08 December 2022

How to Improve Self-Esteem With Generalized Anxiety Disorder

By Scott Mathews, Content Writer and World-Traveler - 

General Anxiety Disorder is something challenging to live with, especially when your self-confidence is at your lowest. However, gaining back the strength and power to change your life is possible. Not easy, but it's possible to improve self-esteem when you suffer from General Anxiety Disorder.

Believing in yourself is the first step towards evolution. So, before starting to dive into this subject, take ten minutes to breathe and think about all of your accomplishments. Write them down on a piece of paper and then meditate upon them. What makes you genuinely proud? How would you describe yourself in those particular past situations?

Now that you’ve taken some time to think and evaluate your amazing results, let’s get down to business. We will present you with seven tips on how to improve your self-esteem and help you rediscover your inner beauty.

#1 - Don’t Identify Yourself With It

People suffering from various disorders often choose to put tags on themselves – “My anxiety is over the top,” “I can’t handle another minute with myself only,” “I tremble and have no clue what to do next,” “I am so anxious and depressed and sad, and it all comes right at me!”

These might be some of the thoughts passing through your mind. Let me reemphasize that. These might be some of the THOUGHTS passing through your MIND. Identifying yourself with your thoughts automatically leads you to identify yourself with your illness. Thoughts and words have different vibrations. If you choose to think positively, you’ll immediately feel better.

Dr. Emoto Masaru, a renowned Japanese scientist, conducted a scientific study on how words can impact our overall vibrations. He used water as an example, studying its changes in molecular structure when exposed to different human words, thoughts, or sounds. The results were stunning. It turns out that water exposed to love, kindness, and acceptance results in stronger molecular formations.

“The same goes with humans,” shares Ian Farewell, former content writer at XpertWriters.com and current medical student. “Our bodies react to our thoughts and emotions. So, if we think positive, we attract positive. This is how the Universe works,” ends Farewell.

So, don’t put a tag on yourself. You are not your illness. Yes, it’s true that your mind and body suffer, but things can change if you seriously decide to take action. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind –

  • Use kind words and stay away from stressful situations as much as possible. Surround yourself with the right, positive people. Create your own reality.
  • Remember that your pain is temporary. You are NOT your disease.
  • Stop complaining. Yes, this sounds harsh, but you should not talk about your disease day and night. Doing this will hold you back, so you might find it harder to recover.
  • Stop other people from talking about it with you. Having other people constantly remind you of your “state” doesn’t help either, does it?

#2 - Accept It and Let Go

Accept your current situation. Don’t say “I’m fine” as your tears start falling down your cheeks. If you know you need help, accept it. Since you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’ve already done so.

Now the next move is letting go – letting go of trying to be someone you are not. Be the person you are, inherently. Be honest with yourself. Find out what your needs are. Find out what your goals are. Find out what genuinely makes you happy. How? Keep reading.

#3 - Choose Your Own Set of Values

Discovering your personal set of values is an incredibly powerful step towards becoming self-confident. When we start acting in our advantage and not vice versa, amazing things start happening in our lives. In the end, your values define yourself. If you honor them correspondingly, you won’t ever have to deal with people crossing your boundaries anymore.

By setting your values, you’ll also become aware of what is truly important to you and will quickly clarify your priorities. For this, you’ll have to make journal writing a regular practice. Some values might pop out from the top of your head, but others might have to be discovered. Keep a journal and write down when someone crosses a line, or something bothers you.

Here you can find a website and a book that changed my life. I recommend it to you with all my love.

#4 - Perform a Thorough Self-Analysis to Find the Root

Find the cause of your problems. If you get there, you understand that this “disease” cannot prevail in the face of true consciousness. There are many things in our lives which can trigger our anxieties, so you might want to consider these questions:

  • Have you been diagnosed with a chronic disease such as cancer? If so, here is an interesting article to check out.
  • Are you taking any medications? Could they influence your mood?
  • Are you drinking coffee daily? A 2010 study has shown that people with anxiety disorders are sensitive to the effects of caffeine since the latter can also induce anxiety symptoms.
  • Are you eating regularly? What are you eating?
  • Are you highly stressed out? If so, see point six.
  • Are you aware of any personal triggers that might have taken place in your past? Analyze your childhood years first, then continue up to the present moment.

#5 - Listen to Your Intuition

“When your gut tells you what to do, listen to it!” writes Dan Smithson on his website, Assignment Holic. So, why should you listen to your intuition?

  • Your intuition has its roots in your past experiences – your subconscious learned from its mistakes, so it is trying to warn you that something might be wrong/right for you.
  • Your intuition is encoded in your brain, writes Psychology Today.
  • Your intuition makes all the connections within your body.

Listening to your intuition is crucial in gaining self-confidence! You won’t have to listen to others’ people directions anymore and lose your identity; you’ll do exactly what you please!

#6 - Meditate

Meditation is another form of connecting with your body and spirit and gaining increasing self-awareness and confidence. There are various meditation types you could choose from, including concentration, mindfulness, walking, or other interesting techniques, recommends College Paper. Find out more about it right here.

#7 - WORK OUT!

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has established a positive correlation between exercise and decreased anxiety levels. Science has already proved that people engaging in constant physical activity show lower rates of depression than those who don’t. So, hit the gym! Go for a walk! Go for a jog! Go hiking! Do whatever you’d like, just don’t forget to work out!

Wrapping Up

Improving your self-esteem won’t happen overnight. You must respect yourself enough to start working with your mind. So, don’t forget to apply all of the above tips and see which one fits your motivation the best!

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