No matter who you are, or where you come from, as women we are way too hard on ourselves. Our self-criticism can be a big part of the reason we have low self-esteem.
The good news is there are steps we can take to improve our self-esteem. So, today we’re focusing on powerful self-worth exercises designed to boost confidence.
Below you’ll find:
- Actionable self-worth exercises you can try immediately such as worksheets and journaling.
- Self-esteem activities you can work on long-term that fit great into your everyday life.
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What’s the Difference Between Self-Worth & Self-Esteem?
Before we get into the exercises, let’s first talk about the meaning of self-worth. They might seem similar but are actually quite different.
Healthyplace.com has an excellent definition of the two which helps articulate the meaning of each…
“Self-esteem is how we evaluate ourselves. It is our internal assessment of our qualities and attributes. We have healthy self-esteem when what we think, feel, and believe about ourselves is honest and realistic.”
“Self-worth is the belief that you are loveable and valuable regardless of how you evaluate your traits. In this way, your self-esteem could hit rock bottom, yet you still hold onto the notion that you have innate worth. This is important.”
It’s important to talk about both in this article as low self-worth can lead to low self-esteem and vice versa.
21 Self-Worth Exercises For Improved Self-Esteem
Before we get into the different ways to work on your self-worth, I want to share that I am not a professional therapist, but I am sharing the work I have personally done when going through cognitive behavioral therapy.
These are the tools I’ve used that have helped me work on my own self-worth – something I have struggled with quite a lot over the years.
I always recommend speaking to a therapist to support your mental health. You can start with your family doctor/primary care physician or try online therapy with a company like BetterHelp. Details below…
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1. Recognize Your Growth
One of the best ways to recognize your growth is to take a minute to think about where you were a year ago, 5 years ago.
Then ask yourself:
- What have you learned?
- What skills do you have today that you didn’t then?
- What are you proud of accomplishing?
- How can you give yourself a pat on the back to celebrate how far you’ve come?
Doing this exercise on a regular basis is a great way to improve your sense of self-worth and confidence.
2. Use Self-Love Affirmations
Perfect to give yourself a daily boost of love. Affirmations are positive statements you make to provide motivation and support.
You might use positive affirmations to boost your self-esteem in the following circumstances:
- To prep for an interview… “I am smart, confident and will enjoy this interview.”
- Before a client presentation… “I will clearly communicate the value of (enter product or solution) to the client – and I will enjoy doing so.
- Going to a party (introverts – you know what I mean)… “I am beautiful and will feel happy and confident when entering the party.”
- In the morning… “Today I will love myself by taking care of my own needs first.”
- Before a phone call with a toxic person… “I will keep the call short and honour my time by not agreeing to any commitments they want me to take.”
Download the self-love affirmations worksheet to write your own.
3. Take Note Of Negative Thoughts
We can be our own worst enemy when it comes to the thoughts we have in our minds. Negative self-talk can creep in and if we don’t take notice, it will spiral.
The goal here is to replace these negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
Try the following exercise…
Step 1: When a negative thought about yourself enters your mind take note of the thought – in a notebook, or your phone
Step 2: Come back to the negative thoughts you have written down when you feel mentally able and then think about any negative beliefs you have about yourself.
Step 3: Turn your negative belief into a positive, if possible by thinking the opposite (an alternative belief). Example…
Negative belief: I don’t have the confidence to take that class
Alternative belief: I am confident and will sign up for the class
When you work on this exercise on an ongoing basis your core beliefs will begin to change. This is something to work on in your everyday life.
4. Take a Gratitude Walk
As you walk think about everything you have to be grateful for in your day and life. When you have an attitude of gratitude it helps you to think positive and this includes thinking positively about yourself.
Check out the 4 types of gratitude walks you can take.
5. Start A Self-Esteem Journal
You can use some of the self-esteem worksheets below as inspiration for your writing, or simply just write anything that is weighing you down.
Think about a stressful or worrying situation and ask yourself:
Is this thought actually true?
Are my feelings making me feel worse?
Are these thoughts and feelings serving me?
What good things can I say about myself instead?
Then use your self-esteem journal to do a brain dump whenever you just need to release unwanted feelings. There’s something pretty amazing about releasing feelings onto paper and then just letting them go.
6. Create An Alter-Ego
An alter-ego can be thought of as another version of yourself. A version you bring out when you need a little more confidence. Think of your alter-ego as a good friend who’s there to support you and make you stronger.
Alter-Ego Exercise:
- Think of the traits you want your alter-ago to have. Use empowering words like… strength, confidence, resilience, graciousness, etc.
- Think about how your alter-ego would act in social situations. Specifically, think about situations you have low self-esteem.
- Try using your alter-ego by visualizing you are this person and apply it to how you act, speak, stand and interact with others.
You can also give your alter-ego a name and think of it as bringing this person out to support you.
7. Write A List of Your Positive Qualities
Grab a sheet of paper or your journal and write a big list of all the positive traits you have.
As you think about your true self, what positive qualities come to mind? Think about various aspects of your life…
- Personal
- Family
- Work
- Health
- Friendships
- Finances
- Creativity
Now, keep this list and refer to it when you need a pick me up – and a little reminder of just how amazing you are.
Access this list of 100 empowering words for women to give you some inspiration.
Use Self-Esteem Worksheets
There are so many fantastic resources out there to help you boost your self-esteem and self-worth.
