5 Activities for Building Self-Worth

Sometimes it’s great to hear bold statements like, “I am going to be the most successful woman!” or “I WILL make this happen!” Other times…not so much. Positive affirmations like the above can often make those of us with low self-worth feel a bit worse, mainly because those statements go against our existing beliefs. If you have a glowing sense of self-esteem, perhaps these affirmations will work wonders. If your self-esteem is nowhere to be found, try tweaking these affirmations so they are more believable. Give yourself phrases of encouragement, such as “I’m going to work as hard as I can until I’m a successful woman!” or “I will keep trying until I feel like I’ve made progress!”

If you want to know how to build self-worth, the answer is by having confidence in your abilities and taking pride in your talents. Celebrate your achievements – big or small – and focus on the things in life that make you feel fulfilled. If you’re a strong swimmer, sign up for ocean races and train for them. If cooking is second nature to you, throw more dinner parties. If you’re a huge bookworm, arrange a book club to meet like-minded friends. Always be looking for new opportunities that allow you to develop your skills and talents. 

When you have low self-esteem, it can be hard to accept (and believe) compliments—even though that’s the time when we need them the most. Practice setting resolutions to tolerate compliments that come your way, even if it makes you feel awkward or uncomfortable. Prepare simple responses like, “Aww thanks so much!” or “That’s so kind of you!” Train yourself to automatically respond with these phrases whenever you get good feedback. Whether it’s a compliment about your customer service or your new hair colour, positive words can help your self-esteem grow. Fight the urge to deny or swat those compliments away!

Can you think of a time when you felt bad, then took it a step further to criticise yourself and beat yourself down? It’s pretty common to do this, especially in the workplace when you’re surrounded by so many intense personalities (and potentially competitive colleagues). If you’re keen to learn how to be more confident at work, the first step is swapping self-criticism for self-compassion. Try not to compare yourself to others, and try to ignore the self-critical inner monologue. Would you say this nasty critique to your best friend? No—so don’t say it yourself either! Work on building up your self-esteem, and be warm and kind to yourself. Bruno Mars was right—girl, you’re amazing just the way you are.