Author: Anna Dajero
Self-esteem is the blueprint of your life. The way you engage in every situation and relationship is founded on your opinion of yourself. Many people are plagued by a sense of feeling insignificant, of not deserving happiness and success, and of not measuring up to some perceived standard.
If you have a poor self-image, your experience might be marked with the following:
- Self-doubt
- Being unnecessarily apologetic
- Worrying about disappointing others
- Fear of failure
- Not valuing who you are and what you do
- Finding it hard to trust others or yourself
- Having negative self-talk and attitude
- Poor self-care habits
When you develop a positive self-image, you may:
- Feel more comfortable in social situations
- Be clear on what you want and able to resist peer pressure
- Say “no” to others without feeling guilt
- Know that you have the resources within to competently deal with obstacles and challenges
- Feel a sense of hope and enthusiasm for the future
- Feel confident to stretch beyond your comfort zone and try new things and activities
Sounds great, right? In the spirit of developing a more positive self-image, we’ve put together 15 of the best kept secrets.
- Replace thought distortions with positive self-talk (something you will learn to do throughout the noom program!).
- Maintain a confident, self-assured posture (no slumping please!). Hold your head high, walk with a proud chest, and SMILE.
- Use positive body language (people will positively respond to you, when you seem comfortable in your own skin!).
- Make direct eye contact
- Stand or sit tall
- Don’t fidget
- Keep arms in an open position don’t cross them over your chest or lap
- Speak in a confident voice (not too loud, not too soft, and use inflection so you don’t sound monotone).
- While in a relaxed state, practice visualization and create positive pictures of yourself in your mind.
- Stop comparing yourself to others. No one else is like you, you are unique. And everyone is on their own unique journey.
- Maintain a balanced, rational state of mind. When you notice that you aren’t in a state of balance, do something like taking three long deep breaths to get back to a calm, relaxed state.
- Focus on the goals that you are working towards and celebrate wins, great and small, as you reach them.
- Try a new hobby or activity.
- Adopt better self-care grooming habits. This includes tending to everything from neglected feet and uncared-for hands to bad breath and ignored skin.
- Learn from mistakes and slips rather than berating yourself because of them.
- List out your best qualities and achievements and place the list somewhere you can see it daily.
- Build your wardrobe with clothes that fit and flatter, are in good condition, include vibrant colors that look great on you, and allow you to express your unique personality.
- Live life according to your values and what is most important to you. Don’t let the world seduce you into compromising who you are. Doing so will negatively impact your self-image.
- Practice daily! Self-esteem and confidence are habits that must be practiced daily to adopt and grow.
Sometimes, you have fake it until you make it.
According to Maxwell Maltz, the author of “Psycho Cybernetics,” a classic self-help book, suggested that healthy habits and positive self-image are linked, so that a person who adopts better habits usually experiences better self-image in the process. So, a side of effect of taking care of yourself and making healthier choices is that you may also experience a more positive self-image!
So as you continue on your journey with Noom and develop better habits, you may also develop a more positive perception of yourself, beyond what you see when you look in the mirror.
Ready to take action? Pick 1 of the tips presented here and start practicing them daily. Then, get ready for lift-off, because your self-esteem will skyrocket!
