Nurture the healthy and necessary ego focusing on the two components of true self-esteem; self-efficacy and self-respect (knowledge of your competence and feeling worthy of receiving).
Once a person has developed true esteem for the self--not based in the opinions of others, but rather internally validated, yet based on historical references--they have begun the path to freedom. Self esteem has been called the immune system for life. It's not that you will never fall ill again, but you will bounce back rapidly, you will honor yourself more--and you will be free from that tension in your body when you continually suppress your needs deferring to someone else's.