Say Goodbye to Low Self-Esteem, 5 Ways to Rebuild Self-Confidence
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By Jingduan Yang
12/18/2024Updated: 12/18/2024

Health Viewpoints

Many of us have experienced a loss of self-confidence, feeling doubtful about our values, and even falling into a state of low self-esteem. There are often complex reasons behind this.

Recognize Your Own Unique Value

Everyone comes into this world as a unique individual. Your appearance, gender, age, wealth, or even knowledge can’t fully determine your true value. Each of us exists with our own special meaning and purpose, which we need to discover and understand ourselves.

For example, you can ask yourself: “What are my strengths? What unique value can I bring to this world?” It’s best to avoid comparing your shortcomings with the strengths of others. Instead, spend more time improving yourself and finding your unique shining spot.

Overcome Negative Influences from Your Upbringing Environment

Some people lack self-esteem because they grew up in an environment where they were criticized constantly. Excessive criticism leaves long-lasting emotional and physical traumas, making us overly sensitive to criticism as adults and making it difficult to develop a true sense of self-esteem for ourselves.

We can improve this situation through psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Such therapies can help us revisit past experiences more positively. We can review their impact on our thinking and behavior, and make conscientious changes.

In addition, clinically we may also combine neuro-emotional therapy, acupuncture, and respiratory therapy. All these techniques can help ease our reactions to past traumatic encounters, especially our emotional and physical reactions. These reaction often occurs subconsciously.

Biochemical Factors Affecting Self-Esteem

Some experience low self-esteem due to a biochemical imbalance, such as hypomethylation. Methylation is a biochemical process associated with a variety of neurological diseases. For example, problems with methylation can lead to low levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. With hypomethylation, no amount of achievements make you feel the satisfaction and joy of success. Instead, you feel that you have still not done well enough and are also afraid of failure.

Problems like this may be improved through nutritional therapy, such as supplementing specific nutrients and adjusting the biochemical balance in the body, thereby helping our brains function better and bring us back to a better mental state.

Some patients with hypomethylation also suffer from a lack of vitamins C and B6 and pyroluria, which can cause symptoms of irritability, severe anxiety, and significant changes in mood. They are sometimes unable to withstand the pressure that comes during their endeavors, often resulting in failure and further loss of confidence. Some studies have found that low folate levels are associated with reduced overall methylation levels, and that supplementing folate can regulate methylation and offset methylation abnormalities caused by toxic substances or malnutrition.

Both hypomethylation and pyroluria can be diagnosed through blood and urine tests and can be treated with specific nutrients.

The Value of Our Soul

Our true essence is, in fact, the soul. Therefore, apart from physical, psychological, and biochemical factors,  understanding of our soul is the core of building self-esteem.

The value of our soul does not depend on appearance, wealth, or achievements but on our ability to live out universal truths such as love, tolerance, compassion, and kindness. When a person embodies these qualities through actions, emotions, and thoughts, their soul radiates a unique brilliance, fostering a deep sense of confidence and fulfillment from within.

No matter what the external conditions are, as long as you can commit to self-cultivation, spiritual practice, and helping others, you will be able to discover your own unique value.

5 Things to Improve Self-Esteem

I would like to share some tips to help you improve your self-esteem.

1. Affirm Yourself Every Day

Write down three things that make you feel proud every day, or smile in the mirror and say to yourself, “You are awesome.”

2. Mindfulness Meditation and Breathing

Spend 10 to 15 minutes every day focusing on your breathing and feeling inner peace to reduce negative emotions.

A 2023 meta-analysis found that practicing deep breathing has the effect of reducing stress and relieving anxiety.  And deep breathing is safe, simple, and can be done anytime, anywhere.

3. Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise strengthens your body and makes you feel in control of your life.

4. Stop Comparing

By all means stop making meaningless comparisons. Don’t compare, don’t compete, don’t complain. In this way, you will not chase what others have but focus on discovering yourself.

5. Accept imperfection

Embrace your so-called imperfections. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and they all stem from the same foundation. It’s impossible to be perfect in every situation. Therefore, accept your imperfections and focus on maximizing your strengths.

There are many reasons for low self-esteem, but we can gradually improve ourselves through cognitive adjustments, psychological and physical treatment, and even working on the soul-level. Most importantly, you must believe that everyone has their unique value, and so do you. 

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Dr. Jingduan Yang, FAPA, is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in integrative and traditional Chinese medicine for chronic mental, behavioral, and physical illnesses. Dr. Yang is also the founder and medical director of the Yang Institute of Integrative Medicine and the American Institute of Clinical Acupuncture and the CEO of Northern Medical Center in New York state. He contributed to the books "Integrative Psychiatry," "Medicine Matters," and "Integrative Therapies for Cancer." He also co-authored "Facing East: Ancient Secrets for Beauty+Health for Modern Age" by HarperCollins and "Clinical Acupuncture and Ancient Chinese Medicine" by Oxford Press.

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