How to Improve Self-esteem and beat Depression, Anxiety.

 

How to improve self-esteem and beat depression, anxiety.

How to Improve Self-esteem and beat Depression, Anxiety.

As rightly stated by Actor and Screenwriter Bobby Sommer, “Having a low opinion of yourself is not modesty. It is self-destruction”. In life, there are quite often very thin boundaries between two completely opposite things, that we end up confusing them. Many people think low of themselves believing that they are being humble and modest. But, ultimately, in this run, they get so engrossed in being modest that they lose their sense of self-worth.

In this article, ‘How to improve self-esteem and beat depression, anxiety' we discuss the link between depression and self-esteem also examining several other topics like why some people are more vulnerable to suffer from low self-esteem, and finally, look into ways to improve self-esteem and beat depression, anxiety.

Self-esteem, depression, and anxiety

When we talk about self-esteem, it is quite significant to discuss depression and anxiety too. They all go hand in hand. Bad things in life never come alone. They bring friends.

There is a high correlation between depression and self-esteem. If you suffer from depression you might also suffer from low self-esteem issues and vice-versa. In a self-assessment study, 129 people were assessed to examine the relationship between depression and self-esteem issues. It was found that the link between both is quite strong. For the group as a whole, the correlation between self-esteem and depression was 55. It was 56 for women and 53 for men.

Why do we suffer from low self-esteem?

Why is it that some people are more vulnerable to suffer from such disorders than others? There could be infinite reasons. Let us take a look.

Failure or Tragedy

Failing in an assignment or an exam, failing to reach your goals, losing someone you loved, an unexpected accident, a divorce, etc. can make you feel low. Failures and tragedies trigger depression and low self-esteem issues.

Inheritance

Sometimes things happen without your interference with you being totally unaware. If you've had a family member or a parent who suffered from a similar kind of disorder, then the chances of you falling a victim to the same, are unfortunately high. It usually happens due to genetic mutation.

Expectation gap

We often rely upon external circumstances, to stay content and happy from within. Our expectations from people and situations, sometimes soar so high that when we realize that our expectations are not lived up to, we fall from the same height where once our expectations were. 

Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters play a vital role in balancing our day-to-day activities. One of them, serotonin, is the happy mood booster. Fluctuations in serotonin levels trigger self-esteem issues.

Body shaming and body dissatisfaction

We live in a world that glorifies the concept of ‘external’ or ‘physical beauty’ and that is the reason why innumerous people suffer from low self-esteem. Every day someone is being trolled for their looks, height, complexion, weight, etc. And that is fickle-mindedness. It was found that body dissatisfaction is one of the major factors for depressive mood and low self-esteem especially in adolescents.

Bullying

Nothing affects your self-esteem worse than being bullied. It happens every day and everywhere. Basically, bullying another person means harming and humiliating them either physically or mentally in ways that can hurt their (victim’s) self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth. When we are discussing bullying, it would perhaps be necessary to mention ‘cyber bullying’. According to Science direct, cyber-bullying victimization contributes to the prediction of low self-esteem and psychological distress.

Association between self-esteem and depression

As stated prior, there is a strong correlation between occurrence of depression and low self-esteem. Either one can trigger the other.

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Living with low self-esteem

Could you possibly live if you're not loved by anybody? Maybe, you could. Could you live, if you're not loved by your own self? How would you feel if that voice within you, keeps criticizing, tormenting, questioning, torturing, and troubling you over and over again?

You feel your heart tell you that something’s been going awfully wrong. You can feel the pain stabbing right through your chest and. You may not be able to mingle freely with others. You lose your confidence, hope, joy, motivation, and emotional strength. You literally become a loser. Nightmares keep haunting you. You feel unloved and weak.

Before we get into our core topic, ‘how to improve your self-esteem and beat depression, anxiety’ let us take a look at some facts. According to American Psychological Association, people with low self-esteem are less motivated than normal people when it came to working on goals, focusing on the future, and being happy. They are disappointed with life.

Low self-esteem is also associated with health-compromising behavior in adolescents. According to a study conducted on young adolescents of Newzealand, it was demonstrated that suicidal ideation, eating problems or disorders, and multiple health-compromising behaviors were linked to low self-esteem.

How to improve your self-esteem and beat depression, anxiety

Where there is will, there is always a way. Here, we offer 8 highly beneficial and incredibly effective ways that help you improve your self-esteem and beat depression, anxiety.

1. Deviation

We often associate our memories with people, places, and things. 

So, these people, places, and things keep acting as constant reminders of the bad things that have happened to us. And unfortunately, if you spend your time around them, it would make you more fragile and weak. Deviate from those thoughts and memories by shifting to something new. This doesn't mean you are running away. You are just trying to make things even. And there's nothing wrong with it, as long as you are trying to get yourself better.

