Daily life is so full of stressors. Everything from jobs to family life comes with responsibilities that threaten to overwhelm. There is so little time to stop and enjoy life. This can take a toll on mental health and self-esteem.
Many people have low self-esteem because of this and other factors like poor relationships or stifling their true feelings and purpose. Having low self-esteem can affect all areas of your life and make you feel unworthy of getting that promotion at work, or unwilling to take a chance on a new relationship because you wrongly think that you don't deserve it.
If you find that your self-esteem is low then make an effort to improve it. A great way to do so while also helping others is to give back. Donate your time or resources to charities or community functions that can improve the lives of others. This will enrich your own life as well and help you to gain confidence and a better opinion of yourself.
Takes The Focus Off Of Your Problems
There are several reasons that giving back and helping others can have a positive impact on your self-esteem. One of these is that you switch your focus and awareness. When you have no self-esteem it's easy to focus on the negative aspects of your life and to concentrate on areas where you perceive yourself to be lacking.
However, the more you focus on these things, the bigger and more impossible they seem to become. When you can stop focusing on yourself and your own problems and concentrate your attention on someone else, you eliminate the constant bombardment of negative thoughts that are bringing you down.
The interruption in your energy and focus can put you on a whole new path and as you learn to direct your attention to something else you also learn that it is possible to stop dwelling on your problems. This can free you to move past your difficulties while doing service for someone else that needs it.
Makes You Realize How Good You Have It
When you volunteer your time and resources to those that need it most, it draws attention to how much good you have in your life. You will more clearly see all the advantages that you have and start to become grateful for the things in your life that you may have been taking for granted.
There are so many people that deal with extreme poverty on a daily basis. The definition of poverty being when you have limited or nonexistent basic necessities such as food, adequate and safe housing, and appropriate clothing. Seeing the struggle of these people to survive can give you a new perspective on your own life and make you realize that it's not nearly as bad as you thought. This is why it’s important to give back and find ways to help out those that aren’t as fortunate as you are in life. You can remind yourself that at least you have a safe place to stay and you have food on the table.
Being able to recognize your privileges and be grateful for these things helps you to focus on the positive, which will draw more positive things into your life. When you are able to stop concentrating on the few bad things in your life by doing this, you can gradually move your focus from the bad and will likely find that this causes them to start to correct themselves in your life and become less of a problem.
Helps You To Find Meaning And Purpose
Giving back can give your life meaning and purpose. Sometimes when you have low self-esteem it's because you are drifting through life and don't know what to do. Maybe you're just going through the motions but nothing seems to satisfy you or make you feel fulfilled.
Donating your time and resources is a great way to add that meaning in your life as you can see that you are making a difference. The evidence of the positive change you are bringing about will inspire you to do more actions like this, and as you feel more fulfilled your mood is automatically uplifted. You're happier and more joyful.
Then you begin to see the positive side of life and you change the way you look at yourself. You can see how much of an impact you are having, and the good that you're doing, and start to view yourself in a different light. This will help your self-esteem to improve over time as you're aware of how much of a difference you can actually make with just a few changes.
The practice of giving back to those in need is a great way to become a kinder and more empathetic person. That will improve the way you look at yourself and others and will allow you to grow as a person and have a deeper connection with yourself and loved ones. With time, you will grow to value yourself and not take for granted what you have.
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Written By:
Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health, fitness, and growing young. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym. She loves hearing from readers so feel free to contact her through Facebook.
Reviewed By:
Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.