Staying Active and High Self Esteem: The Correlation

Problems with your self esteem can have a number of negative side-effects including poor performance at work and social withdrawal. It can even lead to more serious problems such as anxiety and depression.

We live in a demanding world, which leads most of us to experience a drop in our confidence from time to time. But if you’re having self esteem problems on a regular basis, you need to find ways to combat them.

Exercise is a great solution. Aside from the health benefits, you’re most likely already aware of, a good workout can elevate your mood and promote your self-respect.

Many people are skeptical, though. They feel exercise is just a temporary fix to self-confidence issues

If you’re one of the skeptics, keep reading. We’re examining the different ways an active lifestyle promotes high self esteem.

Feeling Good: Body and Mind

The way your body and mind work are directly connected. In fact, in many ways, they need each other to operate.

When you exercise, you’re not just helping your body become stronger and healthier. You’re also strengthening your mind.

When you hit the gym for a workout, the increased blood flow provides your brain with necessary nutrients and oxygen that boost your cognitive abilities.

Think about how you feel after a workout at the gym or a jog. Even if you feel your muscles getting sore, your mind feels energized and focused.

This focus and the overall boost in mental energy helps you more effectively face the challenges ahead of you during the rest of your day. Simply knowing you’re more capable of achieving your goals results in a high self esteem.

The next time you’re having a bad day, try getting a quick half-hour workout in. You’ll probably find yourself feeling more focused and able to be more productive.

Looking Good

Modern society places a huge amount of importance on the way people look. For many, this has a direct, and often negative, impact on their self-confidence.

Although a negative self-image tends to be more damaging for women, men deal with it too. This is often related to physical strength, body weight, muscle tone, and an overall appearance of vitality.

Regular exercise is a great way to maintain a positive self-image and also feel good. Looking in the mirror and seeing the results of the work you put in at the gym produces a high self esteem. Why do you think there are so many mirrors in gyms?

If you’re feeling down about the extra weight you’ve put on, try concentrating on aerobic or other cardio-focused exercises. If you want to increase muscle tone, light weightlifting will help.

You may find that working out in a gym or with a partner helps keep your motivation up and drive you to work harder. Complements are great confidence boosters, so don’t be shy about getting out there.

Yoga Promotes a Positive Self Image

Achieving a high self esteem is a mental process. Yoga is the perfect activity to enhance your self-awareness and also stay fit.

Yoga is a form of meditation. A concentration on deep breathing helps fight depression, reduce anxiety and improve your cerebral functioning. Like a hard workout, it helps boost energy levels and improves focus.

Many times, a dip in self-confidence is a result of stress and pressure felt at work, school or at home. Deep meditation helps regulate this stress by stimulating the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain helps control emotional responses.

By simply learning to control your emotions, you can increase your confidence in social situations and attain a healthier and more centered self-image.

Because there’s also a physical element involved with yoga, you’re also benefiting from a healthier physique, which is also great for your esteem.

Team Sports Help Boost Confidence

Aside from providing exercise, team sports can drastically help improve your sense of social involvement and acceptance. They also provide an environment for developing important social connections. All of this helps support a high self esteem.

This is especially true for younger people. School sports can help children who have problems developing close friendships become more socially adjusted. It’s an important developmental step many young children and adolescents need to take.

For adults, team sports provide an additional outlet for social involvement that may be lacking in the workplace. Facing the challenge of healthy competition improves your sense of social connectedness and also provides a good workout.

Working together and succeeding as a team will also reinforce your self-confidence.

It feels good to win. If you’re feeling down as a result of a bad day at work, a game of football or soccer in the park is a great way to shake it off.

You can even connect with your co-workers by getting together to watch sports.

A Sense of Accomplishment

Many times, a lack of self esteem is a result of a lack of accomplishment. Achievement is rewarding. If you’re not pushing yourself, you’ll quickly start losing self-respect.

Exercise is a great way to combat this. When you’re living an active lifestyle, you’re likely setting goals for yourself.

Many workout programs are based on the idea of starting out small and accomplishing goals one step at a time. Meeting these goals and moving on to your next milestone bolsters your self-confidence.

As you monitor your progress, you’ll see the results when you look in the mirror. You’ll also be able to feel the effects of a healthier lifestyle.

Maintain a High Self Esteem with an Active Lifestyle

Self esteem issues are a serious burden on your personal and professional life. Fortunately, they can be easier to overcome than you think.

Leading an active life may not solve all your problems, but it’s a step in the right direction. By feeling better physically and psychologically, you win back some of the self-respect you may have lost. You’ll quickly see how the body and mind work together.

For more articles on leading a healthy life outside of work, check out our blog.