Ways of Improving Self-esteemBy Hamid Fatimah Omotayo

It baffles me that people think less of themselves. Mayhap you belong in this category? Regardless, I implore you to read this piece as it holds the potential to improve your self-esteem.

Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves or the opinions we have about ourselves. It also is how we value ourselves and our perceptions about who we are and what we can do and become. How much self-esteem one has is often a result of life experiences, failure, and calamities.

Although everyone sees times when they feel down and less, finding it hard to believe in themselves, people with high self-esteem generally feel positive about themselves, about life, and things around them. Their view of living as an activity and problems as transient make them more resilient in the face of adversity.

However, people with poor/low self-esteem find it difficult to rise to obstacles and life challenges or even overcome them. This phenomenon can lead to them evanescing during difficult situations, and it depletes their self-esteem even further because they feel less of themselves.

People tend to develop low esteem from recurrent inability to live up to expectations and sometimes because of adulthood experiences such as difficulty in a relationship, at home, place of work, and other social settings.

I might not have figured out the whole self-esteem talk, but imbibing the pieces of advice below can help to improve your self-esteem:

Have the belief in yourself that you can do anything and stay away from negative thoughts about yourself.

Recognising and discovering yourself and identifying your strengths and weaknesses help in improving self-esteem. Challenge your negative thoughts about yourself.

Build positive relationships and avoid surrounding yourself with negative-minded people. Mind the circle you move it, move with people who believe in themselves and you too.

Avoid whining about your flaws to others. Such action can substantiate your negative thought about yourself and give people negative notions about you.

Take on challenges bravely and be prepared to go after anything, including stuff you think is herculean for you to achieve.I believe that upon embracing the practices I highlighted, you will be able to boost your self-esteem.

Hamid Fatimah Omotayo is a 200level student of Education and Biology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. She is also the Financial Secretary of Pen Press UDUS.