Mental health can be challenging to talk about and get better at. It usually isn’t something that needs a trip to the emergency room or can show up on an x-ray. The lack of physical manifestation can make it hard to identify. Not even those close to you like friends or co-workers may be able to see you are struggling with thoughts and emotions. Low self-esteem is a common mental condition that can affect your happiness and enjoyment in life. It is not an untreatable condition, and there are methods to improve your way of framing things to again feel like you can make hard decisions for yourself and see yourself in a positive light.
There is nothing to be ashamed of if you are struggling to get through a full day without feeling down on yourself or thinking “If only… then everything would be fine.” Millions of people have felt like this every day. As much as 85% of people suffer from low self-esteem, so it’s far from a rare thing to come across someone who isn’t happy with the way they are. Anyone at any age can have low self-esteem, but women who are going through natural body changes are especially prone to experiencing depression and self-esteem issues.
Menopause and changes to your body
Women have to deal with several significant changes to their body throughout life. From puberty to pregnancy and menopause, to name a few. These changes bring differences in hormonal balances that have a huge effect on how you may feel, physically and mentally. There are some simple ways to help keep yourself mentally and physically well while these things are happening, however. They don’t have to completely consume your life. No matter what, there is no shame in seeking advice from a good friend or even a health professional. You don’t have to deal with these changes alone.
Get active
A huge help for managing unwanted thoughts is by being more active. Having a regular exercise routine has been shown to reduce stress and release hormones that make you feel happier. It also helps with self-esteem because you have accomplished something that is going to make you look and feel better about yourself. It doesn’t have to be a high-intensity workout with a personal trainer, luckily. Even going for a walk in the park or some mindfulness meditation can help centre your thoughts into a positive area. There are free mindfulness guides on the internet that can walk you through a good meditation session to reframe thoughts you are having.
Words of affirmation
Giving yourself words of affirmation can also better your mood. Everyone has self-doubt at times but telling yourself that you can do something and writing out the steps to get there are real actions that can have real results. Along with writing action steps to your goals, you might also consider writing down your thoughts and feelings. Sometimes putting them into written words can help realise what you are actually feeling and possibly identify why. Then taking what you wrote and turning them into affirmative phrases can be beneficial.
Give social media a miss
It’s important that you are a unique individual and you have your own goals and aspirations. You are not the person you are comparing yourself to on social media or a well-off friend. It is understandable to want to do things like them, but do not feel bad about yourself for not having that lifestyle. A good way to eliminate these feelings of envy is to simply spend less time doing things that remind you of them. Minimalising your time on social media is an easy way to do this and will also have positive impacts in other areas of your life. Many phones allow you to set timers on apps to avoid spending too much time on them. Use these to your advantage.
The female body is a wonderful thing, even though it throws curveballs sometimes. Menopause is nothing to joke about, but it is possible to make the most of it. It is a transition to another time of your life and can be seen as an opportunity to make positive changes. Low self-esteem and depression are associated with hormonal changes, but their effects can be minimised with mindfulness and support from friends, as well as a health professional if needed.
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