If life seems boring and depressing, perhaps a big dose of
daily self-esteem help is just the spark you need for a happier life. The
self-esteem activities suggested here take just a few minutes each day and
research studies indicate high self-esteem is beneficial to your
health. Researcher David Schmitt, PhD, associate professor of
Bradley University’s Psychology Department, reports that high self-esteem
correlates with relationships. When we have strong relationships we feel better
about ourselves than when our relationships are troublesome. Strong
relationships, strong self-esteem. Self-esteem also correlates
with happiness and life satisfaction according to psychological researcher
Christopher Peterson, author of A Primer in Positive Psychology. The higher your
self-esteem, the greater your reported happiness and satisfaction with life. The
converse is also true, lower self esteem correlates with low life satisfaction
and happiness. It demands us to be aware of our own feeling of self-esteem,
taking steps to improve it when we’re feeling down. Reinforce
your close relationships with high quality contact each day. This is very
significant. Give something of yourself to people you care about. A
few sincere words of appreciation, a few minutes of compassionate listening, or
an earnest offer of help to an elderly or shut-in friend or relative will pay
big dividends to both parties. Give yourself a break. We’re
often much harder on ourselves than we are on others. Don’t expect perfection of
yourself. Be forgiving of your human errors and treat them with humor rather
than disdain or anger. Refrain from negative self talk. Instead, remind yourself
that you normally make very few mistakes. Savor your good
memories. Keep a mental or literal file of good memories and visit them often.
Naturally nostalgic(怀旧的) people have high self-esteem and are less prone to
depression. Thinking of good memories for just 20 minutes a day can make people
more cheerful than they were the week before, and happier than if they think of
their current lives. Snap back from negative events. Bad things
will happen; that’s part of life. An attitude of resilience and positive
thinking can help you snap back from negative thinking just as quickly as you
can. Positive thinking yields positive life events, and vice-versa.
In just a few minutes each day you can build your self-esteem and reap the
rewards of greater happiness and life satisfaction. Be your own best friend not
your worst enemy. What is very important in strengthening your close relationships with others