The most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one you have with yourself. If you have a relentlessly inner critic who finds fault, shame, and stigma, you need to learn to silence or let go of the critic.

It’s not easy to build your self worth. It takes time and practice. Don’t give up once you start! That’s key to the whole thing.

Acknowledge your thoughts.

Thoughts influence your approach to life. Mindfulness and meditation are two great tools to help manage your thoughts. Mindfulness and meditation make you aware of thoughts that you might not really be aware of – that nagging self doubt, anxiety, and fear that stops you from moving forward in life.

Cut yourself some slack.

You are not a loser. Adopt a more accepting and encouraging approach to yourself. Yeah, it takes time and lots of inner work. If you can cut yourself some slack, you’ll find that life can be more rewarding. You’ll uncover new pathways towards a brighter future and a happier present. Stop comparing yourself to others. You will never be like anyone else. You are an unique individual, created for a certain purpose that no other human being can or will ever fill quite the way you do.

Connect with others.

You learn a lot about yourself by connecting with others. How you interact with others is a map of how you are feeling emotionally and mentally. Anxious, depressed, guilty – these feelings tend to limit social interactions. While these emotions buffer you against the outside world, they also prevent the outside world from maybe realizing you need help or support. You can easily spot where negative emotions block you from getting the full benefits of a friendship. Surround yourself with positive people. Try to create a strong network who can support and encourage you.

Take care of the basics.

Make self care a priority. This sends a subliminal message to your brain. You matter! Try keeping a healthy lifestyle. Eat well. Exercise regularly or as often as you can. Get enough sleep. Sleep is a really important part of self care. Not enough sleep makes depression and anxiety worse. And going to sleep with the inner critic awake keeps you from falling asleep. To get a better night’s rest, you might have to take naps during the daytime, change your bedroom’s arrangement, get up and do something when you are anxious instead of trying to sleep, and change your pre-bed routine.

Go out on a limb.

Taking risks fosters growth. But the risk has to be manageable. Don’t try to over stretch yourself or do things that you morally aren’t in line with. If you try a new task and fail, practice self compassion. It’s easy to listen to that inner critic. It takes practice to listen to the softer cheerleader.

Build yourself a trophy case.

Track your success. It can be as simple as writing down your achievements in a notebook, or adding them to your smartphone. Take a moment every week to review what you’ve done. Don’t be critical or negative at the size of your list. Size does not matter here! Effort and results are what count. The littlest accomplishment – like not freaking out in the grocery lineup – should be celebrated.

Find me on Twitter  @tereziafarkas

Visit my website http://www.tereziafarkas.com