For some of us, experiencing disappointment or a disheartening event often takes a toll on our pride and self-esteem. When life's twists and turns get the best of us, sometimes all we want to do is shut everything out and wallow in our own self-pity. As we all know, doing nothing and overthinking is not a productive way to overcome anything. The most productive way to overcome a setback is to remember your self-worth, pick yourself up, and turn the situation into a learning experience. Sensitive egos and fragile hearts break easily, so here are 5 useful tips to make yourself feel better when your self-esteem is suffering.
1. Listen to sad music
Does listening to sad music fuel the fire? Yes. But, does listening to sad music eventually make you feel better? Yes. Speaking from experience, listening to happy music when your heart isn't happy can make you feel even worse. You're meant to grieve, so let yourself grieve. The key in wallowing in a sad playlist is to not let yourself indulge for too long. Spend a day or two listening to a pity party playlist and then give it up. Wipe your tears and move on.
2. Take a bath
It doesn't matter what you're going through that's making you feel subpar, being clean will automatically boost your mood. It doesn't matter if you have to have a cry while you're in the shower, just get clean. Wash your hair, exfoliate, brush your teeth, moisturize. Take the best bubble bath you can concoct. When you're clean and your skin is soft, you're one step closer to feeling back to normal.
3. Put on your prettiest clothes
This tip is targeted for women because when I say to "put on your prettiest clothes," I kind of just mean to wear your prettiest bra and panties when you're feeling bad about yourself/your body. If you aren't feeling as beautiful as you should, try wearing your prettiest intimates under your clothes, even if you're just going to sit on the couch all day. You need, and deserve, to feel good about yourself. It's not necessary to look in the mirror and critique every part of your body. In fact, it's the last thing you need to do when trying to make yourself feel better. Put on pretty lingerie and just enjoy feeling beautiful and sexy, because you are.
4. Write a letter
This is something that you can do in response to the most insignificant setbacks to the most heartbreaking tragedies. If you're upset, you need to vent. Unfortunately, there's not always someone there that you can vent to, uncensored. For this reason, it is so helpful to write a letter to whoever hurt you, or whatever fits your situation. Be descriptive and cruel. You need to let out all of your feelings without holding back. When you've finished the letter, you can do whatever you want with it, just don't give it to the person to which it's addressed. Burn it, throw it away, or keep it to read at a later date, just keep it private. If you find yourself needing to write unsendable letters often, considering keeping a journal for this very purpose.
5. Go outside
As comforting as it feels to sit inside all day and overthink whatever painful situation you're going through, what will help you get over the hardship is spending time outdoors. I'm not telling you to go run around your neighborhood bawling your eyes out and causing a scene. I'm also not telling you to sit in the middle of the woods and try to bond with nature. Something as simple as stepping outside for a breath of fresh air can make you feel so much better. Sometimes, if it feels like your world is crumbling around you, take a few minutes out of your day to admire all of the beauty around you. If you do this long enough, your problems won't seem so monstrous at all.
I hope that you all will give these tips a try next time you're feeling down. Remember to let yourself grieve for an appropriate amount of time before trying to pick yourself up and starting the process of growing into a better you. Time may heal all wounds, but what you do with that time is what truly counts.
