unknown person holding balloons outdoors

The number one factor in happiness is self-esteem.

At the end of the day, we have to like ourselves and believe in our abilities.

Self-esteem is the only reason you can accomplish anything because your self-esteem inspires you to take action and move forward.

As humans, we have evolved to think that the only way to feel better about ourselves is to become bigger, faster, stronger, and better than everyone else.

The problem with this mindset is that it sets up unrealistic expectations and leaves you feeling unhappy.

Often, when people put pressure on themselves to be better than everyone else, they become resentful and unwilling to accept their current state.

The key to self-esteem is to be okay with who you are and be proud of yourself.

Once you get to a point where you accept and appreciate who you are, the only thing you have to do is focus on becoming the best version of yourself that you can be.

If you’re unsure where to begin, consider the following list of self-esteem-building strategies:

1. Helping others

girls, group, teenagers

Many people have a large fear of self-sacrifice because we worry that we’ll lose our status if we help others.

However, the best way to become a better you is to help others.

The law of attraction is all about focusing on what you want and sending positive thoughts into the world.

If you focus on wanting to help others and spreading positive energy, you will automatically attract more of those things into your life.

When you are practicing helping others, you are also serving yourself.

You feel better about yourself, and you’re also giving yourself the best opportunity to succeed in life.

When you focus on helping others, you are also serving yourself.

You feel better about yourself, and you’re also giving yourself the best opportunity to succeed in life.

2. Laughing at yourself

Laughing at yourself when you make a mistake is one of the best ways to strengthen your self-esteem.

Studies show that people who laugh at themselves report feeling happier and more contented.

It’s as simple as that. If you’re always laughing at your mistakes, you will probably begin to feel better about yourself.

Laughing at yourself allows you to be aware of your mistakes so that you can avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

As you make fewer and fewer mistakes, you’ll have less to laugh about.

3. Embracing change

Young woman posing close to waterfall on Bali

We often become unhappy when things are going well.

We start to fear that the time has come for some big change to occur, and we’re unhappy when we think about the unknown.

The fact is that change is inevitable, so it’s better to embrace it and get through the difficult times instead of giving in to anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors.

By embracing change, you will not only be happier, but you will also become a better version of yourself because you will no longer be wasting your time dreading the inevitable.

4. Celebrating small wins

Celebrating small victories is one of the most important self-esteem-building strategies.

It doesn’t matter what you accomplish today, or even how much you achieve in a week, a month, or even a year.

Think about the last time you were incredibly proud of yourself for accomplishing something, such as a trip to the gym, an assignment completed on time, or a new project completed at work.

Celebrating small wins can make you feel that you can achieve anything, so give it a try.

By celebrating small wins, you will encourage yourself to accomplish more.

5. Starting now

Remember when you were little, and you were told not to wish your life away?

Well, when you’re old and forgetful, what would you regret more, being able to spend time with your grandchildren or regretting not starting your life on a better foot sooner?

Get started on changing your life today by committing to one of the following simples, yet powerful, self-esteem-building strategies:

6. Reduce stress

People think depression is sadness. People think depression is crying. People think depression is dressing in black. But people are wrong. Depression is the constant feeling of being numb. Being numb to emotions. Being numb to life. You wake up in the morning just to go back to bed again.

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t feel a bit stressed or overwhelmed now and then?

It’s natural, since life is stressful, so it’s no wonder we want to deal with this stress in the most relaxing ways possible.

Practicing some stress management techniques is an important part of developing self-esteem.

You can reduce stress by meditating, exercising, and practicing visualization.

7. Be nice to yourself

The people who get the most happiness out of life are the ones who are nice to themselves.

Many of us have an incredibly hard time telling ourselves we’re good enough, smart enough, or talented enough.

Psychologists call this kind of thinking the most common obstacle in your life.

You must have the self-esteem to truly love and be loved, and you can’t really get this until you stop being self-critical.

8. Avoid controlling others

Controlling others is a very common and popular self-esteem-busting strategy.

Unfortunately, it rarely makes us happier. It usually leads to resentment, and resentment can ruin our self-esteem for years to come.

Controlling others makes us unhappy because we only want to get our own way, and it causes us to grow bitter and irritable.

Try not to give in to those kinds of controlling behaviors.