What is Self-Esteem and How to Improve it?
Self-esteem is about having a truthful, realistic and positive opinion about oneself and it is linked with happiness and an inspiration to live a healthy life. The concept of self-esteem is different from being self-centered or selfish. In fact, people with high self-esteem find it easier to be selfless. Self-esteem is often stable, however depending on the thought process it would fluctuate. People with high self-esteem tend to be more secure, more expressive and trustworthy. They usually are less likely to take things personally and when mental health problems strike, they welcome the professional help more than others. People who lack self-esteem are more likely to be dealing with depression, anxiety, anger, and other psychological symptoms. Self-esteem is an essential foundation for personal growth and is based on three sequential elements: Unconditional Worth Unconditional worth means you are significant and valuable as a person. People with low self-esteem do not have a sense of their own worth. They have self-destructive thoughts, which could eventually lead to depression. People with high self-esteem, on the other hand, feel secure about themselves and have a solid sense of their value. Those with low self-esteem tend to underestimate their worth and often allow their poor performances define their integrity. Love Love is the foundation of self-esteem and just like worth, it must be unconditional. Even though we all could recognize love and react to it, loving is a learned behavior. Love does not define your worth, it helps you acknowledge and appreciate it. It also facilitates personal growth. Growing Growing happens when you are able to develop your capabilities and strengths as a means of personal development at the pace that is suited to you. Growing means developing your potentials, and moving towards excellence. Growth begins with a truthful understanding of your current developmental level. It is not a competition but a continuous improvement that needs to be done at your course and pace. Growth is an ongoing process, which proceeds more successfully when unconditional worth and love are securely in place. Building and improving self-esteem is a life changing skill. The process takes time and requires determination, commitment and practice. Once self-esteem skills acquired, they could help to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and anger. Counseling could be helpful to assist people with low self-esteem in getting more comfortable with who they are in the process of self-growth and development. Through the course of counseling techniques such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) a client learns how to replace his/her unworthiness thoughts with realistic and self-affirmative statements and positive thoughts. Here are few steps involved in a CBT approach for improving self-esteem: Identifying distorted thoughts Thought stopping Identifying strengths Self acceptance Reinforcing the healthy voice from within It’s always important to keep in mind that body and mind are interconnected and work hand-in-hand. Physical activity and regular exercise are among common effective techniques to improve self-esteem through a healthier body. People who lack consistent physical activity are often linked with being stressed out, mentally drained and physically tired. References: Matthew McKay, Ph.D, Patrick Fanning (2000). Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem. Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph. D. (2001), The Self-Esteem Workbook. Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph.D. (2007) 10 Simple Solutions for Building Self-Esteem. How to End Self-Doubt,...
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