Some of your habits may be harming your self-esteem. These conditioned behaviors, from checking Instagram before you brush your teeth in the morning to ignoring another call from your mother, can be harming your self-esteem big time.  When you become aware of these habits you are more likely to change them and your self-esteem will improve.

So how do you spot the habits that are harming your self-esteem? Here are 3 bad habits that many of us engage in without knowing they are impacting the way we feel about ourselves and interacts with others.

3 Bad Habits That Are Harming Your Self-Esteem

• Saying everything is fine. No one can help you if you can’t tell them what’s going on. Saying everything is fine negatively impacts your self-esteem because when you deny your feelings to others, you actually deny them to yourself as well. This makes it harder for you to express yourself later on. Confident people honor their struggles and feelings. You don’t have to pretend to be fine because everyone struggles from time to time. Asking for help is an act of self-care and shows others you respect yourself. Need help speaking up for yourself? Click here 
• Blaming others. The past is the past and, sometimes, it sucks. In order to move on, you’ve got to radically accept that you can’t change what happened or others.  When you remind yourself of this, you are improving your self-esteem because you aren’t putting more energy into something that can’t be fixed. You are taking responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you give others power over that part of your life. This is harming your self-esteem dramatically, as you don’t solve the problem. It doesn’t go away and overtime that diminishes your confidence. Instead, face the problem head-on. Use your energy on conquering the problem instead of blaming someone else.
• Trying to please everyone. By denying yourself you time and your own needs, you build resentment and your self-esteem plummets. You have to put yourself first and others second, because you can’t take care of others if you are not in a good place. You can’t rely on others for your positive self-esteem and emotions. Trying to please others will only burn you out. Making yourself happy first will help others feel happy too. Check out these books to help you with people pleasing, especially with romantic partners.

Making these small changes can make a huge difference in your self-esteem. Try your best and see what habits are hurting your self-esteem. The more aware you are, the more likely you can gain control and get rid of these habits for good.

Good Luck,

Em

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Emily Roberts MA, LPC is The Guidance Girl. Her goal is to help YOU become the most confident person you know! Emily is an award-winning author Express Yourself: A Teen Girls Guide to Speaking Up and Becoming Who You Are, Psychotherapist, TV & Media Contributor, Educational Speaker, and parenting consultant. She travels around the country educating girls, women, and parents. Express Yourself is available at bookstores nationwide and on Amazon. To learn more about Emily click here.