Welcome to the 'Game of Life' Newsletter

Many of us suffer from low self-esteem at one level or another and most of us grow up feeling that we're not good enough, not clever enough, not attractive enough or not whatever enough to truly have a wonderful life. But judging and rejecting yourself can cause enormous turmoil. In the same way you would protect a cut on your finger with a plaster, you find yourself avoiding anything in your life that might make you feel perturbed, by taking fewer social, academic and career risks.

Here are my 7 tips for combating low self-esteem.

Listen out for your Inner Critic. Your Inner Critic is that negative voice inside your head that constantly tells you that you're not good enough, clever enough, attractive enough etc. The first step on the journey to increasing self-esteem is to pay attention to your internal dialog. We consistently bombard ourselves with negative messages, which only makes us feel worse. We must make a conscious effort to block out these negative messages, but first we must become aware of them. Start noticing the kind of things your Inner Critic tells you and write them down on a daily basis.

Tune into your Inner Guide. Your Inner Guide is that loving, caring and nurturing voice inside your head. It’s the voice that tells you how wonderful, unique and special you are. The problem is, most of us are conditioned to listen to the louder more aggressive voice of our Inner Critic, so unfortunately we can’t hear the quieter, softer and more loving voice of our Inner Guide. Notice the kind of things your Inner Guide tells you by spending 10 minutes tuning in every day. If you do this you will instantly start to feel better about yourself.

Accept who you are. Many of us think we need to mould ourselves into some false image that society portrays. We must stop comparing ourselves to others and start accepting ourselves for who we are. If you’re consistently looking for approval from others you’re on a road to nowhere, we must learn to love ourselves. A great way to do this is mirror work. Mirror work is great for helping to challenge limiting beliefs about yourself. Stand in front of a large mirror and look at yourself directly in the eyes and affirm positive statements about yourself such as ‘I love you’, ‘I feel totally confident’ or ‘I am happy with my appearance’. Do this on a daily basis for two or three minutes and notice the difference it makes to the way you feel.

Take care of yourself. Look after your appearance, watch what you eat, and exercises regularly. If you look after yourself on the outside it will help you to feel good on the inside too.

Get out of your comfort zone. One way to raise your self-esteem is to break free from the status quo and do something different. Most of us do the same thing day in, day out, yet we expect to see different results, we’re deluding ourselves. We drive the same route to work, wear the same style of clothes, shop in the same shops - we need to stretch our comfort zones more. Try learning a foreign language, taking a different route to work, or buying a colour you would never normally wear. The more you stretch yourself on a daily basis the more confident you'll feel. Do the thing you've always wanted and stop procrastinating!

List your achievements. At the end of every week or month write down all your new achievements from changing where you do your grocery shop to applying for a new job. Ensure you list everything, both big and small. Take a few minutes to read your list and soak up every word. If you do this regularly, you will build a portfolio of evidence that will not only help increase your self-esteem tenfold, it will encourage you keep trying new things and expand further.

Create your support team. Your support team could be your mom or your partner, it could be a good book on confidence building or even a coach or mentor. The job of your support team is to help you on your journey to living a confident life. Your support team gives you the encouragement, motivation, focus and determination you need to push forward in the right direction. Who will you recruit as your support team?

Follow these simple tips and watch your self-esteem soar!

Louise Presley-Turner is a qualified Life Coach working with private individuals and small businesses. If you would like to book a FREE trial session with Louise, or receive your FREE guide to creating a better life visit www.thegameoflife.co.uk, email louise@thegameoflife.co.uk, or call 01746 71 61 51