2. Express yourself

Often when we are depressed or disappointed, we keep things to ourselves. We suppress our emotions. We suppress pain, anger, restlessness, desperation, etc.

Never do that. Because it paves the path to major depression and suicidal tendencies. Express your feelings to your family or stalwarts.

If you can't do that, write it down in a journal or diary. If you have any other forms of expressing yourself like painting, dance, or music, do it.

But, never suppress your emotions.

(RELATED: Psychology of Bullying: How to deal with bullies?)

3. Stop chasing after people

 When someone we love too much deserts us, it makes us question ourselves. It makes us question our existence. It makes us think that we aren’t good enough, or not lovable enough.

Stop chasing after unworthy people. They aren’t just fortunate enough to deserve you. Instead of lamenting over the ones that left you, rejoice over the company of those around you. Make friends with people who think like you, talk like you, have similar goals, and share similar values.

 If God wants you to be with someone, none can separate you. If God doesn’t want someone in your life, for whatsoever reason, he removes them from your life. In either ways He does you good. Trust God’s timing. Everything you deserve will be yours. Just be calm and poised. Patience is a virtue. Remember that the best is yet to come.

4. Be Yourself

No matter how good and sweet you are to others, people will always form opinions on you. They are so cowardly that they do this stuff behind your back. They are not even daring enough to do that right in front of you.

You are a creation of God and that is why you are a masterpiece. And you are unique. Your uniqueness is what makes you beautiful. You might have some flaws. We all do. It doesn’t matter. For, flaws are beautiful. Embrace them. Love yourself so much that nobody can hurt you. Be so sure of yourself that nobody ever dares to put forth their opinion of you.

As rightly stated by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “To be yourself, in a world that is constantly trying to make you someone else is the greatest accomplishment”.

5. Don't use magnifying lens.

There's an African proverb that says, that the problem is not with the problem but it's about your thoughts regarding the problem.

We often use a magnifying lens while dealing with the simplest of troubles. Even an ice cube appears like Mount Everest. The deadliest battle is the one you fight to be born when you were in your mother's womb. If you survived such grave combat, you can survive almost anything. But only if you throw away those stupid magnifying lenses.

6. Bring a change

Do something that you haven't done before. Introduce something new to yourself. Make yourself busy. Interact and make friends with new people and places. And write five things that you admire about yourself. And look at them regularly. When you look into the mirror, be generous enough to flash yourself a sweet smile. Give yourself some love and affection that you give away to others so easily.

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7. Optimism

I strongly believe that in this creation, nothing happens without a reason. Your birth and your life too must mean something even if you don't know about it. Surround yourself with as many positive things as you can. Listen to some music. Read inspiring books. Try out a new hobby. Most importantly, stay away from alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. They make things worse. If possible try yoga and meditation.

Don’t let yourself be defined by anyone. Stop caring about others' opinions. Stop seeking others’ approval.

Einstein is attributed to quoting, “Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. Don’t be that fish. You better not. Recognize your true value and surround yourself with the people that complement you.

8. Remember why you started 

Identify the thing that's holding you back. Try to make it right. Believe in yourself. Love yourself minding no comments. Some people will bark. For, they can't do anything else except that. They'll try to put you down. They won't let you live happily. How to deal with them?

Smile. As often as you can. Because that's what hurts them the most. Welcome laughter into your life. Like Chaplin said, " A day without laughter is a day wasted".

Never let the thought of killing yourself strike you. It takes courage to take your own life. It takes just a little more than that, to live, face, and fight. Remember nobody's life is perfect. We all have our own travails. 

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Concluding: ‘How to improve self-esteem and beat depression, anxiety’

Fight. Like a warrior. Rise. Like a phoenix. You will be remembered as a symbol of triumph over adversity. Leave behind your mark.

Never give up. This life is a gift. A very precious one. Value it. Of course, not everyone is good. But, not everyone is bad either. Hope is our strongest ammunition. And remember that the best is yet to come.

If you think that one of your loved ones is suffering from a mental disorder, deal with them patiently with love and care. Be gentle and kind towards them. Don't let them be alone for long. Do not outburst at them. If you think their condition is out of control, it's better to take them to a psychiatrist.

Most importantly, it would be better if parents and children have healthy communication. Of course, we lead busy lives. But what's the point in spending such a life, when you can't even take time for your family.

I hope my article, ‘How to improve self-esteem and beat depression, anxiety’ is of assistance. Subscribe to my newsletter to get all updates delivered straight into your inbox.