10 Ways to Improve Your Self-Image

10 Ways to Improve Your Self-Image

Your self-image-the way you view your self-is directly tied to the results in your life.

Before you can see change, your thoughts have to align with your future self, and that all starts with your self-image.

Your mind creates more of what it thinks.

So, if your self-image is full of negative thoughts, you’ll create more of that.

If your self-image is healthy and positive-minded, you’ll create more of that.

Let’s talk 10 ways to improve your self-image.

10 Ways to Improve Your Self-Image

Guard Your Thoughts and Self-Talk

The nature of the conversations you have with yourself matter.

If you want to change your life, you have to change your thoughts and the words coming out of your mouth.

You are responsible for how you think, talk and believe.

If you’re constantly belittling yourself with negative statements, nothing will change or get better.

Your words have to match up with what you’re believing for, or it’s never going to happen.

Be mindful of what you’re saying, even if your beliefs about yourself aren’t lining up with what you’re saying yet.

When you do something well, acknowledge it. Don’t just let the little victory pass you by without recognition.

If you expend discipline over yourself instead of taking the easy way out, give yourself a pat on the back and consider how much you’re helping yourself.

Especially if you just recently started to incorporate a new habit into your daily routine, and it’s been challenging to get started and going.

When you make a mistake, dust yourself off and chalk it up to paying the price for growth. We all make mistakes-it’s how you learn and grow! Take it for what it is instead of criticizing yourself for messing up.

Related:

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

The only person you should compare yourself to is who you were yesterday.

When we compare ourselves to others, one of two things happen:

Either you feel inferior to the person you’re comparing yourself to, or you feel superior. Either way, this does nothing to help you grow.

In fact, it hinders growth.

Living in the age of social media, people are comparing themselves to others more than ever, and it’s one of the main reasons why too much time spent scrolling on social media is hazardous to your health (and growth).

Focus instead on comparing yourself to who you were yesterday and decide how you can be a better person today.

You only have one life to live, and it’s your life, not someone else’s. Don’t wish you had someone else’s life-go after the life you want for you! Fall in love with your life.

Related:

Move Past Your Limiting Beliefs

“When a man has put a limit on what he will do, he has put a limit on what he can do.” ~Charles Schwab

It isn’t who you are that holds you back; It is who you think you are not.

Negative or self-limiting statements limit you more than lack of experience or knowledge ever will.

The first step to doing anything is to believe you can.

Jack Canfield (author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series) offers a solution to transform limiting beliefs to empowering beliefs in his book The Success Principles:

Identify a limiting belief that you want to change.
Determine how the belief limits you.
Decide how you want to be, act, or feel.
Create a turnaround statement that affirms or gives you permission to be, act, or feel this new way.

This method gives you the authority to choose how you feel!

Related:

Invest in Others

Making a difference in someone else’s life is the cure-all to insecurity and low self-worth.

When you do something nice for someone, it boosts your self-esteem.

So take 5 minutes to bring your elderly neighbor’s groceries in for her. Volunteer at the animal shelter. Donate to a worthy cause.

The opportunities to give are endless.

Invest in others to invest in yourself.

Related:

Do the Right Thing, Even When it Sucks

Doing something we know we shouldn’t be doing, such as skipping a workout or procrastinating, leads to guilt and other negative feelings.

When you exert discipline to do what you planned, you build integrity with yourself. Once you build integrity with yourself, it gets easier to do the hard things.

Exerting self-discipline and doing what is right, even when you don’t want to do it, boosts your confidence and carries over into other areas of your life.

Related:

Practice a Small Discipline Daily in a Specific Area of Your Life

Discipline is a morale-builder.

Find an area of your life that feels overwhelming, and take one small step every day.

For you, that might mean taking a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood to start an exercise regimen.

It might mean starting a big project and devoting 1 hour a day to it.

Little habits, actions and decisions compound over time and add up quickly.

Related:

Celebrate Small Victories

A great way to stay encouraged is to celebrate the little victories. It inspires you to keep going.

By “celebrate,” I don’t mean to go overindulge in your favorite guilty pleasure.

Just take the time to document your little win and be encouraged to keep the momentum going.

A great way to do this is to journal your gratitude, which I talk about a lot but highly recommend.

I regularly journal five things I’m grateful for from the last 24 hours and I keep it to very specific things that happened and not general statements such as “I am grateful for my job.”

Related:

Develop a Positive Vision for Your Life Based on What You Value

What do you value?

People who can identify what they value and what drives them are happier, more successful people.

If you tap into what you envision your life to be, it can inspire you to take positive action.

Related:

Practice the One-Word Strategy

What is the one word that describes you?

Make sure it’s a positive one! If not, you need to change it.

What you focus on in your life will expand, so make sure it’s a positive word.

Related:

Take Responsibility for Your Life

We get in life what we are willing to tolerate.

If you tolerate abuse, you’ll get abuse.

Choose to tolerate a profession where you’re overworked and underpaid, you’ll continue to be overworked and underpaid.

If you don’t have a plan and purpose for your life, you will become part of someone else’s.

Related:

Before You Go

You need to believe in yourself before you can get started with anything.

Be intentional about applying these 10 ways to improve your self-image.

Every time you take a step, think a positive thought, make a good choice, or practice a small discipline, you’re moving one step closer to your destiny.

What are your tips for improving your self-image? Let me know in the comments below!

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Yessenia Salazar

July 22, 2020 10:53 pm

Lisa, I really enjoyed your article. There’s a ton of great advise here. I read John Maxwell too. Your article is in line with his teachings. Are you with me?

What role do you think clothing and sense of style play in our self image? Have a beautiful day. Thank you.

Last edited 4 years ago by Yessenia Salazar

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Lisa

July 23, 2020 1:46 am

Reply to Yessenia Salazar

Hi Yessenia, thanks for reading! John Maxwell is awesome.

I believe the clothing we wear and our sense of style influences our self-image to a point. I think at the end of the day, you have to be happy with who you are on the inside, but I know I always get a confidence boost when I wear a nice outfit or get my nails done.