Feeling bad about yourself is a very unpleasant feeling. But it can also take away all sense of happiness, joy and fulfillment. So it’s not just a fleeting feeling that you chase away after a good walk. When you don’t feel good about yourself, you need to take a methodical approach to finding joy and happiness again. So how do you go about it?

This article presents a few tips that will surely help you achieve a good result.

Why do people feel bad about themselves?

There are countless reasons for this feeling. As mentioned above, it’s not just a temporary feeling of depression, which we all experience from time to time. Some people feel bad about themselves for long weeks, months or even years, due to specific difficulties:

Lack of self-confidence: lack of self-confidence inhibits both men and women. Becoming aware of this problem can take all the joy out of life.

Lack of body acceptance: some young people find it hard to accept their bodies. They think they’re very fat, very thin, not pretty enough, or simply incapable.

Personal difficulties: if you’re constantly harassed, if you live with a narcissistic pervert, or if you fail to achieve the goals you’ve set yourself, you may lose your joy and find it hard to feel good about yourself.

A person who doesn’t feel good about themselves can develop obsessive thoughts. In some cases, they may even develop suicidal thoughts. But in the majority of cases, this feeling will rob you of the joy of enjoying every moment of life. That’s why it’s so important to fight this inner malaise.

3 essential tools for overcoming inner malaise

What are the tools you need to rediscover more pleasure in life and overcome the feeling of being unwell in your own skin? Here are just a few:

SELF-ESTEEM
Whether you’re young or old, you should value yourself enough to be happy on a regular basis. Self-esteem is not pride. It’s a fair appreciation of your qualities and faults. It also means being convinced that your qualities outweigh your faults.

But how can this feeling be useful?

If you boost your self-esteem, you won’t feel bad about yourself despite the difficulties. Instead, you’ll focus on the things you do well, on your successes rather than your failures.

COURAGE
Courage is a second essential quality if you want to stop feeling bad about yourself. Above all, being courageous means taking responsibility for your choices, your positions and the way you enjoy life. You may be wondering why this is useful?

Let me tell you a little story: a young woman was constantly belittled by her superior. The latter took credit for the woman’s sales, and she never had the courage to complain to the manager. But above all, she didn’t speak out because she told herself that her efforts were all doomed to failure. Since she’d been put down since childhood, it seemed to her that this time too, her complaints would be doomed to failure. But she felt terrible inside.

On the advice of another colleague, she stopped coming to work. Intrigued, the manager called her and told her what was going on. Scandalized, the latter asked her to come back and gave the sales manager a stern lecture.

That day, our young friend realized that it’s very useful to be brave if you want to feel better.

So don’t be afraid of hurting people’s feelings because you take responsibility for your opinions. As long as you’re not brave enough to take on board what your inner self or your own opinion reveals, the feeling of not feeling good about yourself will always follow you.

YOUR COMPANY
The people in your inner circle have a direct influence on your happiness. If you associate with people who lack common sense, complain incessantly and criticize everything and everyone, you won’t feel any better for it. Toxic people try to provoke feelings of guilt, negative emotions, frustration, anger and even despair.

If you know people who display these flaws, cross them off your list of friends. Surround yourself with people who are enthusiastic, happy and accept you as you are. These people will actively contribute to your own happiness, and you’ll be happier and less anxious inside.

3 Things to constantly remind yourself of

Aside from these basic tools that help you fight the feeling of inner unease, consider these 3 truths that significantly influence your unease, or contribute to making you happy:

OPTIMISM PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN YOUR LIFE
Sometimes, we feel bad about ourselves simply because we have a skewed conception of life. For example, some people are perfectionists, and mistakenly believe that they should never suffer a setback. As soon as a setback occurs, they find it hard to get over, and sink completely.

Don’t live in perfection or pessimism. Life isn’t all black and white. There are appreciable shades of gray. Likewise, things may not turn out as you’d hoped, without it being the end of the world. These tips on optimism and happiness will guide you towards the right healing process if you’re feeling bad about yourself.

A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CONTRIBUTES TO WELL-BEING
Adopting a healthy lifestyle will also help you feel good about yourself. Some foods alter your mood, and can make you irritable. Others, on the other hand, contribute to the production of happiness and pleasure hormones.

So eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and vitamin-rich foods. Banish junk food and avoid excessively fatty or sugary foods wherever possible. The healthier you eat, the healthier you’ll be, inside and out.

A PURPOSE IN LIFE IS VERY USEFUL
Here’s one last thing to help you feel less sad on the inside. Many young people who develop suicidal thoughts may lack a purpose in life. They are constantly anxious, bored at home, or spend many hours playing video games.

Adults can also feel bad about themselves for the same reasons: they’re bored by their work, lack motivation, or feel they’re living in a never-ending routine.

To avoid this vicious circle, find a purpose for your life. And define the sub-goals that go with it, as well as the deadlines you set yourself for achieving them. Eventually, you’ll have a good reason for doing what you do, and you’ll find pleasure in achieving your goals.

IT’S UP TO YOU!
From now on, you can assess what’s contributing to your malaise, and take concrete steps to put an end to this feeling that’s slowly killing you. Share this article if you like it, and suggest any other tips you may have to stop feeling bad about yourself.