Healthy self esteem starts with a positive self image

How you see yourself goes a long way to how you feel about yourself and how others see you and think of you. If you think positively on the inside then you will glow with confidence on the outside and come across this way to others. Feeling good about yourself is essential if you are to be happy in life and it can make the difference between you being successful or failing, it is all about how you see your self-image.

People suffer from low self-esteem for many reasons and if they have been brought up feeling negatively about themselves then developing a positive self-image will be challenging but not impossible. Developing a positive outlook is about changing your thoughts and feelings about yourself and if you have been thinking negative thoughts for a long time changing the habit will take time.

However by adapting a new way of thinking and sticking to this new way of thinking you will eventually banish unwanted negative feelings and will automatically replace them with positive ones in your day to day life. When this happens your outlook changes and with your outlook, you change, where once you might have thought something would be beyond your capabilities you will now look at it in a different light and begin to realize it is within your grasp.

There are many ways which you can use to develop a more positive self-image and esteem, there are self-help books dedicated to the subject, audio sessions which you listen and follow, DVDS, hypnotherapy audio or attending counseling sessions. They all however rely basically on the same principle, understanding what confidence really is, gaining confidence in yourself, ridding yourself of negative beliefs and replacing them with positive ones and learning strategies which allow you to remain confident in any situation.

The basics behind developing a more positive outlook and self-image are

• Thinking about positive self-image and confidence and understanding what it means to you
• Getting to know yourself better, recognizing your strengths and building on those strengths
• Moving forward and constantly changing negative thoughts into more positive ones
• Reflecting on what you have learnt and seeing the positive changes you are making to your life

We all talk to ourselves at one time or another and we may find ourselves continually putting ourselves down and are very slow to praise ourselves.  This must be changed. We want to change unhelpful self-talk and replace it with positive and encouraging self-talk, the easiest way to do this is by

• Getting rid of irrational thoughts and replace them with rational ones
• Replace negative thoughts and feelings with positive
• Give yourself credit
• Repeat positive affirmations to yourself when needed throughout the day

Change the Shape of Your Self-Image

While we all understand the importance of eating healthy, exercising and dieting, very few realize that changing our self-image is just as important to leading a healthy lifestyle. How you think and feel about yourself goes a long way to bringing happiness and success into your life and in order to change your self-image - just as you give your body a workout - you need to give your mind a work-out too.

The first step you need to take is to determine what exactly it is you would like to be and what you are already good at or enjoy doing.  You might say you are good at sports, poetry and spending time with friends.  By focusing on the good in yourself, you will be able to quickly change your self-image into something that you are proud of.
 
Visualization and affirmations can help you to realize just how great you already are.  See yourself doing and becoming everything that you originally wrote down.  Repeat positive affirmations throughout the day to help the new way of thinking sink in and develop your new positive outlook. By vividly imagining this new you, your mind will retrain until you understand that all the things you visualize are true.

Consider keeping a journal
During this process you will benefit from keeping a journal about your transformation, you will be able to look back on it and this will help to strengthen your self-image and reinforce the new you. It is important that you let your past go and think only about the future and the new you, you will develop your new self-image more rapidly by focusing on what you are achieving and have yet to achieve.

Goals will get you there
You can help yourself mold a positive self-image if you set attainable goals for yourself and then strive to reach them.  Giving yourself something to work towards creates success in your life – a vital part of reshaping your self-image.  Set goals for yourself in any area you wish, work, personal, health, fitness and then go for it.  Set yourself a realistic time in which to accomplish each goal and give yourself praise when you get there.

How you choose to change your self-image is entirely up to you, there are no limitations to what you are able to achieve if you set your mind to it and are determined to work towards reaching the desired goal. If you stray from the path leading you there, then don’t be put off and discouraged, get back on track and carry on with determination.

You are committing yourself to working hard to achieve what you want. Plan on what you will do when you finally reach your ultimate goal, you should aim to give yourself a special treat, you deserve it. Make sure that it is something which you can set your mind on during the tough times, keeping it in mind will give you an incentive that it will completely worthwhile.  

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