, and have a more positive attitude. In addition to eating well and exercising, you should make sure that you are getting enough sleep and managing your stress level.
Make Time to Do Something You Enjoy Every Day
It is important for you to do things that you enjoy doing. Doing at least one thing that you enjoy every day and reminding yourself that you deserve to do so is an important part of valuing yourself. By making time to do things you enjoy, you tell yourself that you, as well as your interests, hobbies and feelings, matter.
