Healthy self-esteem

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” – a famous quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

To have a healthy self-esteem is to understand yourself and appreciate your uniqueness. We are all different. Those differences make us who we are. We need to develop a good relationship with ourselves to know what we want in life. This means connecting with our own needs, values, and beliefs.

Ask yourself this question: do my choices reflect my feelings?

Intuition plays a big part in building self-esteem. Have you ever heard the expression ‘what does your gut feeling tell you to do?’ Intuition is not easily explained with words. It uses instincts to seek truth instead of conscious reasoning. In other words, it allows you to make a decision based on your true feelings. Understanding and acting accordingly with your emotions is crucial to feeling good about yourself.

Inner dialogue is the conversation we have with our minds. It is a way for us to understand ourselves, the world around us, and to tune in with our feelings. For example: Why am I feeling this way? What am I reacting to? How do I want to feel? Why is this important to me? Should it be important to me?

Positive self-talk is vital to our confidence. Keep telling yourself kind and healing words. By doing so you are focusing on the qualities you need to succeed. Think of everything you achieved so far and realise that it is you who did it. Find gratitude.

Once we understand our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and opinions we need to express them in an honest and appropriate way. Without fear. Assertiveness is a way to communicate effectively. It is to stand up for what we believe in and at the same time respect opinions and beliefs of others. Expressing how we feel results in others understanding us better which leads to more effective communication.

Assertiveness is associated with higher self-esteem because we acknowledge and address our emotions. An assertive person accepts and values themselves. To be assertive is to be open and honest. It is to be kind and respectful of others. To be polite when others express opinions that are different from ours.

Stay focused on your goals. Make a plan of action. Think of what you need to do each day to contribute to where you want to be. Having structure every day and moving in the right direction to achieve our goals gives us confidence. The feeling of being in control.

Be courageous. Being a student is the time to make decisions that will benefit us in the future. Get to know yourself on this beautiful journey. It will make you choose the right path to pursue your dreams.

Dream big. Believe in yourself. Don’t bring yourself down. Follow your heart.