1. Let yourself BE YOURSELF.
2. Give yourself permission to "try out" different selves, but be careful about making major changes.
3. Allow yourself to HAVE AND EXPRESS feelings. (You have to feel the lows to enjoy the highs.)
4. Allow yourself to move and grow and change. . .and to succeed!
5. Allow yourself to take some personal space and time. Make dates with yourself. Enjoy your company. After all, if you think about it, no one else is as well tuned into YOUR wants, needs, interests and desires as YOU and GOD are.
6. Give support to others and learnt to ACCEPT it in return.
7. Set realistic expectations for yourself. Break big goals into bite-size pieces.
8. Make sensuality a priority. Re-stimulating your tactile sensitivity can add a new dimension to your life experience.
9. Try new things and allow yourself to make mistakes.
10. Express valid personal wants and needs.
11. Take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, actions and ideas and keep communication lines open.
12. Work on communication skills. Learn to "read" other people and become more aware of yourself, too.
13. Start receiving and giving love.
14. Accept your body the way it is. If need be, that's the first step in changing it.
15. Become more aware of your body image. Visualize what you look like walking into a room. Listen to what you sound like. How do you feel toward other people (rigid, relaxed, etc.)?
16. Say "no" without feeling guilty.
17. Take time EACH DAY to relax. This is a great stress prevention method. (And a time saver in the long run.)
18. Become aware of what things are reinforcing you and use them.
19. Listen to your body. It will tell you all kinds of good things; like when you're hungry, when you're full, when you're tired, when you need to do something active, etc.
20. Allow yourself to fantasize.
21. Pray for self-esteem and visualize yourself with it. Hear yourself and feel yourself in successful situations.
22. Look UP. The old saying, "Things are looking up", actually has some truth to it.
23. Make lists of things you really like about yourself or things that you do well. Ask others to make the same kinds of lists for you.
24. Catch yourself doing things right and pat yourself on the back.
25. Restructure threats into challenges.
26. Learn to accept compliments.
27. PLAN TO FEEL GOOD.
Note: Make sure you bathe these things in prayer and do them to the glory of God. These principles are not meant to take away from the scriptures or the power of God. However, they are designed to be used with God and the Word in mind. They are based on biblical principles that will help believers boost their self-esteem.
