Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself – or the measure at which you appreciate your own worth and importance.

Healthy self-esteem means feeling good about your character. You like who you are, and you take pride in your own abilities, skills, and accomplishments.

When you feel good about yourself, you’re more likely to pursue and reach your goals. You’ll try new things and be confident in your ability to learn new skills

You’ll also believe that other people will like you, too.

The more you believe people might like you, the more you’ll try making new friends. The more you try new things, the more you’ll acquire new experiences and learn new skills.

See the pattern here?

What Shapes Self-Esteem?

Everyone experiences problems with self-esteem at certain times. Especially teenagers trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world.

Your self-esteem is shaped by many factors including:

  • Your environment
  • Your body image
  • Your expectations of yourself
  • Your experiences
  • And much, much more

It’s also important to realize that self-esteem can be changed. It’s not etched in stone.

The best part of all?

The more you work on it, the more it builds on itself.

Your successes nurture it. You take on new goals and projects and feel increasingly competent and proud.

You’ll be stronger through difficult times. You’ll start tackling problems with more confidence and ease.

Healthy self-esteem is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

How To Get Self-Esteem

Set goals and learn how to be forgiving to yourself and others. This will kickstart the process of improving your self-esteem.

You can also:

  • Remember that you’re more than your appearance
  • Try to identify your unique strengths and abilities (and then build on them!)
  • Take care of your body, mind and spirit
  • Avoid self-critical thoughts – and counter them with positive ones!
  • Set realistic goals – and then create a plan and stick to it
  • Be generous with others – volunteer and make a difference
  • Build a support system of people who want to see you succeed

Strive to understand yourself and your emotions. Respect who you are and who you’re becoming. Be kind to yourself and take pride in what it’s taken for you to get here.

Each time you look at yourself as someone with value, you build a stronger foundation for success. You become more confident, more capable, and more likely to reach your goals.

Self-esteem isn’t only about how you feel about yourself…

… it’s about how you believe in yourself.

And when you believe in yourself, that’s when all the magic happens.

We believe in you, do you?