Self-care on a budget is possible. In fact, most acts of emotional self-care don't cost a thing. Self-care is simply the practice of treating yourself with enough respect that you honor and fulfill your own needs as they arise. Self-care on a budget is entirely possible.

You can use journal prompts to improve self-esteem and get to know yourself on a deeper level. When you journal, you tap into different states of mind that help you become clearer about your desires and the person you want to become. The more often you journal to improve self-esteem, the better your relationship with yourself will be. 

It’s easy to be ashamed of having low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is generally perceived as a weakness and it’s often stigmatized. Having low self-esteem is bad enough, but feeling ashamed can make it a lot worse. Shame may prevent you from speaking up, seeking the help you need and it can also be isolating. You may want to hide away from the world or avoid talking to others. However, you can improve your self-esteem when you stop feeling ashamed.

Stop focusing on failures and mistakes. Learn from previous experiences and gain self-confidence with these tools.

Writing exercises help you to reflect on who you are and what you're doing in the world. Self-reflection is the foundation to developing strong and healthy self-esteem. Without looking inward, honoring your struggles and acknowledging your strengths, it becomes difficult to grow and change. Identifying emotions and experiences that keep you blocked, or limiting beliefs that may no longer serve you perpetuates the cycle of low self-esteem and negative thinking.  Writing exercises for your journaling practice can help you gain insight into the inner workings of your mind and improve self-esteem.

No matter how old you are you may be struck with some summertime sadness. Sadness can surge in the summer months and set your self-esteem into a tailspin. Whether you're a college student who's back home for the summer sitting in your childhood bedroom, or an adult longing for the days when they were able to spend summertime on vacation, let's face it: summer isn't as fun as it used to be.

When you disconnect from your truth, your wants and desires, the things you know are good for you, then you aren't showing up for yourself, and that decreases your self-esteem. Saying "no" to your workout, pressing the snooze button, or putting up with a difficult boss, are small and yet significant ways one doesn't show up. Bigger circumstances can be staying in a dead-end job, a bad relationship, or avoiding your intuition. Ask yourself, what does the kid inside you deserve?  That little 6-year old who wanted to be an astronaut, president or teacher, would you show up for him or her?

If you are like me, you want to make sure those around you are happy. We strive to keep peaceful relationships in our lives and often assist others in need. Hey, we care about them right? The problem is if you always feel compelled to help or overextend yourself, it can come at the expense of your own happiness. That's what usually happens to a people pleaser.

The ability to cope ahead in situations that can be emotionally triggering is invaluable. Think about going home for the holidays. Almost everyone I know has some stress when thinking about the travel itself, let alone the dynamics in their family system. Just thinking about it may stir up some anxiety. By being aware of our vulnerability factors and having a tool kit of skills and resources available to you ahead of time, you'll feel in control and confident. When we handle situations poorly or let our vulnerability get the best of us, we are likely to feel regret, defeated, and a lack of self-control; all of which effect our self-esteem.

Building self-esteem involves reprogramming negative thoughts and feelings about yourself. We cannot simply replace the negative statements. They have been living with us for a long time; for some, a lifetime. Using affirmations can help reprogram these negative thoughts and allow you to consciously and subconsciously focus on the positive, which is a valuable tool in building self-esteem.