Friday, April 25, 2008

Tips For Building Womens Self Esteem

By Penny Dablin

Women's self-esteem has always been much lower than men's self-esteem. This comes from our childhood where little boys are encouraged to take risks, be strong and be leaders. Little girls, on the other hand, are encouraged to be pretty and quiet and polite to visitors. Is it any wonder that many women suffer from feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem?

So what can be done about women's self esteem? Here are three easy actions you can take to increase your self esteem today.

1. Accept yourself as you are and release any feeling you have that you should be different.

This might sound perverse but the truth is what we resist, persists. If you wish you were different and that you had higher levels of self-esteem you will get in your own way and perpetuate the problem. Start by accepting that you are who you are. Release any need to be different.

The amazing thing is that once you stop resisting you allow room for you to change.

2. Love yourself without reservation.

Look in the mirror, look deeply into your own eyes and talk to yourself as you might talk to a beloved partner. Really make contact with the you behind your reflection and say things like: "I love you", "I appreciate you", "I approve of you", "You are wonderful", "You are strong", "You are courageous". Hold your gaze and really project your love and acceptance to your reflection. Start to believe the wonderful things you are saying to yourself.

3. Focus outside yourself.

Help someone else who is less fortunate than you. Volunteer at a local charity, hospital or children's group.

You could perhaps teach basic life skills to young adults who are on probation or in prison - often it's a lack of these basic skills that has led them to a life of crime.

Or you could help with reading and writing skills at your local school or with learning disabled adults.

There are literally hundreds of options to help someone else. Each one will turn your focus outwards away from yourself and toward someone less able than you. This will pull you out of the downward spiral of depression that tends to feed off low self esteem and help you increase your own level of self esteem.

If you take action with these three ideas you will find yourself with raised self esteem. You will start to feel better about yourself and more able to cope with life without getting depressed.
Penny Dablin is a life coach and the author of How To Feel Great, Find Love and Get Promoted: 50 Ways To Boost Your Self-Esteem

For many more tips and techniques for building women's self esteem and a free sneak preview of the book go to http://www.50waystoboostyourselfesteem.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Penny_Dablin

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Optimism in Building Self Esteem

By Lily Woods

Did it feel like you have tried being a better person but had exhausted all possible options? Here are some thoughts to make it through the week even if you're just sitting in your working desk waiting for time to pass. An idea takes time to form in your head and is always at work while you are busy sitting. If you've placed second in a writing contest, will you jump for joy and push for better results the next time or will you be discouraged and find an excuse not to join again? It's easy to determine if you are a common optimist or a pessimist.

Optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to academic, athletic, military, occupational and political success; to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma. With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different light. Having a bit of positive thinking can help you realize things that are never thought possible.

Optimists tend to focus on and plan for the 'problem' at hand. You must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to the problem. Such people are unfazed by bad situation, they perceive it is a challenge and try harder. Thinking big is indeed the American Way and that what made our country prosperous.

People respond positively to optimists. Commit to yourself as well as those you love to create powerfully a life you can love. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.

Optimists are healthier and live longer than pessimists. Keep humor at the forefront of thought, laughing at and with yourself when possible. Medical research has justified that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's ability to fight disease.

Choose the person you want to become today. Why not look forward to success in all your endeavors? Why not be resilient? And just when you are enjoying the whole process of unlocking your optimism power, you'll realize that you're beginning to take things light and become happy.
Having low self esteem? Read more simply yet motivating methods at http://BetterSelfEsteem.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Quick Tips for Curing Low Self Esteem

By Jessica Bogosian

Your self confidence and self esteem come from within yourself, others and from your achievements. Low Self Esteem feeds on negative thoughts and negative comments others may make. This can cause you to lose confidence so it's important to stop those negative thoughts if you want to build your self esteem.You need confidence to build relationships, be a parent, go to work, take up new challenges, improve yourself, be open to change and learn life skills. Self confidence goes hand in hand with self esteem because you need both in order to face the challenges of life. Raising your self confidence will improve your life as well as the lives around you. Self Esteem is the key to your happiness and overall well being. Here are a few tips to help you boost both your esteem and confidence.

