Self-Esteem Challenge Day 29: Changing How you Feel About Yourself

Today is Day 29 of the Self-Esteem Challenge, originally from Better than Dark Chocolate. It's a series of questions and prompts to get you thinking about your good qualities and things that make you happy or proud. See my introductory post for more info.

When you don't feel good about yourself, what do you do to change that, if anything?

Sometimes when I'm wallowing in self-pity, I don't make an effort to change the way I feel. But that's just silly. When we're hungry we seek food, when we're tired we seek rest, so when we feel down about ourselves we should seek to cheer ourselves up. Here are some of the ways I can improve how I feel about myself:


1) Ask a friend to tell me some things that they like about me and to help me put any negative issues into perspective.

2) Write down a list of all my strengths and positive aspects.

3) Recite some self-affirming mantras.

4) Look in the mirror, smile widely and pull silly faces.

5) Have a relaxing bath and pamper myself like a goddess.

6) Get dressed up, style my hair and apply some bright make-up to boost my confidence.

7) Read through old texts, emails, cards and letters from people who love me and value me as a person.

8) Take a moment to think about my achievements and how hard I've worked to get to where I am.

9) Flick through photos from when I looked and felt happy and confident eg. my wedding or a summer holiday.

10) Remind myself that everyone feels low at times and it's just a normal part of being human. It's just a mood and moods can change-I can and will feel better tomorrow!

How do you cheer yourself up when you don't feel good about yourself?