Self-esteem is everything. It helps you get that job, make new friends, and feel good about yourself. Self-esteem can be the driving force in having a good or crappy day. It can contribute to anxiety or depression, or help to ease it. Self-esteem is a pillar upon which we can view our self-worth, our goals and dreams, our future. But it doesn’t come without work—not everyone has a flawless self-esteem. But positive self-imagery can be practiced in order to avoid substance use disorder.

1) Practice gratitude. What are you grateful for about yourself? Do you have a job, a family, a car? These are things you can be thankful for, which can help you to feel a little better about yourself. It’s easy to forget the parts of our lives that are important; that without them, we’d be nothing. It’s been shown that people who practice gratitude on a daily basis have more positive mental health.
2) Exercise. If you’re staying active, however much you are capable of, you can be proud of yourself for treating your body well and keeping mentally healthy.
3) Socialize. If you haven’t been around friends or family in a while, it might be time to be around others. When you’re alone for longer periods of time, it’s easy to get caught up in negative thought patterns, which can contribute to lower self-esteem.
4) Practice positive self-imaging. Every time you think a negative thought about yourself (and it’s so easy to do so subconsciously!), counter it with a positive thought. Rather than thinking, I’ll never be good enough, think about the gratitude you practiced before. I am worthwhile, I love myself and the things I do for myself.
5) Talk to someone. A friend is a great shoulder to lean on, but a therapist is a non-biased medical professional who can view your mental tendencies with an objective eye. If you feel that over time your self-esteem has not improved (and perhaps it’s contributing to anxiety or depression or otherwise), it might be time to talk to someone who can help you to put a healing plan in place.