I’m going to start with a question that I want you to carefully consider: what do you truly and honestly believe about yourself?

What sort of words jumped into your head? Were they loving, confident, gentle words? Or were they words of shame, hurt, and uncertainty? Were they something like “I’m a good person, a hard worker, and a kind friend”? Or did they sound more like “I’m too lazy, I’m not successful enough, and all my friends secretly just put up with me”?

I’d be willing to bet that they were a mix between the two: “I’m a good person, but I could be better. I’m a hard worker, but it hasn’t paid off in the ways I’ve dreamed about. I’m a kind friend, but people take me for granted because I’m unlikeable.”

Low self-esteem is something that so many of us deal with. It has a myriad of causes ranging from the traumatic to the incidental, but one thing that I truly believe is that deep down, there will always be a part of yourself, no matter how small, that knows that you are worthy. That’s why you clicked on this article in the first place! Something inside of you knows that you deserve better than the lies you tell yourself, and the lies that others have told you, about your worth.

Each of us is a unique and beautiful human being, and each of us has something to offer the world. Repairing our self-confidence is a lifelong and highly individualized journey that takes a heck of a lot of work, but we’ve put together 10 easy ways to give yourself a boost whenever you need it.

1. Fake it ‘till you make it

If you act like you are already the most confident, secure person in the world, people are going to believe you. This, in turn, will encourage them to treat you with more respect and warmth, which will fuel your self-confidence. It’s a fantastic cycle to dive into!

2. Give yourself some love

As corny as it might initially feel, try smiling at yourself in the mirror. Then, tell yourself what you love about yourself. It could be as simple as the colour of your eyes, or as big as how you handled a tough time in your life. Try to list anywhere from three to five things. Repeat this exercise as often as you like, and for an extra challenge, try not to repeat anything from one self-love session to the next.

3. Learn to say no

Setting boundaries is an important part of building self-worth. Know what you are willing to take on in all spheres of life--family, friends, work, etc--and stick to it. You might feel as though saying yes to everything everyone asks of you will encourage people to respect and like you, but external validation is a fleeting and unsubstantial thing on which to base your self-worth. Learning to say no firmly but warmly will teach people to respect you and your boundaries.

4. Exercise

It’s hard to feel bad about yourself with all those endorphins running around in your system! Besides improving your strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health, exercises like yoga can help you sleep better, think more clearly, and boost your body image, too.

5. Take care of yourself and your surroundings

Personal grooming doesn’t have to be an exercise in vanity. It might sound basic, but as many of us can attest, it’s easy to fall into bad habits when you’re struggling with low self-esteem. Even if you’re having a study day at home or running frantically after your kids, take the time to shower, tidy up, and wear clean clothes every day. Taking care of yourself and your surroundings does wonders for your self-worth.

6. Get out of your comfort zone

Trying something new is a fantastic way to boost your self-esteem. Sign up for a fun fitness class, book a ticket to somewhere you’ve never been before, join a rec league sports team, or even just try a new creative hobby like painting or knitting.

7. Tell your inner voice to shut up

Sometimes you’ve got to just put your foot down. Next time you’ve got that nasty voice in your ear whispering that you’re not good enough, tell it to shut up. Literally. If you’re alone, you can even speak it out loud. I personally like to visualize grabbing that thought and hurling it as hard as I can into the sun. Not only is it cathartic, it’s funny too, and always lightens the mood.

8. Practice kindness and generosity

Let’s put it this way--even if you’ve failed at every single thing you did today, even if you embarrassed yourself or forgot something important for your work presentation or failed a test or ran into a pole with your car, if you did something kind for someone, that day is a success. You can feel good about that day. A kind word or gesture can mean the world to someone else.

Building your self-esteem and healing from low self-worth is a process. These are just a few of the everyday ways that you can begin that journey, but there are so many resources to help you take the next step with support. The core of The Happiness Program is designed to help you dig deeply into your old beliefs about yourself and replace them with new, stronger, and more aligned ways of living in the full bloom of self-worth.

So what will you do today to love yourself?

Paige Leigh Reist is a lifestyle writer and the blogger behind thewholesomehandbook.com.