4 Low Mood & Low Self-Esteem Boosters

(To Try Now)

In the Black Country, where the wonderful AoC Trust is based – it’s chucking it down – or in other words – raining a lot. Enough to make anyone feel a little low.

The winter in the UK is grim, and together with mounting financial pressures, two years of medical experts on telly, and restrictions have meant that “1 in 5 of us feel low” (ONS).

Fortunately, The AoC Trust is here to help – don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to get tips on your well-being and be the first to know about free events and funded therapy.

What does low mood or low self-esteem mean? 

Low mood is when you feel sad, anxious, tired, frustrated or have low self-esteem.

Low self-esteem is when you lack confidence in who you are and what you can do.

If you’re questioning when it all started and want to take the first step to brighten your mood and build your self-esteem, you’ll love these top tips.

Remember that we’re always here for you – you’re not alone in this.

#1 Tip: Use breathing techniques to boost your mood and self-esteem

Breathing sounds easy. 

Why would you need to breathe properly?

Because we all hold our breath – even more so when we’re on our smartphones. It’s subconscious – we don’t even know that we’re doing it.

We do. We also hold our breath when we fear something, or we start breathing too fast. 

Not breathing properly changes the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our bodies and can make us feel differently – sometimes leading to an anxiety attack.

So, using breathing techniques helps.

Alternate-nostril breathing – where you breath in through one nostril and exhale through the other is just one method to regulate your breathing. You can also try belly breathing, box breathing, and many more techniques. 

Why does breathing properly help? 

Because you start to feel calm enough to process your thoughts and prevent any further feelings that stem from not breathing properly.

#2 Tip: Walking or fresh air helps to boost your mood and self-esteem

Now you’ve started breathing properly, you can try to boost yourself further with a bit of fresh air. 

Fresh air is proven to help clear your mind and boost your mood.

Why? 

You’ve changed your environment for a start, your exercise will give you a little internal chemical boost, and the fresh air gives you oxygen. 

It might sound simple to get fresh air, but in the UK, we spend half of the year cooped up inside our houses.

By changing your environment, you also feel differently and can process the thoughts running through your mind.

#3 Listen to your internal chatter and change it

We all have internal chatter in our heads, and sometimes they become negative. 

“Why does this always happen to me?”

“I’m not capable of doing that –  I’m not clever enough.”

The list goes on, and thoughts can range from feeling low to negative thoughts associated with low self-esteem.

So, where do negative thoughts come from?

Negative thoughts happen through experience – from childhood experiences through to adulthood. 

Even though we get older, those experiences and often doubts stay with us. 

Changing the conversation is hard to do – but it’s a vital step in mental well-being. 

Try writing down your thoughts and challenging them – are they realistic? Do they still apply?

Now try writing down positive thoughts about yourself or the situation.

When you get stuck in a thought – try to redirect your thoughts to one of those positive affirmations and say it repeatedly. “I can do this.”

#4 Saying ‘no’ builds self-esteem and low mood

Saying in no is very therapeutic. 

Sometimes, we don’t realise the interruptions, quick favours, or invitations for events. 

What would happen if you started saying ‘no’?

You can be polite about it, but saying ‘no’ to the small things or placing boundaries in place, like saying, “I can, but I’m a little too busy today – what about tomorrow?” can work wonders.

We can’t be everything, to everyone, all of the time. Trying to do so is ofter because you like to make people feel happy – which makes you feel liked or loved. 

In reality, the right people don’t just love or respect you because you do things for them all of the time. 

The AoC Trust is here for you

The AoC Trust offers therapy for just £30 if you need support with your low mood and self-esteem. 

You can also apply to see if we have any funded programs that apply to you if you can’t afford therapy. Email support@theaoc.org.uk or call 01384 211168.

If you’d like to help others, you can make a one-off donation or donate £5 a month – therapy saves lives. Click here to donate.

Don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter to get priority updates on free therapy, events, and tips to boost your well-being.