Self-esteem is something people want to achieve but are clueless on how to get it. Most people will read a lot of self-help books or pay a shrink to get a glimpse of that elusive character trait.

The fact is most people have low self-esteem. Even those who seem to have it all often feel that there is something lacking within themselves.

What is the difference between confidence and self-esteem?

Most people would argue that confidence and self esteem are basically the same however that is not true. Confidence is the ability of a person to believe in himself while self esteem is grounded on the person’s self-worth.

There are people who display an overbearing amount of confidence and yet in reality they have the least amount of self-esteem. Their confidence is a defense mechanism used to intimidate other people into believing that they are worthless.

By acting superior towards others they literally drain them of their own confidence thus elevating their own.

So how can a person have self-esteem without faking self confidence? There are a lot of articles that will start off with having the proper posture, or smiling often or simply being positive about life. While those things have a positive effect, they are considered temporary.

The best way would be to start within yourself; to grasp an idea on what it is that makes you feel unworthy.

Identify the cause of anxiety

Anxiety is one of the main causes of having low self-esteem. When a person is confronted with a difficult situation it is easy to feel anxious and once anxiety sets in it is difficult for the brain to function properly.

A stressful living condition or a difficult workplace situation can cause someone to feel anxious. Once a person realizes that something or someone makes them feel unhappy they can now think of ways on how to overcome those situations.

Learn to take control of your actions and emotions

People forget that they have to act well regardless of what is happening with their lives. People with low self-esteem are reluctant to take action or just shy away from opportunities.

In order to boost self esteem, a person must learn when to grasp an opportunity or when to walk away.

People have this gut instinct embedded within themselves that tells them what course of action to take, but people with low self esteem tend to be lost and often miss out on great opportunities.

It doesn’t mean that you should go ahead using only your gut and not your head. It simply means that when you decide to do something and it is rationally possible, then you should go for it.

Doubt yourself less

When it comes to self-esteem the only enemy a person really has is doubt. Most people think less of themselves because they have already thought that they can’t achieve anything more in life. Like, their genes are fat so they can’t slim down, they didn’t go to college so they can’t get a six figure job or they’re too ugly so why bother looking for love.

Self doubt is the thing that a person needs to avoid. And the only way to do that is by embracing your flaws. Once you learn your limitations you can easily learn how to compensate or overcome them.

Author's Bio: 

Nathanael King is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner and weight loss & nutritional therapist. He also helps people suffering from panic attacks or social anxiety. He has written a book on how to build confidence instantly using NLP techniques. Please click here to download now. You can also sign up for weekly newsletter at http://www.SelfProgress.co.uk for your growth.