I used to have low self-esteem. Then at some point, whenever my brain said anything negative about me, I'd respond to it with "lol, lmao." My brain completely disregards all negative thoughts now & immediately dumps them into the trash. Feel free to use this in your own life.
I've always had low self esteem. I've always hated how I look. But recently I decided to just love myself. I only get one life, so why spend it hating myself? So now I embrace myself with all of my flaws. I'm okay with them. And I'm working to counter some of them. I'll be okay.
I call them 'Fuckyou Filters' & gained them sometime in my early 30s. It has been glorious having them. I wish I share them with anyone who needs them.
100% the best defense I have against my own depression/low self-esteem is knowing that my exact thoughts are described in patterns which have been extensively documented. Knowing that makes them less real. It hasn’t won the battle for me, but it’s kept me alive.