PLEASE YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS: I know for many of you this may sound foreign because it certainly was against my everyday way of thinking but when you have low self esteem you're an exception to this rule. You need to put yourself first. Remember that your needs are just as important as someone else's. Start making a list of your wants and desires. Put it on paper so you can see them daily.

BE YOURSELF: Don't try to be like someone else. You are unique. There is no one in this world like you. Comparing yourself to others feeds negatively into your self esteem because often times you will look at someone else and you think they are better than you which causes you to feel worse about yourself. Make a list of your good qualities and when you're feeling down take a look at that list.

DON'T TAKE LIFE AND YOU SO SERIOUSLY: Give yourself a break. Everyone falls. Everyone fails. Failure simply means that you haven't succeeded YET! Without failure, you would not appreciate the successes. Failing is a sign that you are growing and learning so the more failures you experience, the stronger you will become as a person and consequently your self confidence and self esteem will continue to grow.

FOCUS ON YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS: You deserve to live the life you desire and there is nothing selfish about that. As you learn to pay attention to yourself and your desires, your self worth and confidence naturally boosts.

CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES: Reward yourself when you accomplish goals and succeed. Make a list of your achievements and continue to focus on the positive.

ELIMINATE THE CONSTANT NEED FOR APPROVAL FROM OTHERS:You must stop depending on others to make you feel good. Take time to reflect on "who you are" and make a list of your good qualities. You must see value in yourself first before others will.

GET SERIOUSLY RELAXED: Stop thinking and relax. Some people do this by occupying their mind or exercising. Hypnosis and meditation are really great relaxation techniques. : Treat yourself with the same respect that you would treat others. You wouldn't tell a friend that she is awful or not good at something so why would you do it to you? Get into the habit of treating yourself nicely and over time you will believe it.

TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF: Plan to have some fun for yourself whether it's your favorite hobby or enjoying a movie. Make sure you set time aside for YOU even if it's paying attention to what you eat each day or catching up on sleep.

Self Confidence and Self Esteem will build as you learn how to navigate through uncomfortable circumstances and day to day events. Once you realize that you hold the power and control over your own life and thoughts and with the right skills, you can get through any life experience. Since your self esteem affects pretty much every facet of life, having a healthy realistic view of yourself is very important. You deserve to like and respect yourself and be happy and comfortable with who you are.

Jessica J. Bogosian
http://www.HomeBasedBenefitsBiz.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Bogosian

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Self-esteem Has a Big Impact on How We Enjoy Life

By Andrea Baljak

Your self-esteem is like a star at night that shines brightest when it is the darkest. It is your inner light that burns brightly and freely no matter what is happening around you. A Zen saying reminds us: "What was your original face before you were born?"

Self-esteem is perfectly intact when we are born, in fact, it is inherent to us; however, it often diminishes over the course of our childhood. We lose a little of it whenever we fail, make mistakes, misbehave, feel guilty, refuse to forgive, neglect ourselves, and/or do things we are ashamed of. As an adult, we sometimes feel as if our "self" is in pieces--- that we are somehow not whole and complete.

This is not true. We are whole and complete even with our missing pieces and broken parts. We just need to decide to gather up ourselves up and become whole again. I am willing to bet that when you look back over your life, the first thing that comes to mind are the regrets, the sad times in your past.

Do you see the pieces of yourself lying along the path of your life? The ones where you didn't feel good enough, or where you were criticized or blamed by someone else? But have you ever stopped to look at the memories of when you won the prize, felt really great, on top of the world----those moments that prove what a wonderfully amazing human being you are?

It is your birthright to love and honor yourself. The good news is that you can reclaim that which is yours. That is your self-esteem.

There is absolutely no reason at all why people should "suffer" from low self esteem. Your self esteem is something over which you have absolute and immediate control. Think of self esteem as a muscle; it never stays the same for any period of time.

