Building and developing high self-esteem is one of the foundations for positive mental and emotional health. However, this is often easier said than done. And one of the main reasons that complicate this is the tendency to compare oneself with others, yes, when it is done from a toxic point of view, as is often the case. The reasons behind this behavior are varied, from the attempt to obtain social validation, to excessive competitiveness or feeling envy for what others have or have achieved.
When you make comparisons from negativity, what you get is the perfect breeding ground for suffering from low self-esteem and a fair amount of insecurities. Also, by focusing on other people’s concept of success and happiness, one’s own real goals and motivations are ignored. You lose your own identity. Therefore, it is essential to stop comparing yourself to others and practice self-acceptance.
The most important thing to avoid comparing yourself with others is to focus on your own goals, it’s that simple. Each person has their own path, their particular way of considering success and different achievements or objectives that bring them true satisfaction. Self-knowledge is critical to identifying these traits, allowing you to focus on them no matter what others are doing.
Another key is personal reinforcement, that is, analyzing everything that has been achieved so far from a positive point of view. You only have to look back a few years to realize how much progress has been made. This should be a boost to improve self-esteem and self-confidence. And, of course, self-acceptance will be essential.
Happiness is not about perfect lives, but about people who have known how to accept their particular circumstances and consider them from an optimistic point of view. For this reason, a necessary step to achieve self-acceptance is to accept oneself, thus increasing self-esteem and, therefore, confidence. It should be applied to all aspects, both of work and student life, as well as interpersonal relationships and possible insecurities of one.
In relation to the latter, another necessary aspect of self-acceptance to show gratitude to oneself. Looking back and around and reflecting on all that is worth feeling satisfied and grateful for. It is an exercise in empathy, which does not imply that negative feelings or non-conformity should be repressed or ignored. But it is important to see the positive side and forgive yourself for mistakes.
