1. Become aware of and change your negative self-talk. Learn to recognize the self-limiting, self-deprecating things you say to yourself and how to dispute those beliefs and replace them with positive, reassuring statements about yourself. Dont indulge yourself in self-criticism.
2. Stop comparing yourself to others. There will always be people who are smarter, taller, shorter, thinner, heavier, cuter, more handsome, richer, have better jobs, make better grades, . . . have more of whatever than you do. If you play the comparison game, youre sure to discourage yourself because you will consistently run into people to whom youll feel inadequate. So stop comparing yourself to others it only hurts you.
3. Make decisions that are in alignment with your values. Behaving in ways that are counter to your own values leads to feelings of guilt, shame and discouragement. Know what is of value to you and honor those principles, regardless of what the crowd does.
4. Focus on your strengths. Make a list of at least 10 of your positive qualities and review your list often. Are you honest? Kind? Generous? Helpful? Creative? Resilient? Focusing on what is rather than whats not will change your mood and give youre the energy and encouragement to persevere.
5. Start your day on a positive note. Ask yourself how you want your day to go before you get out of bed. Imagine it unfolding that way and fill yourself with anticipation that you will be able to create your day the way you want. The attitude you carry into any activity greatly impacts the outcome, so create positive experiences in your life by anticipating that they will be positive.
6. Practice gratitude. Ask yourself What am I happy about in my life? What am I proud of? What am I grateful for? What good is happening in my life right now? The answers to these questions can be the simple things in life: a beautiful day, enough food to eat, the love of someone close to you, the freedom to go to school to better your life, the loyalty of a pet, the comfort of your bed. There are millions of small things to be grateful for and remembering to recognize these will change the way you see yourself and your life.
7. Make a list of your past accomplishments. These don't have to be monumental successes. They can be anything of which youre proud, such as graduating from high school, attending college, receiving a promotion, doing well on a test, attending to the day-to-day necessities of life, etc. Read your list often and allow yourself to experience a sense of accomplishments with each item, feeling the joy and satisfaction that came with the initial experience.
8. Take good care of yourself. On a physical level, this means eating healthily, exercising, getting plenty of sleep, learning to relax or perhaps, getting an occasional massage. It also means not overindulging in any one area that would cause negative consequences. On an emotional level, it might mean avoiding negative people and giving yourself the encouragement and support you need.
9. Cultivate a social life. Isolation can lead to loneliness, apathy, and depression so make an effort to include other people in your life. Invite friends out or to your home dont wait for them to call you. Become a volunteer with an organization you value giving to others always takes our minds off ourselves.
10. Dont take life so seriously. Have fun while maintaining a healthy balance between meeting responsibilities and doing the things you love. Life is too short to focus only on the serious aspects.

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