Nobody’s perfect (all of the time)

I tend to be sceptical of those ‘my typical day’ articles you read online or in lifestyle pieces.

In the Instagram era, almost anyone’s life can be made to look like a highlights reel, and in reality everyone has days that are less inspired or productive than others.

Best not to compare yourself too readily, I’d say, especially if you don’t get the full picture!

Striking a balance

In the modern world of ‘direct feedback’ online, we can also take negative or adverse comments too easily to heart.

The fear of rejection is undoubtedly a useful evolutionary mechanism, but that usefulness probably doesn’t extend to angst about snarky social media comments or daft arguments on chat forums.

Improving self-esteem is important, for if it’s low then this can impact self-image, confidence, outlook…& ultimately, ability to succeed.

Mirroring many other curvilinear models, both low and high levels of self-esteem can be both emotionally & socially harmful, with the optimum level lying somewhere in the middle of that continuum (in other words, it is possible to have too much of a good thing!).

4 ways to improve self-esteem

If your self-esteem is lower than you’d like it to be, it’s worth having a think about what is causing that to be the case.

Habits can be tough to break, but here are some simple steps anyone can take to improve self-esteem:

(i) Mix with the right people – we all know people that can just seem to bring you down – avoiiiid!;

(ii) Focus on positives – skip the negative self-talk: people with a healthy self-esteem tend not to focus too much on their mistakes, instead pursuing growth & improvement;

(iii) Set goals – striving for perfection is clearly doomed to failure, but setting targets, particularly in a field you feel passionate about, can help anyone to feel more positive; and

(iv) Be good to yourself – healthy body, healthy mind! Exercise & simply moving more improves your mood. By my reckoning, this is the single most effective way to change your state.

We all make good & ‘suboptimal’ choices every single day – that’s human nature, so try not to beat yourself up too much.

You’re unique, even the imperfections! Value yourself 😊