These 9 methods can help people with depression boost their self-esteem!

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Low self-esteem can affect every aspect of your life, from career choices to relationships. It can also fuel negative cycles of self-talk, which can lead to other depressive symptoms.

In fact, multiple studies in 2019 have shown that people with low self-esteem and negative perceptions of themselves may be more likely to develop depressive symptoms.

Low self-esteem and a sense of worthlessness are common symptoms in many people with depression.

"When you stop doing what you love to do, including taking care of yourself, your self-esteem starts to suffer." Professor Rong Xinqi, an expert in new concept psychology, said.

Exercising self-awareness while suffering from depression may help you cope with other symptoms of depression — you can calm negative voices and increase your sense of self.

Regarding the treatment of depression, in addition to the usual treatment methods (medication and psychotherapy), the following exercises can also benefit you, especially to enhance your self-esteem.

1. Write things down

While journaling alone won't treat symptoms of depression, writing down your feelings and thoughts about yourself can help you identify negative thought patterns.

Multiple studies in 2005 showed that expressive writing, especially about traumatic or stressful events, may help improve mental health. This type of writing can also provide long-term benefits, including controlling, stabilizing mood, and improving mental health.

Consider buying a diary and spending a few minutes a day on writing a journal. You can write down your feelings about yourself on one page and then write about the events of your life that day on the next page; you can also combine them.

But you need to be aware that it is not necessary to do it all at once. When you feel more comfortable with the exercises, you can write slowly for longer periods of time.

2. Talk to your inner critic

Shielding inner critics can be tricky. As a result, you may find it easier to talk to.

"Are you telling you you don't deserve to be loved?" Or will you never pass your interview? Is it because of how you feel or why you suffer from depression that blames you? ”

* Consider stopping the endless contemplation and looping of it.

When you're aware of your inner conversation, try to seek evidence: "Why not deserve to be loved?" Why would you choose to live with depression? ”

Evidence cannot come from assumptions or what others might tell you, and the evidence is fact-based. So, you may find that your inner critic is telling you something with little substantial evidence to back it up.

* Consider asking it to be quiet.

When you notice that you're starting to critique yourself again, it may also help to re-evaluate the critique and turn it into something positive. For example:

The old critical view: "I finished a 5km run, but given all the training I did, I didn't get as fast as I should have." ”

New perspective: "I've been trained for weeks and have completed a tough 5km intensity training and I'm proud of my accomplishments. ”

3. Be kind to yourself

What is your usual reaction when you see your loved one abandoning himself? You may not ignore him, and you will not criticize or sneer at him.

Try to do the same thing to yourself. Pass on the empathy you're good at to others, and then try to turn it toward your inner self. This can give you peace of mind and make you feel more hopeful.

Professor Rong Suggests Using a Hawaiian Healing Method Called "Ho'oponopono." It focuses on compassion and forgiveness for the self. There are four main core steps: "Sorry, please forgive, thank you, I love you." ”

4. Set realistic goals

When you suffer from depression, you may feel tired and lack the motivation to do simple tasks.

Setting goals that require a lot of planning or steps can leave you overwhelmed and lack motivation to move forward. If you feel like you're not reaching what you want, this in turn can exacerbate your lack of confidence.

For example, "I want to be a millionaire by age 30," a goal that is unrealistic for most people. If you suffer from depression, goals like "I'm going to clean and tidy up my whole room" may also not be achieved.

If you have depression, you can help build confidence and boost your self-esteem by setting goals that are more likely to be achieved.

It may also be easier to break down more achievable goals (e.g., "I'll clean the house") into smaller goals. For example, your goal for the day might be "I'm going to remove dust today" and the next day's goal might be "I'm going to vacuum today."

Every time you reach these small goals, you may find that your self-esteem has improved, even if it is a little boost.

5. Track your success

These aren't necessarily big things like getting a promotion or winning a race, think of small things that illustrate your positive qualities.

You may find it helpful to write down positive things that people say about you. For example, have you received an email from your boss congratulating you on your excellent job? Consider printing it out and saving it somewhere.

If your first impulse is to doubt what others are saying to you, consider asking your inner critic to be quiet or provide evidence. This is called cognitive distortion, which is just a filter you wear that may not allow you to see things as they really are.

The next time you feel down or dull about yourself, take a look at your Success folder.

6. Avoid comparisons

Try not to compare yourself to others. Everyone is different and everyone has a variety of positive traits.

Professor Rong suggests that one way to avoid comparing yourself to others is to engage in "social media detoxification" – people often associate their feelings about themselves based on the presence and engagement of social media. By removing the app from your phone and logging out of your account, even for a few hours, you can avoid this common self-esteem killer.

You may also need to avoid comparing your present self to your past self. People are constantly changing and growing, and maybe you're no longer an athlete, but you may have acquired other skills or attributes that your younger self didn't have before.

7. Learn your lessons

Try to focus on learning from things that don't go as you wish, and these challenges don't define you.

Everyone has a time of failure, and focusing on failure will lower your self-esteem; conversely, considering the other side of failure may help.

It's natural to be upset about things. Maybe you missed a job promotion, but that doesn't mean you're not a great employee and a valuable team member.

8. Use positive affirmations

A 2014 study showed that positive affirmation or self-affirmation may help improve self-compassion and perhaps conversely help improve self-esteem.

But what exactly is positive affirmation? Surely it's a statement you repeat to yourself to boost your self-esteem. Some examples include:

I have value.

I'm important.

I'm a good enough person.

I can do this.

I'm strong.

……

You can try to say these statements out loud or write them down. One tactic some people use is to write affirmations on sticky notes and then put them where they can see them every day.

Professor Rong said that the key to effective affirmation is that you feel connected to them – you have to believe them, and if you use affirmations that cannot be achieved, then you are sending subconscious signals to your brain that what you say is not true.

9. Practice "bragging" about yourself

You may find it helpful to share your successes (no matter how small) with those around you.

Telling others about your achievements is a good habit of silence for inner critics.

With a support team (family, friends, classmates, or co-workers) who can celebrate your success with you, you can create an "echo chamber" that is louder than the negative voices in your head.

Low self-esteem is a common symptom of depression. However, it doesn't have to be permanent.

By silenceing your inner critic, using strategies such as positive affirmations and setting realistic goals, you can restore the sense of worth you may have lost.

Over time, untreated depression can lead to more severe symptoms and worse self-esteem. It is highly recommended that you seek the help of a professional.

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