Why should you stop comparing yourself to others? The main reason is that comparing yourself to others is destructive to your self-esteem. When you compare yourself to others, you might think they have it all together and believe you should be the same. You might treat life as a competition and base your worth in comparison to what other people are good at, their looks, personalities, what they have or what they’ve achieved. You may be too hard on yourself for not being like others and fail to see your own unique qualities. Comparing yourself to others is destructive to your self-esteem--and you can learn to stop it.

Learn the truth about self-esteem and how you can change your life with simple and achievable changes.

Being a people-pleaser is a sign of low self-esteem. If you’re a people-pleaser, you go out of your way to make other people happy. Your choices or actions might be based on what others think, want or expect from you. Your self-worth is probably dependent on the approval from others, and it most likely reflects your personal insecurities. It’s okay to be kind and helpful to others, but to a point. Excessive people-pleasing is unhealthy and it can worsen your self-esteem. The good news is that you can stop being a people-pleaser.

Exercise is a powerful way of building self-esteem. It’s a natural mood lifter, it provides a sense of accomplishment and it helps you to look and feel better about yourself. While it’s good for everyone, it’s particularly beneficial if you have a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you get moving. However, it can be challenging to start or maintain exercise especially when you don’t like exercise, don’t feel like it, you’re anxious, depressed, tired or busy. The good news is that there are many ways to exercise and it doesn’t have to be something you dread. You can find ways to exercise and build self-esteem at the same time.

These inspirational quotes from your favorite authors and celebrities will boost your confidence and self-esteem.

So many people have come to me with the desire to become a more assertive and confident communicator. They see others who do it well and want to feel that confidence but don't know how. Perhaps they haven't had enough practice, they don't know where to start, their emotions are too intense or because speaking up and expressing yourself is scary. All may be true, but if you don't communicate assertively, you're not going to feel confident in communicating with others and will feel lower self-confidence in general. Watch this video to learn skills that make you a more assertive and confident communicator.

Taking things personally is a sign of low self-esteem. When you take things personally, you might be sensitive to the words or actions of others or you interpret things in a negative way. Perhaps someone says something which you take as an insult or you assume a person doesn't like you if they walk past without saying hello. Taking things personally may cause you to feel inadequate, ashamed, or even angry at yourself or the other person. It's disempowering and can worsen your self-esteem. However, you can build your self-esteem when you stop taking things personally. 

Everyone needs to learn to respect themselves and stop letting others take advantage of us. Just the other day I noticed that I was about to let someone take advantage of me. It may not have been on purpose, but the gal at the checkout overcharged me for an item. I felt this strong sense of unfairness and asked her nicely to change the price. She apologized and fixed the mistake. This may sound like a simple example, but the truth is, each time you stand up for what's fair, you respect yourself. When you stop allowing others to take advantage of you and respect yourself, your self-esteem improves. 

Delaying your self-approval prevents you from having a healthy self-esteem. You might be waiting for something to happen before you approve or feel good about yourself. For example, it might be losing that excess weight or having that perfect job, partner, dream home or more money. A healthy self-esteem is regardless of your circumstances and it's important to approve of yourself regardless of those things. Delaying self-approval is effectively delaying life and it's disempowering.

Overcoming your fear of failure can be empowering but a living with a fear of failure can be damaging to your self-esteem. For example, fear of failure may prevent you from trying new activities, starting or finishing tasks, or pursuing employment or educational opportunities. It can also get in the way of forming relationships and socialising, in general. You might settle for something you’re comfortable with to ensure you succeed, rather than challenging yourself with something more fulfilling. When you do this, you’re not living to your fullest potential and can get very easily stuck in your present situation. A fear of failure is often associated with anxiety and depression and it affects your quality of life. Overcoming your fear of failure spurs you do the things you want and it helps to improve your self-esteem.