The Mayo Clinic defines self-esteem as your “overall opinion of yourself – how you feel about your abilities and limitations.” Healthy self-esteem can look like making confident decisions, avoiding and escaping unhealthy relationships, and expressing your needs assertively.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “although low self-esteem is not categorized as a mental health condition in itself, there are clear links between the way we feel about ourselves and our overall mental and emotional wellbeing.” Having high self-esteem is crucial to living a happier, more fulfilling life. It protects us against depression, helps us weather stress and anxiety more effectively, and is a crucial tool in coping with negative situations.

So how do we foster healthy self-esteem?

Be Aware of Your Thoughts

Pay attention to your thoughts throughout the day. Do you find yourself thinking “I’m so stupid” after making a mistake? Or “I would look better if I were thinner” when choosing an outfit?

Try challenging these negative and inaccurate thoughts. Ask yourself if you really believe these ideas. Ask yourself if you would say these things to a friend in the same scenario. If you wouldn’t say them to someone else, don’t say them to yourself.

Embrace Failure

Failures and rejections will happen but try not to view it as a reflection of yourself. Instead, welcome failure as a part of growth and reflect on what you’ve learned. Healthy self-esteem enables you to realize it’s not the end of the world when something goes wrong. Instead of judging or criticizing yourself when you mess up, respond with care and compassion.

Turn Anxiety into Excitement

During times of anxiety or panic, we’re often told to take a deep breath and calm down, but that can be difficult to do. Anxiety changes our heart rate, breathing rate, and the release of hormones in our bodies. While learning to rebalance those physiological functions is necessary from time to time, deep breathing isn’t always a quick fix.

Instead, try “anxiety reappraisal.” Convince yourself the anxiety you feel is actually excitement. Excitement and anxiety are almost identical physiological states, making it easier to convince ourselves we’re excited than it is to convince our bodies to do the opposite of everything they’re doing. It sounds simple, but anxiety reappraisal has proven to be effective by several studies.

Value Yourself

Identify the positive traits about yourself. Encourage yourself with positive self-talk and affirmations. Make time to care for yourself and do the things you enjoy. Eliminate or limit time spent with people who don’t treat you well. Receive compliments instead of dismissing them or immediately sending them back. Let go of comparisons.

Each of these actions will help you learn the value you bring to the world and the lives of those around you.

Seek Help If Needed

Therapy can help you overcome low self-esteem and work through issues that may be hindering your self-image. In therapy, you can work on strategies to overcome negative thoughts and build a more positive view of yourself. Working with a therapist, counselor, or other mental health professional can be helpful in discovering the cause of low self-esteem and developing tactics to combat it and improve self-talk.

If you are struggling with low self-esteem or want to learn more about self-esteem, check out the workbooks, information sheets, and worksheets available from the Centre for Clinical Interventions. Additionally, you can find a self-esteem support group near you using this search engine from Psychology Today.