The Importance of Self Appreciation by Violet Dhu

One of the biggest risks for us in our workplaces is that we rely on others to give us appreciation and we depend on this external appreciation. In an ideal world, our leaders would be showing us appreciation frequently. However, the reality is this often doesn’t happen, and we can become frustrated and annoyed because of the lack of appreciation for our time, effort, quality of our work and our experience and knowledge. Many bosses say to me, “why do I need to show appreciation for someone simply doing what they are being paid to do”.

There are various reasons why appreciation is lacking in the workplace. If the pace of work is so fast, acknowledging one’s great work and effort is often forgotten. When there is a great demand for productivity, everyone is focused on working hard and performing to their best. 

In a workplace environment where no one is showing appreciation, it can be easy to lose your confidence and have low self-esteem. And this will result in being less productive at work, which further reduces your chance of getting the appreciation that you deserve and are looking for.

I think one of the biggest things that we can do is take some ownership and stop and be reflective and self-appreciate. Appreciate the time, our effort, the level of our experience, our commitment, our passion, and our willingness to learn. Below are some suggestions on how to be more self-appreciative and boost your confidence at work.

  • Focus on yourself

Instead of waiting or looking for someone to stop and appreciate all your hard work, do it for yourself. Focus on the tasks that you’re working on and commend yourself after completing them. No one else in your workplace knows how much commitment and effort you put in your work aside from you. So don’t hold back in acknowledging yourself.

  • Monitor your successes

The best and easiest way to monitor your successes and keep track of your achievements is by making a “to-do” list. At the beginning of your day, list down everything that you need to accomplish for the day. As you finish each task and cross them out on your list, you will be able to closely monitor accomplishments, and it will be easy for you to appreciate your achievements for the day.

  • Be more assertive

Remember that people can act in different ways, especially when under pressure or frustrated. When co-workers or your boss lash out, understand that they occasionally do lash out and so do you. This will help you respond more appropriately, boosting your self-confidence which in turn helps you appreciate yourself more.

  • Set yourself stretch goals

When you set yourself stretch goals, you know that this is more than is expected of you and will make you feel a little uncomfortable. Stretch goals take us out of our comfort goals. And when we achieve them, we can be proud of this achievement and practise self-appreciation and self-reward.

Practice self-appreciation and you’ll see that you won’t have to wait for your co-workers or your boss to acknowledge you. When you appreciate your good work, you perform better and become more productive. You bring this positive attitude to your workplace which will be hard to miss by your colleagues and boss. And they will also learn to show appreciation to others and themselves, as well.

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