I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and wanted to ask how do you stop seeking validation from others?

I’ve realized I have pretty low self-esteem. I genuinely don’t recognize my own good qualities unless someone else points them out to me. And the weird part is, even when people do compliment or appreciate me, it makes me uncomfortable. I either brush it off, don’t believe it, or feel awkward sitting with it.

It’s like my sense of self is outsourced to other people, and I’m honestly tired of it. It feels like a kind of mental slavery needing someone else’s approval just to feel okay about myself. I don’t want to live like that anymore. I want to feel secure in who I am without constantly looking outside for confirmation.

I’m asking especially from a woman’s perspective—how did you overcome this? Because let’s be real, society doesn’t exactly make it easy for women to just like themselves. There’s always something to fix, improve, or compare.

What actually helped you shift from needing validation to being self-assured? Was it a mindset change, habits, therapy, or something else?

Would really appreciate honest experiences.