It may seem scary or even impossible to change your thoughts but you can change your thoughts to improve your self-esteem. The automatic thoughts you've had for years are familiar and served a purpose at one point in your life. However, think about how many of these are negative and hurtful. The more negative thoughts you have, the lower your self-esteem will be (How I Recovered From A Self-Esteem Setback). So wouldn't it be nice to change your thoughts and improve your self-esteem?

It's important to stop negatively judging yourself to increase self-esteem. Many people are afraid of being judged negatively by others, however, they overlook the negative judgement coming from themselves. Negative self-judgement is damaging emotionally and it leads to all sorts of problems. As well as damaging your self-esteem it can be associated with anxiety or depression. It may prevent you from doing things you want, and it can isolate you from people. However, you can lead a more fulfilling life and increase your self-esteem when you stop judging yourself negatively.

It’s easy to believe you don’t fit in, when you have low self-esteem. Perhaps you feel different to everyone else and think you have to be exactly like others to fit in. You might overemphasise your weaknesses, compare yourself to others or expect too much from yourself. Perhaps you were rejected, criticised or bullied in the past or you may feel pressured to be like others. Alternatively, there may be something different that makes you stand out, or you're new and have trouble settling in. The chances are that your thoughts about yourself are negative. No matter what, it’s important to realise that you do belong, just like everyone else. You can improve your self-esteem when you stop believing you don’t fit in.

Putting yourself down can be damaging to your self-esteem and self-confidence. That includes the words you say out loud in addition to your internal negative self-talk. Negative thoughts and words can be very believable and they distort your perception about yourself. They impact on your sense of self-worth. When you talk negatively about yourself to others, the words have a greater effect. You’re also making it easier for others to put you down. The good news is that you can stop putting yourself down and build your self-esteem.

Having gratitude is a powerful way of making you feel better about yourself. Being thankful for all the good things helps you to focus on the positives and it puts you in a better frame of mind. It helps with your self-esteem, happiness, and overall wellbeing.

Every day brings new challenges and opportunities. Many of us fall for the false belief that if the day started out badly or something messed with your confident mindset, then the rest of the day or week will bring more unhappiness. Rather than challenging the negative mindset, we let it consume our confidence. Instead of allowing these moments to crush your confidence, use this awesome technique to fight back and push yourself into a more positive place. When you take even the smallest step towards talking back to negative beliefs, you make strides in your self-confidence.

One of the most powerful emotions for me, and many people I work with, is disappointment. The lack of control, anxiety, and confusion that it brings about messes with my confidence. I'm sure you can relate. A friend that cancels plans at the last minute, even if it's due to totally reasonable circumstances can get your insecurity rolling, and lead you down the path of doom and gloom.

Most people want to be happy, but just don't know how. Many of us make things harder than they need to be. It's a habit that has likely become the norm for you, too. Maybe you've taken on too much at work yet again, found yourself in another unbalanced relationship, or have become stuck in a cycle of negative thinking.  All of these can sabotage your happiness and make you feel insecure. There is a part of you that wants to be happy (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this) and I'm going to share some happiness tips to help you achieve that.

A bad day can easily turn into a bad life, where everything sucks. Don't let your mood control your mind, learn skills for happiness.

As trivial as it may seem, small behaviors can really impact your mood. The more we spiral into the negative thinking patterns, the more it affects our view of the world and our self-esteem. When a toxic environment takes over or unhappy thoughts to engulf your mind, it leads to anger, resentment, frustration, and bad vibes.