Improving self-esteem and overcoming ego is essential to living a full life.
Self-esteem and ego are terms that are often used, wrongly, as synonyms, because the reality is quite different. difference between both concepts It is so wide that Improving the application of each one involves doing contrary practices.
Before knowing the techniques to work on self-esteem and reduce the ego, let's review what each concept means in order to understand why they are so different from each other.
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is the set of beliefs, perceptions, evaluations and thoughts that we have about ourselves. It is the assessment we make based on our experiences.
It is more common than we think, and more so in the case of women, that our personal evaluation is low (low self-esteem). This means a negative conception about ourselves that It can be a limitation in our daily lifeWorking on self-esteem is important to love yourself and achieve complete happiness.
What is the ego?
The word ego comes from Latin and means “I”. In psychology, this concept is used to designate the individual's consciousness, understood as his ability to perceive reality. The vision of reality can often be distorted and lead to a excess of that valuation that we have about ourselves.
In this case, the term ego is synonymous with immodesty, arrogance, presumption or pride.
How can I improve self-esteem?
First of all, it should be made clear that there is no specific manual that helps us improve our self-esteem quickly and effectively. To achieve a good self-esteem, we need to know that It requires perseverance and desire.
1. Wake up
The first and most important step is to be aware of your self-esteem level. To do this you must: Analyze your self-conceptWhat do you think about yourself? What do you think about when you look in the mirror? What are your abilities? Would you love someone like you? Do you think you are worthy of being loved and of having good things happen to you?
2. Journey to the past
If after the analysis you have made of yourself, you have discovered that your self-esteem levels are low, you must go back to the past to find out at what point you began to have that perception of yourself.
Review where you come from, the experiences you have lived, the people you have surrounded yourself with, the excesses or deficiencies you have suffered during your past. Rewinding your life you will understand why you are like this.
3. Accept and forgive yourself
Knowing yourself is essential to improving, so write a letter in which you show what you don't like about yourself and what you feel guilty about. Pour all your thoughts on paper to read it carefully and assess what you can change.
Say goodbye to that heavy backpack that oppresses you and doesn't let you move forward.. Tear up the letter and leave the guilt in the past. It's never too late to start over.
4. Stop beating yourself up
We all have our strengths and weaknesses. We are not perfect and we should not pretend to be. Our goal is to achieve happiness, so Accept all those things that you are not so good at and learn from them. Don't beat yourself up anymore.
In the same way, You should neither focus on the bad nor downplay the goodIt is also important that you value everything you do well and not take credit away from yourself. Start being aware of the good things you have.
5. Start thinking positively
Eliminate from your vocabulary all those phrases that hold you back and don't let you move forward.. Replace “I can’t” with “I’ll try.” You need to start encouraging yourself and telling yourself that you’re going to succeed and that everything is going to be okay. It’s important to pay attention to the good things in life to get out of the negative loop through which we see the world. It’s time for positivity.
6. Set realistic goals
Set goals that you can achieve in a relatively simple way. This will help motivate you and give you strength to achieve increasingly more complicated challenges. Progressing gradually will be useful for Learn from failures and make better decisions next time. Put into practice your desire to improve yourself.
7. Don't compare yourself
Social media is a showcase of fascinating lives. Don't get distracted. Focus on yourself and in achieving happiness every day without comparing yourself to anyone else. Envying what others do will only fill your mind with negative thoughts.
8. Give constructive criticism about yourself
If you are going to criticize yourself, let it be in a constructive way. Everything you say to yourself has to be push you to improve and grownot to bring you down and blame you. Always treat yourself with care and respect. Think that you are the best thing that has ever happened to you and that you have the right to be happy. Likewise, in the context of criticism, it is important that you learn to accept it so that it does not affect you.
9. Surround yourself with healthy people
Toxicity out. Stay away from anyone who might cause you pain. You must form a group circle of friendship and companionship that gives you energy and well-beingYou'll know they're the right people if they bring out the best in you and make you feel like yourself. That's where you should stay.
Don't force relationships that, for various reasons, no longer make us feel good. Letting people go is necessary to continue the pathLook to the future and think about who you want to be part of it.
10. Give yourself time
You may think that you already have 24 hours a day with yourself, why more? No, it's not that kind of time. Invest in activities that make you happythat help you to know yourself and connect with yourself. At the end of the day, write down something positive that you have done or experienced, put on a song that you like and listen to it deeply, go to the cinema to see the film that you have been waiting for, etc.
Practice these tips over the next few days to improve your self-esteem. Over time, you will see that these recommendations, as well as being affordable, are beneficial for connecting with yourself and changing the way you perceive yourself. All change begins only with you.
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How can I overcome the ego?
Just as some people suffer from low self-esteem, there are others who perceive themselves as excessive. For the latter, we are going to explain four steps that will help them return to their true “self.”
1. Understand what the ego is and how you can use it
You cannot overcome the ego if you don't even know you have it. Therefore, understanding that the ego is a distorted perception of reality in which The conception you have of yourself is so excessive that you consider yourself above otherscan help you identify and put an end to it.
The ego has as its function ensure safety and survivalso sometimes it takes control of our mind. This is when negative attributes are unleashed: egocentrism, selfishness, envy, etc. But that is not its job, so take back control and do not let yourself be carried away by it.
2. Observe your ego and analyze it
Now that you know what the functions of the ego are, watch how it acts. Stay aware and distinguish whether the reactions to different situations have been triggered by you or because you have been carried away by your ego.
If a reaction has been even excessive according to your criteria, it is probably because the ego took control and exaggerated your feelings. Sometimes, Present actions remind us of past experiences or perhaps future ones, which overwhelm us or scare us. The ego transports you to that moment that you dislike and makes you unleash negative attributes.
3. Put the ego in its place
You don't need to eliminate your ego, the goal is use it properlyas the survival mechanism that it is. Therefore, in this third step, you must act when you feel the ego appearing. Take the reins and don't let him lead you..
On every occasion, Focus on the experience of the presentwithout reliving the past or thinking about a future that overwhelms you or makes you feel afraid. In this way you are connecting with your true self of the present.
4. Return to your true self
When you manage to balance your ego, the part that until then was dormant begins to emerge: your true self, the authentic self.
Once you have achieved awakening, your decisions, reactions and actions will be true. The external influence of the ego no longer exists.
7 tips to prevent ego from dominating your behavior
- Stop feeling offended.
- Forget about winning.
- Forget about being right.
- Forget about being superior.
- Forget about having more.
- Forget about identifying yourself with your achievements.
- Forget about fame
Taking these steps and trying these tips will help you regulate your ego. Keep in mind that the ego is not badas long as it is at the appropriate levels, that is why these tips are directed to those who do feel superior to others.
If you find yourself in this similar situation or know someone who is going through a similar one, you are looking for a psychologist specialized in self-esteemdo not hesitate to consult a professional.
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