If you struggle with self-doubt, it’s time to learn to love yourself more and build your sense of self-worth. Learn more about how to do so today!
We often hear about the significance of having high self-esteem, and with that comes an avalanche of ways we can improve this quality. With all these recommendations on how best to work on your self-esteem, it’s a challenge to know just where to start.
If you’re hoping to find a beneficial way to work on your self-esteem and reap additional health benefits, meditation may be just what you’re looking for. In this article, we’ll share how to boost self esteem through meditation. Then, we’ll help you find a practice to achieve these goals. Keep reading to learn more!
Topics covered:
- What exactly is self-esteem?
- How can meditation boost self-esteem?
- Meditation practices to improve self-esteem
- Increase your self-esteem with The Art of Living
What exactly is self-esteem?
High self-esteem is a quality that all healthy individuals must possess and goes hand in hand with self-respect. It helps us believe in ourselves, feel confident enough to try new things, and trust our instincts. It’s not surprising that people with high self-esteem are more likely to be successful, achieve their dreams, and feel satisfied in their relationships.
Of course, having high self-esteem doesn’t mean that you believe you are perfect. Rather, a person with this quality knows they are valuable. Although there are areas in which they can improve, their mistakes don’t detract from their value. Knowing this gives them the self-confidence needed to accept criticism. Rather than feeling like a failure, they use their mistakes to learn and grow.
On the other hand, low self-esteem can be detrimental to our mental health, leading us to accept less than what we deserve. For example, we may fall short of our potential due to fear of failure, allow ourselves to be treated unfairly, or tolerate abusive relationships. Not surprisingly, people with low self-esteem are more likely to become depressed.
Many people deal with low self-esteem, so rest assured you’re not alone. The fact that you are reading this article shows that you know you are worthy and deserve to feel better about yourself.
How can meditation boost self-esteem?
Establishing a regular meditation practice is a great way to care for yourself, both physically and mentally. Generally, those who practice self-care feel more confident, so it’s no surprise that meditation can have positive effects on your self-esteem. However, there are specific benefits of meditation that make it different than other forms of self-care.
- Improved clarity on negative thoughts: Because meditation leads to awareness, we are more attentive to our thoughts and behaviors. That means we are more likely to spot negative thoughts and feelings. Instead of believing the negative thoughts we have, we recognize that these are just thoughts and aren’t necessarily true.
- By training ourselves to recognize our negative thoughts before they take root and lower our self-esteem, we can break this destructive cycle.
- Invites you to stay more present: When you meditate, you are more mindful and live in the present moment. This state of mind prevents negative thoughts from consuming your mind because you direct more of your attention to the moment at hand. The less time you spend thinking about yourself, the less preoccupied you are with your perceived flaws.
- Compassion during meditation: Meditation can help us develop our sense of compassion, which allows us to be gentler with ourselves. Instead of thinking of ourselves in harsh terms or comparing ourselves with others, we learn self-acceptance. This allows us to be kind and treat ourselves with the same compassion we would give to others.
Meditation practices to improve your self-esteem
Now that you know how meditation can help your self-esteem, you likely want to know which types of meditation practices are best. Here are some different types of meditation practices:
Compassion meditation
Compassion meditations focus on uplifting ourselves through loving-kindness. It helps generate positive energy and feelings of self-love. These meditations are perfect for those who criticize themselves or struggle with perfectionism.
The result of being more self-compassionate is accepting who we are. Even if we would like to make some changes, we realize that we can love ourselves how we are now.
After soaking in compassion, it’s much harder to focus on the negative thoughts that creep up and try to convince us we aren’t worthy.
Meditation for letting go
Meditation helps you live in the moment, and when you do this, you release everything else temporarily. When you completely rest your mind, you let go of your identity, including your self-image and self-esteem. This creates space for a natural realization of our true, natural beauty and wisdom.
This is good practice for overthinkers who have trouble letting go of what’s bothering them, especially when it’s negative thoughts that make them feel bad about themselves. With each deep breath, you release negative ideas you have about yourself and build the inner strength you need to quiet them outside your meditation practice.
Forgiveness meditation
Forgiveness isn’t something we should only lend to others who have wronged us — we should also forgive ourselves when we make mistakes. If you’re dealing with guilt or feel that your perception of yourself is clouded by something you’ve done in the past, it is time to let all of that go.
Self-forgiveness isn’t something you just do once. You can repeat this process many times, whenever you feel regret or guilt. Getting into the habit of releasing these emotions before they have a chance to consume you and lower your self-worth will help you build your self-esteem.
Gratitude meditation
Building your self-esteem isn’t just about getting rid of negative thoughts. It’s also important to direct your attention to the good things in life. Focus on what you are grateful to yourself for, including your positive qualities and achievements, no matter how small they are. It could be something as simple as your healthy habits, your resilience, or the love you give to others. This practice helps you learn to love and thank yourself for all you do, which is a confidence booster.
You can do one of our guided gratitude meditations or create your own script. If you choose the latter, you can change it every day to reflect what you are feeling grateful for. Either read it or record a version to listen to during your gratitude meditation session.
Increase your self-esteem with The Art of Living
It’s worthwhile for anyone to build high self-esteem and accept themselves for who they are. Doing so can help you live a happier life, reach your goals, and develop better relationships with others.
There are many different meditation practices to choose from, but each of those listed above can help you quiet negative self-talk and build self-esteem! No matter which one you choose, it’s important to find a practice that works for you and stick to it.
If you’re a beginner, we recommend trying one of our meditation courses such as SKY Breath, which can help you learn to control your thoughts and build confidence. In addition, it’s effective at reducing stress and improving your sleep quality. For more information, join one of our introductory sessions free of charge!
If guided meditations are more your style, we invite you to download the Art of Living Journey app. It features a wide range of meditations, including those that help you improve your self-image and overall well-being. Best of all, you can do your meditations anywhere when you have them at your fingertips. Download Journey today, and start your 14-day free trial!
