Feeling good about ourselves becomes easy when self esteem is high. In those times, we are happy with who we are, and where we are going in life. But other days, it’s hard. The negative self talk and overthinking takes over, and we become lost in indecision, fear and sadness.

Taking time to practice loving ourselves and being kind to ourselves will make us stronger emotionally and allow us to feel good every single day ….. and help others to do the same. Here are a few ideas to help you feel good about yourself every single day.

1. You do not need to be perfect to love yourself. Perfection is unachievable. Can you think of anything more unkind than making success impossible for yourself?

2. Try not to compare yourself to others ….and find inspiration and motivation in their success rather than negative feelings of self doubt, jealousy and envy.

3. Practice gratitude daily. Every morning think of ten things for which you are grateful and thank the universe. The universe wants you to be happy, so it’s helpful to remind it what makes you happy!

4. When speaking to yourself, speak as though to a close and much loved friend.

5. Celebrate every single win, no matter how small. Treat yourself regularly with rewards!

6. Never forget or underestimate your own inner power.

7. Practice kind stretches to let your body know it’s loved.

8. Complement yourself out loud first thing every morning. You are fabulous!

9. Say ‘no’ sometimes. We all want to be liked and don’t want to disappoint others, but every time you say ‘yes’ to something you don’t want to do, a little layer of resentment and anger is born. There is no need to justify your ‘no’. It is better to say ‘no’ and feel temporarily uncomfortable, than to say ‘yes’ and regret it for a long time.

10. Be assertive and never accept less than you deserve, because once you start to settle, you always will.

11. Accept that not everyone will get you, love you or even like you. And that’s perfectly ok.

12. Believe in yourself. Believe that you have a right to be here and are deserving of all the happiness and joy the universe can offer.

13. Unfollow social media accounts that leave you with negative feelings.

14. Take a break from social media at least one day a week.

15. Flip those negative thoughts: Change such thoughts as “What if I can’t do it?” to “What if I do it really well?” “What if everyone thinks badly of me?” to “What if I have the time of my life?”

16. Think about the next minute or the next hour but not beyond today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. We cannot predict the future. All we have is now. Constantly worrying about the future, means we are robbing ourselves of today.

17. Losing yourself in ‘WHAT IF’s’ is one of the most destructive lines of thought you can have. Imagine those thoughts are a set of bowling skittles. Imagine yourself sending a huge heavy ball down the lane towards them and feel gratified when that ball smashes into them sending them flying!!!

18. Get outside. Spending time in green spaces is a quick and easy kindness to yourself.

19. If you can, try and grow something. Perhaps vegetables flowers or even herbs in a pot on a windowsill Cultivating organic growth will do wonders for your mood.

20. Try to not worry about those things that you have no control over. If it helps, make a list of the things that you have no power to change and then shred or burn it.

21. Spend time with animals.

22. Remember that there are ups and downs in life and you can’t be radiantly happy every day. That would be odd! Some days are hot chocolate by the fire days feeling a bit mopey…..and that’s perfectly ok.

23. Other people have exactly the same worries, anxieties and fears as you do. And their lives are not nearly as perfect as their social media would have you believe.

24. Friends will come and go. And that’s fine. You change they change.. sometimes it means they will pass out of your life as new friends come in. Change is good. Change is healthy.

25. It is definitely OK to have a sick day occasionally for your mental health.

26. Trust your intuition. It will be about 98% right. And those odds are pretty good.

27. Asking for help is a strength not a weakness.

28. If you don’t make mistakes. you can’t learn. If you can’t learn, you don’t grow. Give yourself a break when things don’t go to plan.

29. Be brave. Stand up for what you believe in. Yout opinions, thoughts and feelings are of the utmost importance. Although it’s hard to challenge and confront, you will feel fantastic afterwards

30. Never forget, you are about 300 times as strong as you think you are.

31. The most confident person you know will have deep insecurities… just like you.

32. You always have a choice and change will always bring opportunities.

33. Doing your best is more than good enough.

34. You do not have to continually improve to love yourself.

35. Happiness is not something you can have if you deserve it. You were born deserving it.

36. You cannot control everything. All you can do is control your response to the things that happen. You have faced difficult times before and always got through them. This time is no different.

36. Try not to overthink. Overthinking complicates life massively. When we start going over and over the same ground, our natural judgements become confused and overwhelmed. Negativity takes over and we lose perspective and balance. Decisions become almost impossible. Take a deeep breath, go and do something that will distract you and then return to the problem or issue later, with a clearer mind.

37. You cannot please everyone, so stop trying. Constantly trying to please everyone is giving yourself the message that other people liking you is more important than your own thoughts, choices and opinions. This leads to feeling inferior and being afraid to make your own choices.

38. Dont be afraid of making a decision. There are no “wrong” decisions. Every experience you have, whether you judge it as “good” or “bad,” is exactly the experience you needed to have at that moment. Some choices may not lead where you would have hoped, but nothing is more debilitating than living in fear.

39. Sometimes it’s helpful to remember that everything happens for a reason ….because it turns you into the person you need to become.

40. You are NOT defined by others or your past.

41. You ARE worthy of love, success and happiness.

42. You are unique – there is no one quite like you in the whole uinverse!

43. Choose to be kind to everyone. Even those that are not kind back. There is huge power in this.

44. Be kind to others. Research shows that doing good things for others reduce anxiety and raise self esteem. It’s not difficult to realise why. Doing something for someone else that makes a real difference to their day, gives us a sense of our own power and self worth.

45. Stay away from negative people. Their energy will eventually leak into you. Instead seek out kind, supportive people who see the good in everything.

46. Write a list of all you have achieved in your life. Keep your list close and add to it whenever you do something you’re proud of. When you’re low in confidence, pull out the list and use it to remind yourself of all the amazing stuff you’ve done.

47. Set yourself some goals, both big and small. It’s great to have something to work towards and reward yourself when you have achieved them.

48. Cultivate your inner cheerleader. She is so proud of you and wants to lift you up on a bad day. She holds your hand and hugs you when you are down and whispers comforting words. She is behind you 200% and thinks you are absolutely fabulous! Try and envisage her (or him) if you can.

49. Forgive yourself. We all make mistakes. Maybe you did something in the past that you’re not proud of. Perhaps you failed to stand up for yourself and you let someone else get the better of you. If you stay angry/ashamed/ resentful at yourself, nothing will change. Instead, be kind to yourself, stop self blaming, recognise that that was in the past and although the events can’t be changed, your feelings towards that past can be radically changed.

50. Stop trying to fit in. Instead, have the courage to stand apart from others to stand out and be proud of the unique amazing individual that you are.

It’s not always easy up feel good about yourself every day, but these tips really can help. Being kind to yourself promotes self awareness, growth and positivity and, with practice, will keep away nagging self doubt and self recrimination, and help towards ultimately living your best life. ❤️