Like any muscle it either weakens or gets stronger. Self esteem improvement is like exercising a muscle. It relies on small incremental improvement on a daily basis. You won't run out to the gym and have perfect muscles for life in an hour. Consistent self-esteem improvement is the only way to lasting success and an increase in the quality of your life everyday you live it.

Your self-esteem contributes to your vitality, energy level, persistence, and personal magnetism. Self-esteem is about what is on the inside, a belief in yourself and your abilities. Positive esteem focuses on acceptance of self and others. It remains constant despite the storm. This fosters cooperation and wholeness.

Building self-esteem will eventually lead to self improvement if we start to become responsible for who we are, what we have and what we do. It's like a flame that should gradually spread like a brush fire from inside and out. When we develop self esteem, we take control of our mission, values and discipline. Self esteem brings about self improvement, true assessment, and determination.

Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment.
A positive way of living will help you build self esteem, your starter guide to self improvement. It is never too late to build your self-esteem. You can start RIGHT NOW! Self-esteem has a big impact on how we enjoy life. Respect others, yourself, and life in general. Practice the techniques we have given you every single day. Watch them work wonders in your life.

Become the person you can be and treat yourself well. You deserve it!

We are growing! Visit the best place in the Universe of Internet where you'll find everything about Self-Improvement! And more... Much more... And read more about the "How to Build Your Self-Esteem" at:

http://www.fightyourfears.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_Baljak

Self-Esteem and Stress-Anxiety

By David Jones

How people feel about themselves and others and their perceptions of the stressors in their lives are part of the psychology of stress. Ability to cope with stress often hinges on impressions of how detrimental a stressor is and how adequately resources can deal with the situation. How much stress people feel themselves experiencing is closely associated with their own sense of self-esteem. Self-esteem includes beliefs and attitudes about changes, personal talent, skills, and the ability to deal with the changes and challenges that inevitably occur in life. It is also the basis of self-efficacy and the locus of control. The most influential factor in determining response to stress may be people's own perceptions of themselves.

Physiological Responses to Stress

Stress abounds in life and can be experienced as the result of happy and unhappy events. Regardless of the stressor, each time a stressful event occurs, a series of neurological and hormonal messages are sent throughout the body.

The nervous system serves as a reciprocal network that sends messages between the awareness centers of the brain and the organs and muscles of the body. Part of this system is referred to as the limbic system. The limbic system contains centers for emotions, memory, learning relay, and hormone production and includes the pituitary gland, thalamus, and hypothalamus.

When a stressor is encountered, the body sends a message to the brain via the nervous system. The brain then synthesizes the message and determines whether it is valid or not. If a message is not verified by the brain as being threatening, the limbic system overrides the initial response and the body continues to function normally. If the initial response is translated as accurate (a stressor), the body responds with some emotion (fear, joy, terror) and the hypothalamus begins to act.

The hypothalamus sends a hormonal message to the pituitary gland, which then releases a hormone (ACTH) that helps signal other glands in the endocrine system to secrete additional hormones, providing fuel to respond with the fight-or-flight reaction.

Systolic blood pressure may rise 15 to 20 mmHg while fluid is retained. The adrenal cortex increases blood pressure to facilitate transportation of food and oxygen to active parts of the body. Blood volume is increased.

The hypothalamus also sends a message to release the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which initiate a variety of physiological changes. These changes include increased heart rate, increased metabolic rate, increased oxygen consumption, and the release of hormones called endorphins, which decrease sensations of pain.

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for a second major set of physiological responses. In reaction to a threat, the autonomic nervous system increases heart rate, strength of the skeletal muscles, mental activity, and basal metabolic rate; dilates the coronary arteries, pupils, bronchial tubes, and arterioles; and constricts the abdominal arteries. This system also returns the body to a normal, relaxed state.

Read out medications for anxiety. Also know about bodybuilding tips and natural herbal remedies.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com