Women play different roles throughout the average day, from mom to colleague to friend. A woman’s self-confidence is often tied to those roles and how she feels about herself in those roles. Women build their self-esteem based on how they perceive their appearance, intimate relationships and interactions with other people. Self-esteem exercises can help a woman boost her confidence by overcoming obstacles she faces.

Lists

Women often get caught up in the things that go wrong. Making a conscious effort to focus on the positives in your life can give you a self-esteem boost. Write down lists of things going well in your life. You might write a list of things that make you feel good, such as hobbies, family and friends. Write a list of positive things your friends would say about you. Focusing on your positive attributes as a friend helps you see what you contribute to your friendships, which can be a confidence booster. Another list idea is to focus on things you are good at. Keep these lists handy as a reminder. You might post them by your bed, near your desk or another location you see frequently. A variation is to keep a journal full of positive entries. This keeps all of your lists and positive thoughts in one location. Writing in the journal may help change your attitude toward yourself for increased self-esteem.

Positive Self-Talk

Many women talk negatively to themselves throughout the day. This chips away at self-esteem. Reversing negative self-talk is challenging and requires a conscious effort to change how you talk to yourself. Choose a positive mantra to repeat in your head, particularly when you feel the negative thoughts invading. Any time you find yourself thinking something negative about yourself, stop and turn it around with a positive statement. For example, if you tell yourself, “I always screw this up,” change it to, “I am successful at many things.” Practice the positive self-talk on a regular basis so they become more natural and prevalent than the negative thoughts.

Physical Activity

Regular exercise does more for a woman than keep her physically fit. Exercising can help boost your mood and make you feel more confident overall. A better overall physical feeling gives you less to worry about in terms of your health, possibly leading to higher self-esteem. Exercise outdoors means fresh air and exposure to the sunshine for additional feel-good properties. Don’t limit yourself to a boring exercise routine. Physical activity takes many forms, including a hike through the woods, splashing in the pool with the kids or sledding on a snowy day.