I can do it: increase self-confidence and self-esteem

Have you ever thought about what kind of image you actually have of yourself ? We naturally perceive the people around us and analyze and evaluate what they do and how they do it - even if often only subconsciously. But what do we actually think about ourselves? What is your self-confidence and self-esteem , how can you strengthen it and what is the difference ? These terms accompany us throughout our lives and have great significance for our well-being , our decisions and our successes . That's why we're dedicating a whole Dextro story to them: You can now find out how you can appear more confident and increase your self-worth.

Self-confidence and self-esteem: what's the difference?

You may notice right away that some exercises that boost your self-confidence can also boost your self-esteem. This is because the two can merge into one another , which makes the difference or boundary between self-confidence and self-esteem somewhat blurred : Your self-worth describes how you rate yourself as a person . This evaluation is made up of your characteristics , your successes and failures and your appearance . You can only increase your self-worth if you know about your good and not so good qualities and can assess yourself - i.e. develop an awareness of yourself, namely your self-confidence .

How can I strengthen my self-confidence?

"I can do that" . Have you ever said this sentence to yourself and meant it? That's exactly what self-confidence is : it's about having a good self-assessment and knowing where your own strengths and weaknesses lie. This also includes knowing what you can still work on – and how you can help yourself out of weaker positions. Self-confidence has a lot to do with getting to know yourself better and trusting yourself - that's why we sometimes talk about strengthening our self-confidence . Our demands in connection with our successes play a major role. If our standards are very high or very low, we either don't value our successes enough - or we don't even care about them.

Strengthen self-confidence: Learn to assess yourself well

For example, if you start playing tennis after watching Wimbledon and your expectations are based on what you see, you will probably have a hard time perceiving the first rally as a success. Even if you attribute your successes to others - for example the coach who passes the ball to you well - this can lead to a false sense of self-confidence . Overestimating your actual ability is also not self-confidence and can lead to injuries , for example in sports.

It is therefore important that we are aware that we cannot be the biggest and best in everything . It is precisely this modesty that strengthens our self-confidence or self-confidence .

When we can recognize our strengths and weaknesses , we have healthy self-confidence . Please read on if you would like to find out which tips and exercises can help you strengthen your self-confidence .

Strengthen self-confidence in children, young people and adults

Good self-confidence can be learned from a young age . For example, appropriate praise for your child's successes is worth its weight in gold. It is just as valuable to rebuild the child when something doesn't go well . In this way you teach that it's not a bad thing if some things don't work right away. Because: All of our self-confidence benefits when we realize that we can make a difference - whether at work , with friends or in sport . As a parent , you can also strengthen the self-confidence of children and young people by giving them responsibility and listening to their ideas and supporting them.

And what about adults ? Tips and exercises for greater self-confidence that adults , children and young people can use are now available:

• Write a list of your strengths and weaknesses : Take your time and also ask people around you. For example, make sure that you write down one strength for each weakness.
• Question yourself : Don't be too critical of yourself - just curious. This way you learn more about yourself and your actions without immediately judging yourself.
• Make sure you appear self-confident : An upright posture and a smile on your lips don't just look good on the outside. Try it and you'll see what a difference it makes.
• Get out of your comfort zone : Train your self-confidence by doing things more often that are not so easy for you. They can be baby steps. You will notice that you are becoming more confident and that many new opportunities are opening up. By the way, with a little practice you can even experience the flow state .
• Take care of yourself : Know your needs and boundaries and take care of your own well-being. Do something good for yourself more often.
• Find a good environment : Do you get support and positive energy from the people around you? Find people who build you up and criticize you constructively instead of bringing you down with “negative vibes”.
• Say “no” sometimes : Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of or manipulated. You are welcome to do favors for those around you, but every now and then you should also refuse firmly but politely. The techniques we tell you in our story about the elevator pitch can help you.
• Less criticism, more compliments : Praise yourself more often. Compliments spoken to yourself out loud can lead to increased self-confidence.
• Train: You can practice mental strength. Take a look at our story about mental training. You'll find tips there.
• Set goals and finish projects : Dream big and believe you can achieve your goals. If you set your mind to something, go for it, make it happen and be proud of yourself. But also be realistic: at the age of 35, very few of us will become astronauts...

And last but not least, perhaps the most important piece of advice : be patient! The tips and exercises we have just shared with you will help you boost your self-confidence . But that takes a bit of time . So look forward to even small steps in the right direction.

How can you boost children’s self-confidence and self-esteem? By just letting them do it.

 

How can I strengthen my self-esteem?

Our self-esteem can have a big impact on our overall emotional state . It can determine whether we are happy or unhappy . Others can perceive us very differently - the only important thing is what perception we have of ourselves . It's about how we evaluate ourselves , i.e. what our personal attitude towards ourselves is. A task that is sometimes not so easy.

When we can accept ourselves and accept ourselves as we are , we have good self-esteem . It's nice when we can praise and celebrate ourselves . What is crucial, however, is that we all accept our flawed sides : I am lovable, I am good enough . Since we are the person who spends the most time with ourselves , it is incredibly important for our own happiness that we are happy with ourselves and have good self-esteem . We often unintentionally make our self-esteem dependent on the opinions and actions of others . Various influences and exercises can help strengthen our self-esteem .

Strengthen self-esteem – important for children, young people and adults

Starting with our childhood, there are experiences and events that influence our self-esteem . Particularly good bonding and relationship experiences can increase our self-esteem . These include moments with our parents, teachers or friends that make us feel loved, valued and seen . On the other hand, if we have the feeling that our parents or friends have little interest in us or that we even experience bullying , our self-esteem suffers immensely . However, when you realize that your nature and your values ​​are good and can do good , this can in turn boost your self-esteem enormously. The following exercises and tips can help increase your self-esteem or that of the people you love:

• Go your own way: Stand up for your values ​​and defend them. If you realize that your own path is a good one/the right one, it will have a very positive effect on your self-esteem.
• Take responsibility: Your self-worth increases when you realize that you can do something good for others. Take care of those around you when they need help or are not feeling well. To get started, you can also prepare a meal for your family.
• Don't take yourself too seriously: Do you want to sink into the ground if something awkward happens to you? Just try to laugh about it. Because something like that happens to everyone. Once you understand that this doesn't decrease your value, you will strengthen your self-esteem.
• Stop comparing yourself to others: Appreciate your qualities without comparing them to those of others. You will always notice something that you like more about other people or that they are better at. But every person has their flaws.
• Don't be afraid of making mistakes: Don't talk yourself out of it before you start. Just remember: everything will never be perfect and you can only learn from your mistakes.

Start now with the right strengthening

A balanced lifestyle can really help us develop a healthy attitude towards ourselves . With little refreshments in between, we can focus on the essentials . With our glucose cubes you always have a small supply of glucose bars with you, which supply your body with valuable dextrose. Our school material and our minis are available in numerous flavors - perfect if you want to sweeten your challenges. And why not try our delicious muesli bar in the flavors yogurt or strawberry – for small hungers, for big goals.

* contains carbohydrates

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

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