5 Key Ways To Build Your Self-Respect

Everyone has moments where they don't feel great about themselves, and it's natural to experience moments where we are low on confidence. But a lack of self-respect is a chronic problem. And it goes hand in hand with low self-esteem, and when those two things have their claws in you, it can be detrimental to your mental health. So, what can you do to build your self-respect?

1. Respect And Responsibility

It's difficult to imagine respecting others when you don't respect yourself. People who lack self-respect will often put others down in a bid to make themselves feel better. Try to look for the good qualities that others have because it's a good way to make seeing your good qualities easier.

You are the only person responsible for your life and by respecting others and yourself, you put yourself in control. You aren't a victim unless you lean into that role. You are capable of making real change happen and building the life you want. It starts by accepting responsibility for yourself.

2. Be Assertive

When someone disrespects you, you should take the necessary steps to stop it. Someone who respects themselves won't allow others to treat them poorly. They wouldn't choose to associate with someone who behaves disrespectfully. So, when the behaviour presents itself, they stand up for themselves and let others know that type of behaviour is not acceptable.

3. Accept Yourself

You can't accept yourself if you don't first take the time to get to know yourself. The greater you understand yourself, the easier it becomes to recognize just how unique you are. It's a journey to discover your abilities, values, and personality.

By accepting yourself, you put a stop to people-pleasing behaviors and develop your own standards. You build your own character. Self-acceptance is the key to being true to yourself.

4. Accept Realism

Humans are sensitive creatures and criticism can hurt, even if it's offered in kindness. But part of the human experience is receiving criticism, whether it's a partner speaking up for what they need from you or your boss establishing expectations. It's part and parcel of life, and part of building self-respect means learning how to handle criticism when it's offered.

As difficult as it might be, you can't take it personally. And it will be difficult, especially if it feels as though it isn't intended to be constructive. That is an inevitability all on its own. There are always people who will try to leverage criticism as a means to control or upset you. The key is to look at all criticism objectively – as challenging as it might be, you have to detach yourself from it.

5. Focus & Forgiveness

This advice is two-fold because you can focus on focus and focus on forgiveness. Motivation matters more than the result and if you get caught up trying to equate or compare self-respect to material wealth, you are making a mistake.

Forgiveness is a key part of building self-respect because you need to learn how to forgive yourself. You can't live in the past, you have to let go of the idea that your mistakes are burdens to carry on your shoulders. You may have been through a lot in the past, but you deserve to find happiness moving forward.

By working on these tips to build self-respect, you are taking the wheel to be responsible for your life. If there's something you want in the future, the journey to make it happen starts here. You can't build self-respect by seeking praise from others.

And self-love is an important part of the journey – you might make a wrong step or slip up, but you should never put yourself down.

Tina Rose

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Empowerment & Transformation Academy