Oh Colorado how I’ve missed your beautiful scenery, fit-minded lifestyle, and most of all, really awesome people! Recently we were asked by Marissa of Barefootcolo.com to write a guest post for her blog followers. We think Marissa’s pretty damn cool (and super inspirational) so make sure to follow her on all her social media outlets for great fitness and health tips. Because we LOVE you all, we decided to share Chrissy’s post with all our Smart Fit Chicks followers as well. So here it is: 5 tips for improving self-esteem. ~KW

Smart Fit Chicks talks a lot about the importance of self-esteem. We’ve worked with and presented to hundreds of women about body image and self-esteem. It’s also a common theme of our blog!  We’ve written about the dangers of low self-esteem, including depression, anxiety and risk of eating disorders and substance abuse. We’ve also written about the benefits of high self-esteem, including improved relationships, academic achievement, job satisfaction and happiness. We’ve even discussed a couple ways to improve self-esteem, including implementing positive affirmations and being physically active (a huge one in our books!). After all this discussion of self-esteem, you’d think we have it all figured out. However, just like most women, it’s a continuous battle, and we’re always learning. What we’ve realized is like any other skill, it takes practice. So, we’ve come up with this Five Step Process to Improve Self-Esteem. AND, it’s so simple; you can begin practicing this skill right away.

So, without further ado, here is our Five Step Process for Improving Self-esteem…

Step 1: Be conscious. Every time you look in a mirror, or adjust your waistband, or get dressed in the morning or cross your legs, pay attention to the negative things you say to yourself. Sometimes a habit can become so ingrained that we do it without even noticing. That’s why the first step is simply to be more aware.

Step 2: Stop “shoulding” on yourself. “I should do this” “I shouldn’t have done that” Shoulding on yourself is one of the most detrimental things you can do to your self-esteem. Practice some compassion and patience with yourself. Us Smart Fit Chicks have a rule- If I wouldn’t say it to (insert your favorite person here),my best friend, my little sister or my 14 year old niece, I ought not say it to myself.

Step 3: Replace the negative with positive. Start noticing the things you do like about yourself, and why. Then say them to yourself, in the present-tense. Here are some of mine: “I love my legs because they’re super strong.” “I love my smile because it’s very genuine.” “I love my crazy hair because it can be straight or curly.”

Step 4: Be grateful. The more you focus on the things you do have in this life, the less you notice what you don’t have.

And finally, Step 5: Move your body. Physical activity of any kind is incredibly beneficial, not only for your physical health, but for your mental health as well. But, your intentions here are important. Doing activity for the health benefits and because you actually enjoy it is key for improving self-esteem. Check out our website for ideas on how to include physical activity in your daily life.

 Your turn:

• What do you do to improve your self esteem?
•  BRAG TIME: What have you done recently that makes YOU a smart, fit chick. I wanna hear! Don’t be shy!