No matter who you are, you’re undoubtedly worth something. Whether or not others recognize or acknowledge your value is another story. Some people put themselves down or apologize for their very existence. This is detrimental to their mental health and it needs to stop. To make the most out of your life, it’s essential to know your self-worth, even if that means acknowledging what you deserve and standing up for it.
You may have heard the term “self-worth” frequently, but what does it mean?
What is self-worth?
Self-worth is the value that you attach to yourself. It can be based on your accomplishments, the way you carry yourself, and the things you believe about yourself. It is how you feel about yourself regardless of what others say or think.
The great thing about self-worth is that it’s a choice. You can choose to like yourself today and every day. It’s choosing self-love and self-acceptance whenever you can.
Your value or worth as a person is based on your ability to love and care for yourself. You are here not only to love others, but you are also here to love yourself.
Is it the same with self-esteem?
It’s important to note that while self-worth is not the same as self-esteem, they are closely related. While self-esteem is a measure of one’s feelings of worthiness or value, self-worth is more about an overall sense of the worthiness or value of a person. Low self-esteem can cause low self-worth, but it can also come from other causes.
Why is it essential to have healthy self-worth?
You will have a better chance of living a happy life if you feel good about yourself. A healthy sense of self-worth makes you more confident and able to cope with challenges. You are less likely to worry about what others think of you, and you do not need their approval to feel good about yourself. This translates to having a higher chance of achieving happiness and success in life.
Self-worth affects your mental health and how you interact with others. People who feel good about themselves tend to have positive relationships. When you feel good about yourself, you are more likely to treat others with respect and kindness, and vice versa.
You don’t want to be too high on yourself because it can become arrogance. That is not good. But at the same time, you don’t want to be so low on yourself that it becomes insecurity.
Most of us are guilty of putting ourselves down every once in a while and having a low sense of self-awareness. However, this kind of negative self-talk can become a problem if you find that you’re constantly saying things like “I’m worthless” or “I’m nothing.” If you don’t learn to respect yourself and value your worth, chances are no one else will either.
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Developing your self-worth
Self-worth is a state of mind. You cannot achieve or obtain it from someone else. It’s an internal process that requires self-reflection and self-evaluation.
Self-worth is also a matter of perception. The key to developing healthy self-worth is to create a strong and positive connection with yourself—your values, beliefs, interests, skills, and abilities—while also understanding how your thoughts impact your behaviors and emotions. You need to also practice self-love and self-acceptance wholeheartedly—flaws and all.
Here are some tips to help you get in touch with your self-worth:
Get to know yourself
Practicing self-awareness is a good starting point to have healthier self-worth. The better you understand yourself, the easier it will be to define your strengths, weaknesses, limiting beliefs, values, and goals.
When you know who you are, you can accept who you are. Loving yourself means accepting every part of your being, even the less than perfect parts. It also means recognizing that it’s okay not to be perfect.
Know how you feel about yourself
You can get a good sense of how you feel about yourself by observing your actions and listening to what you say. Do you speak positively about yourself, or do you often make self-deprecating remarks?
Do you take action that is beneficial to your well-being, or do you let yourself be taken advantage of by others? Do you act in ways that promote positive mental health, such as being proactive with stressful situations, or do you avoid the problem and hope it will go away? The answer to these questions will tell you if you love and respect yourself.
Don’t compare yourself with others
You are unique and have much to offer the world around you. Avoid comparing yourself with others because this can undermine your self-worth and lead to depression or anxiety if you feel that others are doing better than you are in life.
You don’t know anyone else’s entire story. Everyone has unique gifts, strengths, and weaknesses. Remember that everyone is on their journey.
Don’t let other people define you
Sometimes, other people will try to make you feel bad about yourself—whether they mean to or not—and you may end up feeling like you’re not good enough. And while it’s important to be able to listen to advice, criticism, and suggestions from other people, don’t let them define your self-worth.
Remember, no matter how many times someone says something negative to or about you, they do not get to define who you are. Only you get to decide that.
Take stock of the positive things in yourself and your life
You may have a tendency to focus on your weaknesses and overlook your strengths. Start by making a list of the things you like about yourself and what you think you’re good at. It could be anything from physical traits to intellectual skills. If you’re having trouble thinking of some, ask a close friend or family member to help out.
You can also try to think about all the things you have that make you happy. You might have a supportive family, a great job, or some fantastic set friends. Focusing on what you have can help you feel more grateful for your life and appreciate all the good things in it.
Read through this positive list every time you doubt yourself. This will help you replace these negative thoughts with a positive perception of yourself.
Be kind to yourself
We’re our own worst critics, but we also can be our greatest cheerleaders if we choose to be. Practice using kind words when you talk about yourself. Being kinder to ourselves also helps in our personal development.
Learn to accept compliments
Many people don’t like to accept compliments because they think they will sound arrogant if they do so. But taking compliments can increase your self-esteem and self-worth. It is only when you believe compliments that you accept them as true, and this belief can help you become more confident in yourself and your abilities.
Be kind to others too
Being kind to others is an easy way of giving back and helps you feel better about yourself. Try doing good deeds for others or volunteering your time. You may not realize it, but this can make you feel happier and more confident.
It’s not something most of us think about, but our level of self-worth is essential for shaping our personality and achieving success in life. People like to feel good about themselves, and you can help them feel that way by telling them what they already know: they are awesome and deserve to be happy. It’s a cliché, but clichés become so because they often have a lot of truth behind them. If you get in the habit of telling people what they already know—that they’re fantastic—then you might have a noticeable positive effect on their self-esteem.
And isn’t that what you want?
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