In my last blog I talked about the power of red flags in relationships and the importance of not only noticing them, but acting on them when you realize you are being disrespected or with a person who does not have your best interests at heart.
It goes without saying that a fundamental part of developing healthy self esteem and self respect is not allowing other people to disrespect you and if they continue to, then having enough respect for yourself and your life that you walk away.
In this article I want to share some ideas with you that can help you to develop stronger self esteem and self respect than ever before, helping you to make changes in your life and business that you may have been putting off for a while now.
When you have healthy levels of self respect you naturally take better care of yourself, are a better friend and partner and live a happier and more fulfilling life.
Here are five ways to develop stronger self esteem and self respect
Notice red flags in your relationships
If people are giving you warning signs that they are not good for you, notice and act on them. If someone (a friend, partner or business associate) is disrespecting you and behaving badly, you do not have to tolerate it. A key to remember is that people's actions speak louder than words. If someone is acting badly towards you and keeps doing it, you have every right to not have them in your life anymore. Walking away from toxic people is one of the best ways to boost your self respect.
Create an absolute NO list
Once you learn to identify red flags, a great exercise is to create what I call an "absolute no" list. These are things you will not tolerate in your life anymore. In relationships it could be things like critical comments or put downs or disrespectful behaviour. In friendships it might be things like gossip etc. Getting clear on things that are an absolute no for you will help you to cultivate relationships that are healthy for both of you.
Write a self care schedule
What makes you feel good? Think about different ways you can create a self care schedule and put it on your phone, up on the fridge or on a notice board by your desk. Schedule in things like massages, therapies, workouts with friends or whatever makes you feel good. The more you take care of yourself emotionally and physically, the easier it is to develop healthy self esteem and self respect
Be mindful of your influences
The people we spend the most time with have a profound influence on the way we see the world and the way we feel about ourselves. Toxic people will normally become agitated when you decide to walk away from them to give yourself permission to deal with that in a supportive way for yourself if you need to.
Aim to surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself and represent the sort of qualities you want to amplify in your own life. The same goes for being mindful about not spending time with people who have a negative view on relationships or life- they'll just try and drag you down with them (trust me!)
Show up for yourself
My final piece of advice on developing healthy self esteem and self respect is to follow through with your goals and intentions. Every time you break a promise to yourself or don't follow through with something that you said you would do, you lose a little respect for yourself. Showing up for yourself means being true to your word and
Notice which of the above strategies resonate most with you and take steps to implement them in your life this week!