We all get down on ourselves from time to time. It’s easy to do in between all the societal and family pressures, social media comparisons, and the type of media we are exposed to. The key is to stop it before it becomes an issue. A great way to do that is through small actions that can build up over time to make a big impact on your self-worth.
That is what we will be exploring together today. First let’s delve into what exactly self-worth is and why it’s important.
Breaking Down What Self-Worth Really Means
There is a lot of confusion around what exactly self-worth is. When you also have terms like self-esteem, self-image, and others that tend to get lumped in with self-worth, it can be hard to differentiate them all. There is a previous article I wrote explaining the other terms, for now let’s focus on self-worth.
According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, self-worth is “an individual’s evaluation of themself as a valuable, capable human being deserving of respect and consideration.” It’s basically your internal gauge of where you think you stand in terms of things like love, opportunities, and more.
Self-worth is important because even though it’s an internal gauge, it has the power to affect our outer world. Relationships, work, identity, and more are all affected by how we view our self-worth. If you find yourself struggling with your self-worth, know that you are not alone. The important thing is that we work to raise it.
11 Small Things You Can Do To Increase Self-Worth
The good news is that you don’t need to go on a long winded eat, pray, love journey, or devote a long period of time to increasing your self-worth. Completing small, simple actions are more effective in having a big impact on your self-worth. Here are some that I recommend.
1) Say Affirmations In The Mirror
A great affirmation, said with power and purpose, can change the course of your day if you let it. This is great to do anytime you need a confidence boost, and even better when you make it a daily habit. If you are lost at where to start I recommend checking out the examples of affirmations that our GenTwenty editor Nicole shares.
2) Accept Compliments Without Downplaying Them
This right here is something that I need to work on. I get very awkward when people give me compliments, and my first instinct is to downplay them. Thoughts like “oh they were just being nice” or “they didn’t really mean that” tend to cross my mind.
Having these thoughts is no way to increase self worth. So I am trying to accept compliments exactly for what they are. I hope you join me in doing the same.
3) Focus on Small Wins to Start Making a Big Impact on Your Self-Worth
I think a lot of our low self-worth comes from where we think we should be or what we think we should have accomplished by now. They are almost always these big milestones too, a promotion, marriage, buying a house, etc..
What if we focused on the smaller stuff instead? Let’s be happy that you got up early to complete a workout before work, or you had a great second date. These things deserve celebration too. The more you do it, the better you’ll start feeling.
4) Switch Out Negative Thoughts
Have you read about how powerful the brain is? It truly is remarkable what it’s able to do and how it protects us. Even more amazing is what we can train our brains to do. You can literally train your brain to switch your thinking.
If your default is negative thoughts about yourself and your ability, you can change that. You can make your default positive thoughts instead.
The term is neuroplasticity and it is fascinating to learn about. You can start this retraining by thinking a positive thought for every negative thought that you notice.
5) Look at a Younger Photo of Yourself as Making a Big Impact on Your Self-Worth
Have you heard of the practice of looking at a younger version of yourself and telling them how you feel about yourself as if you are talking to the person in the photo? It truly is a powerful exercise.
You wouldn’t tell the younger you that you are disappointed in what little they have accomplished, or that they aren’t loveable. So why are you telling yourself that? The person in that photo is the same one that is looking back at you in the mirror. When you think in that perspective it changes things.
6) Spend Time with Encouraging People
You are who you spend the most time around. By spending time with people that constantly drag you and themselves down, you will start adapting to their bad habits.
On the flipside, by hanging out with those that spread encouragement and have a positive outlook on life, you’ll start feeling that way as well. You want to increase your self-worth, make sure your people align with that.
7) Do an Unfollow Spree for a Big Impact on Your Self-Worth
Just like your physical life, your digital life can impact your self-worth as well. If you are following people that don’t give you good vibes, or you find yourself comparing your life with theirs, you need to hit the unfollow button.
You don’t need to explain your reasonings for the unfollow, or even bring it up to the person. Just unfollow them and go on about your day. After you do this you’ll notice yourself feeling lighter during your social media time.
8) Wear Something That Makes You Feel Good
Hear me out, your self-worth is not tied to your physical appearance at all. You are just as worthy with sweatpants and your hair up in a bun as you are when you are dressed to the nines.
That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing your favorite outfit or lipstick when you want a confidence boost. Think of it as extra credit. It’s not going to matter if you aren’t doing the real work to increase your self-worth. However, it’s an added bonus on top of the work you do accomplish.
9) Do Things You Enjoy to Make a Big Impact on Your Self-Worth
I truly believe that we are our most authentic selves when we are talking about, or doing things that we enjoy. Spend more time with your hobbies and passions to unlock a higher self-worth. The consistent joy you’ll feel is a great confidence booster, thus also increasing your self-worth.
10) Speak Up About Something
A lot of low self-worth stems from believing that you aren’t enough. Maybe you are in a business meeting and have an idea you want to share, but feel like others have better ideas. Or you could be in a group of friends having a discussion and you feel like your input on the topic won’t matter.
When you are in these situations it’s important that you speak up anyway. It will be scary at first. The more you do it the better you’ll feel though.
11) Lastly, remind yourself…
Lastly, remind yourself that your worth doesn’t come from anyone or anything and it doesn’t have to be earned. You are worthy just as you are in this moment.
Final Thoughts on Making a Big Impact on Your Self-Worth
Next time you are having an off day and need a boost, or maybe you just want to feel a little more confident in yourself, come back to this list. Better yet, pick a few of these actions to practice everyday to keep reminding yourself of how great you are.
About the Author
Kelly graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Journalism. Even though it took her a little while to find her career path, she was always meant to be in Communications. She remembers writing poems and songs when she was a little girl and pitching to my parents the reasons why I should have a cell phone when I was a teenager. She currently has a blog (budding-joy.com) where she talks about her weight-loss journey, mental health and personal development. Her hope is to encourage and inspire readers and let them know they are not alone. Reading blog posts like that are what helped her in tough times and she wants to pay it forward. She loves dance fitness, listening to music, and creating layouts in her bullet journal. She's a big fan of planning, especially when cute notebooks and pens are involved. Her dream job has changed so much over the years; right now she'd love to co-own a dance studio.
Website: budding-joy.com