How Do I Build Self Esteem?

Our level of self esteem stems from how we perceive ourselves, and affects all areas of our lives; the higher our self esteem, and how good we feel about ourselves, the more likely we are to achieve success in all areas of our lives. You may be thinking; all well and good, but how do I build my self esteem? Here are some tried and trusted ways of helping yourself to gain self esteem;
Halt destructive thoughts. Remember, you have rights, opinions and ideas which are just as valid as everybody else's.
Use self- talk- this can be a really effective way of improving low self esteem. Think of the things you did well during the day, and praise yourself for them. Be definite ie 'I really made a good job of that assignment and my boss was really pleased' rather than 'I worked well today'. This may feel a little strange at first, but will soon become second nature.
Focus on your achievements rather than your failures. Everybody fails sometimes, you are not alone. If you find yourself dwelling too much on your failures, start to think of them as learning experiences and think of a lesson you can take from each one.
Come to terms with the past- many people suffer from low self esteem as the result of negative experiences in their lives or childhood; therapy is the most obvious solution and can be greatly beneficial, but not everybody will wish to access this. Others will benefit from joining a support group, or an online group. If you have friends you can trust, you could tell them and ask for their support.
Try keeping a 'Feelings Journal'; write down how you feel or how you feel certain events in your life have affected you. You needn't show this to anybody unless you want to, but the act of writing your feelings down will often minimise the power they have over you.
Write a list of all your good qualities and all the good thing you have in your life right now. Don't be shy! Keep adding to it, and place it somewhere you can see it often.
Set yourself small, easily achievable goals; ie to complete a small task that's been bugging you and you haven't got around to. Reward yourself when you have achieved this goal, and then set another, slightly more challenging goal.
Learn a new skill- this can be really beneficial for low self esteem. Scan the night class brochures from your local college, and pick something which takes your fancy, or something you've wanted to learn for some time. This could also open up a whole new social life for you. Some people find singing helps to improve self esteem, and there are now singing groups for all abilities. Other people find going to self defence classes boosts their self esteem.
Fake it 'til you make it! Play a little game with yourself... pretend to have amazing self esteem. Think how such a person would act, speak, hold themselves etc... then play that role; pretend you are them. Go on, have fun with this! Watch your body language- stand up straight. The more you practice this, eventually you will find you become that person!
Look after your physical health; eat well, get enough sleep and rest, and take regular exercise. You will feel so much better, which will boost your self esteem sky high. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes five times a week. Don't worry about joining a gym if you really don't want to. Find an exercise you enjoy and will be able to keep up; swimming, taking a walk with a friend or just dancing to your favorite music all count. Get into the habit of making exercise a part of your life. As well as feeling much healthier you will also lose excess weight, which can impact on self esteem. You could set yourself small goals, ie to swim 30 lengths or run a fun run. When you have achieved this, try a slightly more difficult goal; aim to swim a mile, or complete a 10k (6 mile) race.
Hopefully these ideas will enable you to start improving your low self esteem, especially if applied consistently.