Doing things on a regular basis that increase your level of well-being is a very effective and enjoyable way to enhance your self-esteem and develop a firm personal foundation. Some of these may seem quite obvious, but it's amazing what we forget in day to day running of our lives! The following are merely suggestions. If necessary, find alternatives that work for you.

1.Find a few minutes for quiet time each day. Where you consciously do nothing, just sit and relax. Some may like to meditate, others listen to relaxing music. Mornings and evenings are good times to do this, but middle of day can be effective too. Get up slightly earlier to accommodate this. How much time ?- 5, 10, 15, 20 mins - 1 hour. It's up to you.

2.Drink 1½ - 2 litres of water every day. Most of us are dehydrated and many headaches could be alleviated by drinking more water. Don't wait until you're thirsty. Just drink water regularly throughout day. It clears head and gives you energy.

3.Appreciate what you have. Most of us concentrate on what we don't have. Even if we don't seem to have a lot, we can be appreciative of what we do have and what we see around us. Is it good health, a roof over our heads, a loving family, supportive friends, sun shining, dawn chorus? There is always something to appreciate. We can celebrate life every day.

4. Make someone's day. Giving someone a smile, saying "thank you", "good morning". These are small actions that can mean a lot to someone else. Whilst waiting on a crowded tube platform I sneezed and a lady standing next to me said "bless you". It cheered me up immeasurably. This was several years ago and I still remember it.

People pleasers think of other people’s needs before their own. They worry about what other people want, think, or need, and spend a lot of time doing things for others. They rarely do things for themselves, and feel guilty when they do. It’s hard being a people pleaser.

People pleasers hold back from saying what they really think or from asking for what they want if they think someone will be upset with them for it. Yet they often spend time with people who don’t consider their needs at all. In fact, people pleasers often feel driven to make insensitive or unhappy people feel better - even at detriment to themselves.

Constantly trying to please other people is draining and many people pleasers feel anxious, worried, unhappy, and tired a lot of time. They may not understand why no one does anything for them, when they do so much for others - but they often won’t ask for what they need.

A people pleaser may believe that if they ask someone for help and that person agrees, that person would be giving out of obligation, not because they really wanted to. The thinking goes - if they really wanted to help, they would have offered without my asking. This line of thinking happens because people pleasers themselves feel obliged to help, and do not always do things because they want to. Sadly, people pleasers have been taught that their worth depends on doing things for other people.

It’s painful being a people pleaser. People pleasers are not only very sensitive to other people’s feelings, and often take things personally, but they also rarely focus on themselves. When they do take a moment for themselves, they feel selfish, indulgent, and guilty which is why they are often on go, rushing to get things done. Because people pleasers accomplish so much and are easy to get along with, they are often first to be asked to do things - they are vulnerable to be being taken advantage of.