[A Note from IHC’s Council: “One of the best ways to enhance the self-esteem of the custodial workforce is for them to understand the importance of cleaning as it relates to healthier buildings, employees, and customers; as well as its role in brand impact and our mission to create a better indoor environment” — suggested by Allen Randolph]

By Susyn Reeve and Joan Breiner

To boost your self-esteem you must commit to consistent regular practice.

Self-esteem is based on what you think and how you feel about yourself. It is formed early in life by the messages you internalize from the significant people in your life. Because you believe these messages at a very young age, you often are not aware this programming can be changed. You think, ‘This is just the way I am.’

To boost your self-esteem requires a commitment:

• To wake up to the beliefs and thoughts that reinforce your experience of “I’m not enough” (not worthy enough, not lovable enough, not smart enough, not young enough, not pretty enough, not rich enough, not thin enough, not successful enough, and the list goes on).

• To focus on thoughts that support vibrant healthy self-esteem (I’m worthy, I deserve to be happy, I am successful, I am a mighty expression of love in the world, I am supported, I am confident, I use breakdowns as stepping-stones to breakthroughs, and this list goes on and on).

In our personal lives and our decades of work with tens of thousands of clients, we have learned how to instantly boost self-esteem and we are excited to share our 7 Tips to Instantly Boost Self-esteem with you.

Some things to keep in mind before you put our tips into action:

Reminders

• While we know these tips offer you the opportunity to quickly boost your self-esteem — in order to maintain good feelings about yourself you must commit to a regular practice of thinking the thoughts, saying the words, and taking the actions that support your “I’m enough-ness”. Think of your self-esteem as a muscle — the more you exercise your healthy self-esteem muscle, through your thoughts, feelings, words and actions, the stronger your vibrant self-esteem is!

• When you commit to boosting your self-esteem, it is normal to continue to experience your “I’m not enough” thoughts and feelings. Rather than thinking that this means you will never be able to boost your self-esteem, keep in mind that your low self-esteem programming is coming to the light of your conscious awareness so you can create new brain pathways that reflect healthy self-esteem. So, as soon as you notice you are being judgmental and critical about yourself — acknowledge yourself for noticing and focus on a new thought that supports your personal empowerment.

7 TIPS TO INSTANTLY BOOST YOUR SELF-ESTEEM 

1. EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE — Gratitude is a potent antidote to low self-esteem. When you are feeling grateful you cannot feel “not-okay” about yourself at the same time. You may be thinking that you don’t have anything to be grateful for, and if this is the case, don’t despair. The more you focus your attention on what you are grateful for, the easier it becomes to live life as a “Thank-You”. Start right now by committing to: Make a Gratitude List for the next 30 days. Each day write down 5 things you are grateful for. Of the 5 items include one that you have never before expressed your gratitude for (your toenails, light bulbs, dental floss, spoons, etc … ). Then have at least one of the items on your list be something you are grateful for about yourself (your eyes, your hair, your sense of humor, your computer skills, etc … ). This is an opportunity to engage your creative juices and play with the practice of gratitude.

2. CREATE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT SYMBOL — People with vibrant self-esteem view themselves as people who accomplish things; just as people with low self-esteem fail to acknowledge their accomplishments. An Accomplishment Symbol is something you are already doing that you now consciously acknowledge as an accomplishment. Since 1982, Susyn’s Accomplishment Symbol has been brushing her teeth. “In 1982, I made brushing my teeth my Accomplishment Symbol. Since that time there have been days when I have been seduced by ‘I’m not enough’ thoughts. At these times brushing my teeth felt like a difficult chore. So, I would drag myself into the bathroom, wet my toothbrush, not even add toothpaste and just manage to get the brush to my two front teeth. What I noticed is that since I associated brushing my teeth with an accomplishment that this simple action would be a stepping stone to feeling better about myself.” Choose your Accomplishment Symbol today, and whenever you do it give yourself a pat on the back and declare, “Good for me, I accomplish things!”

3. USE A PLEASURE LIST — A pleasure list is a list of the people, places, things, and activities that generate an experience of pleasure and happiness when you focus your attention on them. Your list may include: a favorite vacation spot, time with a friend, doing a special hobby, your favorite dessert, time with a pet, etc … Once you have written the list, post it in strategic spots where you can see it — the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, and put a copy in your wallet or on the screen saver of your computer/tablet/smartphone. When you are challenged by “I’m not enough-ness” focus your attention on the items on your list. Once you are connected with good feelings about yourself then you are ready to direct your attention to effectively moving through the challenge that is before you (see Create a Pleasure List).

4. USE YOUR FEELINGS AS YOUR GUIDE — Since boosting your self-esteem requires an upgrade of the software of your mind (consciously choosing thoughts that support your positive sense of self), it is necessary to be aware of the thoughts you think. Since we think between 8,000 – 60,000 thoughts a day, this is simply too many thoughts to keep track of. This is where your feelings are your personal guidance system. Thoughts generate feelings, whether or not you are conscious of your thoughts. As soon as you notice that you are feeling victimized by the circumstances of your life, that you are feeling angry, frustrated, alone, depressed, unhappy, hopeless or you are feeling knots in your stomach, sweaty palms, or you are yelling out of control, use this model when you calm down to uncover your thoughts:

When I am feeling_____ [identify your feelings, the emotional name and physical sensations you are experiencing], I am believing______[the thoughts you are thinking]…

Now ask yourself if your thoughts are supporting healthy self-esteem. If not, create a list of new thoughts that nourish good feelings about yourself.

5. TRANSFORM NEGATIVE THOUGHTS — Use the Oops Technique as soon as you notice that you are engaged in self-sabotaging thoughts. As soon as you notice these “I’m not enough thoughts” or judgments, say with great authority, “Oops”, and then have a new thought.

6. START YOUR DAY WITH INSPIRING WORDS — Each day is a new beginning and waking up to words of inspiration is a powerful way to feed your heart and mind as you begin your day. You may have a favorite book of daily messages or reach out to the authors for help in developing one.

Here is a sample Daily Inspiration Message that you can use today:

Daily Inspiration: No Failures

“There are no failures — just experiences and your reactions to them” — Tom Krause

What is your reaction to things that don’t seem to be working out? Remember, when you change your reaction — in thought and behavior — you change your experience.

Today’s Power Statement: “I am empowered when I take responsibility for choosing my reactions to what I used to experience as failure.”

7. HONOR YOUR BODY — Honor your body with the thoughts you think, the feelings you feel, the food you eat and the exercise you do. Taking care of your body is a powerful reflection of your commitment to healthy self-esteem. Eating nutritious meals, moving your body with an exercise walk, going to the gym, turning on some music and dancing in your living room, or meditating to quiet your mind and body combined with feeding yourself empowered thoughts, are a gift you give yourself each day.

About the Authors

Susyn Reeve is an award winning author of, The Wholehearted Life: Big Changes and Greater Happiness Week by Week and along with Joan, The Inspired Life: Unleashing Your Mind’s Capacity for Joy. As a teen she wrote in her journal, “What would the world be like if everyone loved themselves?” This question has guided her work as an Organization Development Consultant (for American Express, Exxon, New York University, etc.)

Joan Breiner, M. Ed. is the co-author of, The Inspired Life – Unleashing your Mind’s Capacity for Joy. She has a master’s in vocational counseling and develops products and services that empower people and organizations. She believes everyone deserves to know that they are special.

For more info, Visit Self-Esteem Experts.