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As we move tentatively towards the post-pandemic era, it’s no wonder that health and wellbeing have once again moved to centre stage.

And one particularly pertinent issue is self-esteem – those of us who have had time to reassess our priorities have realised that the way we were living our lives pushed our own self-care and self-image to the back of the queue as we juggled careers and family lives.

But the good news is that there are several practical steps you can take to remedy the situation right now – here are five tips for boosting your self-esteem.

1. Exercise

‘Healthy body, healthy mind’ says the age-old adage. But there’s truth in that ancient wisdom because apart from making you feel more confident as you lose weight and get in shape, exercise releases endorphins – those feel-good chemicals that stimulate a surge of positive feelings. Want to exercise in the great outdoors? Try Be Military Fit.

2. Diet

Diet is another vital contributor to self-esteem and there’s increasing evidence that a vegan diet can boost your mood. The complex carbohydrates in a vegan diet release more serotonin to the brain, veganism improves physical health because better vitamin and mineral intake combats bugs and diseases, and it also helps you also sleep better – so what’s not to love? For support throughout your weight loss Newtown (or wherever you are), you should check out available online resources and services including diet plans, coaching programs to keep you motivated on your weight loss journey, and even tailored wellness advice. Seeking help is one small step you can take to be successful.

3. Emotional intelligence

Working on your emotional intelligence can help you cope with life’s challenges more constructively, embrace its high points more enthusiastically and, eventually, retrain your brain so that you’re more likely to make great choices more often. Sounds good? Virtual classes at The School of Life cover everything from how to fail (in a healthy way) to how to be more confident, how to develop self-knowledge and how to be serene.

4. Mindfulness

Based on an accessible and secular form of Buddhist meditation, Mindfulness arms you with a series of simple breathing and visualisation exercises which you can complete quickly (in some cases in on minute). Whenever you feel anxious because life throws you a curveball or there’s something niggling away at you, instead of letting negative feelings fester, a mindfulness app like Calm can help you take back control.

5. Smile MOT

You don’t need to be vain or self-obsessed to acknowledge that looking your best physically has a massive impact on your self-esteem – it’s a natural and healthy attitude. So if you want to present your best face to yourself (and the world) you might want to consider improving your smile with some subtle cosmetic dental work from the likes of the Portman Smile Clinic – treatments like braces and whitening can really be transformational.

Life is tough enough without beating up on yourself. So these five tips for boosting your self-esteem can make you significantly healthier and happier – choose those that float your boat the most and set sail for new horizons with complete confidence. But please remember that if you just can’t shake a low mood, always talk to friends, relatives and your doctor – a problem shared is a problem halved.

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