As we’re getting accustomed to the New Year, we wanted to give some extra attention to the 2022 Mental Health Awareness Calendar. In February, an area of focus is self-esteem, a very important aspect of individual resilience, confidence, and security. But what is self-esteem? The dictionary defines self-esteem as “confidence in one’s own worth and abilities”; self-respect”. Self-esteem isn’t just confidence, but it’s being able to see the value in yourself and what you have to offer to the world.
Being secure in yourself benefits you in all aspects of your life. Socially, it promotes healthy and positive relationships. Behaviorally, it promotes the confidence to take on new challenges, be bold, and stay motivated. Emotionally and mentally, it promotes resilience in hard situations, positive coping mechanisms, and a more emotionally content individual.
Although self-esteem is a great characteristic to have, sometimes it can feel impossible to cultivate. This is a very common feeling, which can stem from a plethora of circumstances. The growth of social media causes individuals to obtain a sense of self through comparison with others. Covid has contributed to a less socially active and more isolated world. Individual circumstances and hardships can make it more difficult to build self-worth and self-respect. There are plenty of setbacks, but there are always ways to combat these obstacles. And the best part is, you can cultivate self-esteem anywhere and completely individually.
Before we get into some ways to foster self-esteem, I encourage you to learn a bit more about yourself. Take this quick quiz below for a basic evaluation of your self-esteem levels and what you can work on.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality/self-esteem-testImportant skills of self-esteem and how to boost them:
Skill: Having a sense of purpose. Boost: Identify something you’re good at or something you enjoy, and cultivate that skill. This will give you a sense of achievement.
Skill: Being kind to yourself and appreciating yourself. Boost: Avoid using “could” and “should” statements. This is an active form of self-criticism, which causes a negative self image. EX: “I really should lose weight, I could love the way I look”. change this to “I can lose weight if I want, but I love and appreciate my body”.
Skill: Having a sense of belonging and appreciation among others. Boost: Avoid people that make you feel bad about yourself. Cultivate relationships with people who support you. Express your specific needs, opinions and set boundaries.
Skill: Having a deeper understanding of yourself. Boost: Take some time to be alone. Meditate for a small amount of time every day, or a few times a week. Practice positive affirmations. Journal about your emotions, experiences, goals, and accomplishments.
We believe in you and hope you were able to gain some helpful insight on how to better develop self-esteem. We hope that you have an amazing week. – Stay Happy, Healthy and Safe!
This article was written by Lilly Hart, a senior at the University of South Carolina. She is currently majoring in psychology, with a minor in counseling. She has a deep passion for mental health awareness and plans to further her career in graduate school. She is now the new blog writer at Carolina Assessment Services, LLC, and can’t wait to produce new and insightful content.
If there are any other topics you’d be interesting in learning about, email me at lillyhartcasllc@gmail.com. We are always appreciative of new ideas and topics to delve into on the blog!
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