Here are some free worksheets you can print to get started…
8. Three Good People: Strengths Spotting Activity
This exercise from Therapist Aid helps you identify the strengths of three people – a fictional character, an inspiring person you know and yourself.
What I specifically love about this self-esteem exercise is it focuses on how strengths can help overcome a specific challenge.
Download at Therapist Aid
9. Best Possible Self: Visualization Exercise
This exercise helps you identify your best possible self in three areas of life: personal, professional and social.
This self-esteem exercise is to be used every day for a week with 1 minute of visualization and 5 minutes of writing.
Download at Therapist Aid
10. Self-Esteem Worksheets For Teens
This worksheet is designed for teens but is just as useful for adults. It helps you identify things you and your loved ones like about yourself, and focuses on goals and accomplishments.
A simple exercise to begin focusing on the positive things.
Download at Care Patron
11. 30 Day Self-Love Challenge (Worksheets and Ideas)
A little self-love goes a long way to building better self-esteem. This self-love challenge includes:
- 30 self-love ideas you can use in any order
- A self-love worksheet to keep track of your activities
Download at my Put The Kettle On Shop
Self-Worth Exercises From ‘The Tools’
You may have seen the documentary, ‘Stutz’ on Netflix by Jonah Hill where he interviews his therapist, Phil Stutz.
They specifically talked about ‘The Tools’ Stutz has used in therapy sessions with Jonah. It was a beautiful film full of deep feelings, heartache and the tools to work through tough situations.
These are a couple of exercises from the website.
12. Inner Authority Exercise For Insecurity
This is an audio file you can listen to when you need help with:
- Performance anxiety before speaking at events, conferences, etc
- Worries about the future
Learn more and get started at The Tools ‘Inner Authority’
13. Active Love Exercise
An audio file giving details on 3 steps to help you:
- Move past something that angers you
- Reduce ruminating over past events
- Confront a difficult person
Learn more and get started at The Tools ‘Active Love’
More Self-Worth Exercises To Improve Self-Esteem & Confidence
14. Look at Who You Follow on Social Media
Do these accounts make you doubt yourself, feel insecure or do you notice you feel low after scrolling?
Look at who you’re following and then seriously consider removing any accounts that don’t bring you joy.
This leads me to my next point…
15. Track Your Mood
When you track your mood throughout the day you’re able to start making the connection between certain feelings and activities.
For example: Scrolling on social media results in feeling unhappy.
This free printable mood tracker is designed for you to be mindful of your daily mood and help you do more of what you love while limiting activities that lower your mood.
Download this free printable mood tracker to get started.
16. Get Regular Physical Activity
Getting regular exercise is important for balancing our overall mood, and different physical exercises contribute to different happy chemicals in our brains.
For example, walking in nature boosts your mood stabilizer chemical serotonin while heavier exercise, like strength training can boost endorphins.
Check out this inspirational print from Counsellor Cronan on Etsy. It shows different ways to boost each of our happy chemicals… serotonin, endorphin, dopamine and oxytocin.
Pretty fascinating stuff and a super cute way to remind yourself of what certain activities (including physical) can do for your brain.
Download at Counsellor Cronan
17. Don’t Compare Yourself To Others
We are all unique, and have our own journeys and different experiences.
So just remember that if you see someone else doing well and you wonder why you aren’t there yet… don’t forget that your day 1 might be someone else’s day 300.
As the quote from Jordan B Peterson reminds us, “Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” And as Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
18. Practice Acts Of Kindness For Yourself
Think about how you can be kind to yourself today.
When doing this identify areas of need such as emotional comfort or physical healing, social engagement, etc.
Once you’ve identified where you need some extra kindness, write a list of 3 to 5 simple things you can do for yourself today – that feel good.
Next – go and do them!
19. Stand Tall (and strike a Pose)
Adopting good posture can make a huge difference in how you feel and how others perceive you. You may have heard of the ‘power pose’ before or it might remind you of Wonder Woman’s pose.
It turns out that if you stand like Wonder Woman for two minutes there are a whole host of benefits – all that can help you boost confidence.
Check out the video below from social psychologist, Amy Cuddy and then give it a try
20. Surround Yourself With Good People
When you spend time with people who love you and build you up, your self-worth will begin to improve.
Good friends and loved ones provide social support and don’t forget that external influences can have a big impact on our lives.
So make sure that the people you spend time with lift you up, make you feel good about yourself and reinforce just how important you are.
21. Work On An Important Goal Everyday
When you consistently work towards an important goal in your life, you have evidence to show that you…
- Are moving forward
- Can do tough things
- Succeed everyday
- Are focusing on what’s important to you
This all contributes to working on higher self-esteem.
To start goal setting download this printable SMART goals worksheet.
Final Thoughts
Don’t forget you are worthy of beautiful experiences, and a good quality of life.
By working on your self-worth and self-esteem you’ll open yourself up to take more risks, try new things and live more and more every day.
For more support with self-worth and self-love check out these articles:
- 11 Powerful Ways To Overcome Self-Criticism
- 75 Self-Love Activities Using Your Love Language
- 60 Inspiring Self-Worth Quotes To Boost Confidence
- 125 Beautiful Things To Love About Yourself
About Yolanda
Website Owner / Content Creator
I’m passionate about helping you live life to the fullest so you can choose to find happiness and purpose. Learn how to CREATE THE LIFE YOU LOVE with intentional living and discovery of the simple things life has to offer. Learn more…
The post 21 Self-Worth Exercises To Conquer Low Self-Esteem appeared first on Put The Kettle On.
