We all have days where negative thoughts about ourselves inundate our minds. These intrusive thoughts instantly put us in a bad mood, which seems impossible to avoid. Experiencing low self-esteem days is completely normal.
Remember, you are not your thoughts. But, these ten activities will assist you in grappling with a bad confidence day.
1. Acknowledge Your Feelings
Although it may be natural, trying to ignore your negative feelings by distracting yourself is not going to help subside your intrusive thoughts. As you've probably heard, half the battle is recognizing how you're feeling, as this is key to overcoming these feelings. You most likely will find that acknowledging the fact that you're having a low self-esteem day is difficult, more than you might think. But, once you push yourself to do so, you can work to surpass these negative feelings.
2. Exercise
It is understandable to not feel motivated on a bad confidence day. But, to deal with a low confidence day, you have to challenge yourself to do things that may feel burdensome and uncomfortable. Taking a quick walk around your neighborhood or even doing a ten-minute workout will put you in a better mood.
Exercising does not need to be strenuous. Even doing yoga or stretching will allow you to move your body in a low-impact form.
3. Tomorrow Is A New Day
Make sure to remind yourself that tomorrow will be a new day, a fresh start. The negative feelings you're experiencing are temporary and will disappear soon. Sometimes, having a low self-esteem day will push you to be more positive and kind to yourself the following day. Also, bad confidence days make you stronger, and it is important to be able to overcome negative thoughts and emotions.
4. Give Yourself A Break
A bad confidence day is a day where you need to take time for yourself. Do the things you love, even if it means ignoring your to-do list for the day. Remind yourself that you deserve time to unwind and relax.
You are human, and you should let yourself feel. Putting on a fake smile or a mask is a temporary change. If you don't allow yourself to truly feel your emotions, the same feelings will come back. So, urge yourself to feel, and then, you can finally move on.
5. Ignore Social Media
Scrolling on social media for hours on end will most likely end up making you feel worse about yourself. When trying to get through a bad confidence day, disengaging from activities that will aggravate your negative feelings is key. So, if you know that social media affect your mental well-being, avoiding them for one day might serve your best interest. But, if this is an unrealistic goal for you, challenge yourself to only take a look at accounts that bring you up, not down.
6. Take A Soothing Shower Or Bath
Taking a nice hot bath or shower is one of my favorite forms of self-care. Turn on some music, take a few deep breaths, and enjoy some time by yourself. You can even read a book or a magazine, depending on what sounds the most enjoyable to you.
I love to put on a podcast whenever I am taking a long bath. Whatever you choose to do to relax when taking a bath, push yourself to stay in the present.
7. Think About Aspects Of Your Life That Make You Happy
When you catch yourself being unnecessarily hard on yourself, think about parts of your life that bring you joy. Have you had any recent successes that you're proud of? Did you catch up with your friends a few days ago? Remind yourself that you are not worthless by reflecting on aspects of your life that bring you happiness.
8. Surround Yourself With Positive People
Spending time with people who bring you joy is a great way to overcome low self-esteem. But, depending on your personality, spending a bad confidence day alone might be a better choice. Take a moment to understand what you feel like doing, whether that includes being with friends and those closest to you or being alone for the day.
9. Treat Yourself Like You Would Treat A Friend
Though this is a common saying, it is always important to remind yourself of it when you find yourself having a low confidence day. If your friend felt unconfident, what would you say to them? Most likely, you would remind them of the qualities you appreciate in them to make them feel worthy.
So, I urge you to do the same for yourself. Don't tear yourself down when you need to treat yourself with kindness the most.
10. Remind Yourself That No One Is Perfect
All our negative self-talk is different. For some, bad body image is a struggle. For others, feeling that they are not doing enough in their lives can be the challenge that they are trying to overcome.
Whatever your battle is, it is essential to remind yourself that no one is perfect. The person you are comparing yourself to is comparing themselves to someone else. "Perfect" does not exist, and therefore, you will always fail to achieve society's standards.
Low self-esteem days are inevitable. Rather than trying to avoid them, work to handle them well. Prioritize taking care of yourself, and reminding yourself of your worth. These ten activities are here to help you with getting through a bad confidence day.
