Women tend to be the nurturers in their relationships and families.  Being the nurturer frequently means putting her own needs on the back burner.  This is where problems with reduced self-esteem can begin.  Many times the people being nurtured take the nurturer for granted; if the nurturer doesn’t have enough confidence in her own activities, self-esteem can plummet.

How can self-esteem be boosted in this type of situation?

1.  Always do your best no matter what you do.  There is a certain satisfaction that comes from “a job well done.”
2.  You cannot force anyone appreciate you.    Make sure that you can derive satisfaction from much of what you do.  If you don’t value what you do, it’s likely that no one else will.
3. If you are not satisfied with much of what you do, actively think about ways to change those things.  Make sure you are not doing things that others could do for themselves.
4.  Shake things up periodically.  Humans need challenges; something to reach for.  Consider things you dream about doing, pick one and go for it.  Whether it’s taking a class about something you’ve wanted to learn, skydiving, or learning a new computer program.
5.  Connect with others.  Connect with friends, relatives, or people you meet in your “shake it up” activity.
6.  Speak positively to yourself and about yourself.  Sometimes this can be difficult.  You need not be self-aggrandizing, simply positive.  If you speak poorly to or about yourself, you won’t be setting others up to think positively about you.

7.  Contribution is a human need.  Doing for others instead of just yourself requires you to go beyond your own needs and focus on others.

Remember to help build your self-esteem, you must take care of your human needs which include focusing on your positives, growth, contributing to others, and understanding your own significance.

Learn more about increasing your self-esteem in Boosting Self-Esteem:  Be Your Own Heroine which can be found here