Life
7 Ways To Improve Your Self-Esteem At Work
For some of us, jobs are just jobs. But for others, our work is a huge part of our identities. Our happiness and our self-worth are influenced by how we think we're doing at our jobs. Finding ways to improve self-esteem at work seems like an excellent use of the depressing amounts of time we spend there. Because deep down, even if it's not a goal we devote a quote-themed Pinterest board to, we all just want to be our best selves.
Plus, self-esteem is just an all-around important factor in personal happiness. As a former Planned Parenthood Certified Responsible Sexuality Educator, one of the most important things I learned is that self-esteem effects everything from how we do in school to if and when we decide to have sex. Improving self-esteem at work will help your job performance, sure, but that self-esteem boost will also spill over in to other areas of your life. Basically, it's just win with a side of win and some more win on top.
If you're a fan of multitasking, you can now use your lunch breaks or bored moments to give yourself a boost.
1. Skip Social Media
Social media breaks are the new coffee breaks. Or if you're like me and don't drink coffee (gasp!), they're the new "every five minutes" breaks. But studies show that social media is both a self-esteem and a productivity killer. It's so easy to get lost down the rabbit hole of trending topics, news, baby pictures, cat videos, and that annoying drama mess your cousin started. You're better off spending that time water your lonely desk plant.
2. Build A Cube Of Dreams
Since you're totally a style icon anyway, you probably already have a decked out desk. But in order to use your space to improve self-esteem, you also need to put up inspirational pictures, quotes, and goal boards. Keep them updated and look at them all the time. And in addition to items that represent your hopes and dreams, you also need to post things that remind you on the regular that you're basically killing it.
3. Do Desk Exercises
Exercise, as we all know, releases those feel-good chemicals that fight depression, help us sleep, and give us smug workout pics to Instagram. But it also improves self-esteem.You probably won't be able to get a jog-worthy sweat on at your desk, but you can get your heart rate up, improve your posture, and strengthen your muscles from the comforts of your computer chair.
4. Dust Off Your Evaluations
You probably have a pile of evaluations (that were good enough to ignore) taking up a file in your expertly organized filing cabinet. If so, you have a perfect weapon in the battle against low self-esteem. Look them over with an objective eye and pick out the things you honestly agree you could improve. You'll do better at work, your boss will fall all over you with compliments, you'll get a promotion, and all your dreams will come true. Ok, that may be a slight exaggeration, but improving your work performance really will make you feel good about yourself.
5. Toughen Up
One of the most important factors to high work self-esteem is resiliency, according to Forbes. You have to learn take failure in stride and to bounce back from bad days, lost clients, poor reviews, and other negative setbacks you encounter on a daily basis. Those setbacks are inevitable, according to the magazine. Learning to handle them like a boss is a sure sign of self-esteem.
6. Filter Your Thoughts
You can't have high self-esteem if you're constantly in your own head telling yourself how much you suck at life. This goes double when you're at work because you're actively doing things that are important to your livelihood. Every single time you hear yourself think thinks like "why did you say that" or "omg, this is terrible" or "I suck at life" you need to shut it down and say three positive things about yourself. Do this until it comes naturally and you'll have a powerful ally: yourself.
7. Tie Up Loose Ends
Worry has a big impact on self-esteem. If there are tasks you're not sure about, get clarification. If there is a project you messed up, ask your boss how you can redeem yourself. If your desk is a mess, clean it. If you stress every morning, get up earlier. If you're an organizational disaster, get it together. All of the loose ends you can tie up will make you feel more together, prepared, and successful. Plus, with all those worries gone, you have more room in your head to talk about how amazing you are.
And don't forget to carry your good habits home to keep the high self-esteem train rolling.
