Low self-esteem is associated with many negative things, including social withdrawal, sensitivity to criticism, constant worry about personal issues, and hostility. In short, it can impact the overall quality of your life. In psychology, self-esteem is defined by several factors such as self-confidence, feeling of competence and security, identity, and sense of belonging.

Healthy self-esteem is essential for us to express our needs better, have a positive outlook on life, accept our strengths and weaknesses, and feel confident. However, for those who have low self-esteem, these things are much hard to achieve. Discover below what simple wellness habits can help boost your self-esteem.

1. Cold showers

Did you know that a cold shower is clinically proven to relieve depressive and anxiety symptoms? In fact, there’s even a thing called cold shower therapy used to treat certain health conditions. Showering in cold water can help reduce body inflammation, boost your energy levels, and deepen your sleep.

Keep in mind, though, that it’s still best to talk to your doctor first before trying out cold shower therapy. Also, this technique is only helpful for ease down symptoms of anxiety, not entirely get rid of it. And if you’re feeling less anxious, then it’s certainly easier for you to feel good and happier.

2. Lifting weights

Making your body stronger can help boost your self-esteem, particularly your confidence, and lifting weights is one of the simplest ways to do that. Experts claim that the stress and tension inside your body tend to evaporate as you push yourself to be exhausted.

Apart from that, lighting weights can improve physical and mental strength, making you feel stronger and more confident. For women, you can improve your attractiveness or femininity by having strong legs and firm butt, while for men, having a thicker chest and broader shoulders can help boost masculinity.

3. Good dental hygiene

Our teeth are a big factor that impacts our self-esteem and our entire mental well-being. Studies reveal that adults that are either avoid showing their teeth or not happy with their smiles tend to have lower confidence. This makes total sense as to how you confidently smile if you have a missing, discolored, or crooked tooth. Poor dental hygiene can even lead to serious health problems such as chronic bad breath and even stroke and heart attack.

Visit your trusted dentist regularly and get your regular cleaning or dental treatments. Make it also a habit to properly brush your teeth and floss daily. Also, avoid eating types of food or drinks that are bad for your teeth, such as carbonated drinks, sour candies, potato chips, bread, and citrus.

4. Meditation

Another science-backed method to reduce anxiety is meditation. And the trust is, anxiety is a huge self-esteem killer. A person who is constantly anxious or stressed out often finds it difficult to be comfortable doing activities. By practicing meditation, you can help put your body and mind in a state of focus and tranquility. This practice can also help boost your self-belief and inner confidence, removing all those unnecessary fears, insecurities, and doubts. It helps you connect within your inner self and bring acceptance into your life.

5. Writing

While some experts are not exactly sure how writing can bring positivity into a person’s life, others believe it has something to do with recognizing and releasing our emotions and thoughts. This simple habit can basically help you dive deeper into yourself, particularly your feelings. Writing increases an individual’s mindfulness and gratitude, which are essential for us to feel good about ourselves.

Besides your thoughts, emotions, or feelings, you can even write messages for yourself containing your greatest characteristics and things you should be thankful for. Through that, you can have the self-awareness you need that results in increased self-worth.

6. Deep sleep

Not many people know that deep, quality sleep can lead to positive traits such as self-esteem and optimism. In fact, several pieces of research found that people with less than six hours of sleep tend to have lower self-esteem and optimism. Sleep deprivation is also associated with feelings of sadness, frustration, and anger, making it hard for a person to feel good. Be sure that you get enough hours of sound sleep. It can increase your energy levels and enable your brain to work through your daily stressors.

By incorporating these simple habits into your everyday life, you can slowly yet surely increase your self-esteem and have a healthier body and mind. You can start appreciating the good things in your life and feel good about yourself, which eventually leads to a more creative, active, and happier life.