Did you know that February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month? It seems like there is a month for everything. Despite our months and days being filled with social media posts from influencers attempting to “hype” their audience and boost their self-esteem, they tend to leave out one “small” detail… Self-Esteem cannot be boosted by anyone but yourSELF. This month, take a moment to reflect upon how you would rate your self-esteem or sense of self. Would you rate yourself on a scale of 1-10? If your friends described you to a group of strangers, how do you think you would be described?
Give yourself a moment to reflect upon the way that you speak to yourself. Are you asking questions that honor your body, mind, and emotions? Are you treating yourself the same way that you would treat a dear friend? Do you feel that you are worthy of that treatment? Here are a few brief examples of what you can do to help boost your self-esteem.
Improving Self-Esteem
While there is no one size fits all technique to magically increase the love that we have for ourselves, there are ways that we can slowly improve how we feel about ourselves on our own with the assistance of our mental health clinician. First, recognize your strengths and utilize them. Are you a good cook? A good parent? Do you feel you may excel in a sport or in the arts? Recognize those strengths and foster your relationship with them. Next, show yourself kindness. But Abby, how is one nice to themselves? It may be difficult, but it can be as simple as noticing how you show love to others and returning that love to yourself. For example, if your love language is quality time, take a moment and do a meditation or mindfulness exercise alone in a room. This can be as short as five minutes but you are still honoring that time that you have with yourself.
So, you have improved your relationship with yourself, what’s next? Ever heard of boundaries? Most clients who see me will tell you how much I stress the importance of having strong boundaries and enforcing them. These can be boundaries with your children, significant other, parents, friendships, coworkers, yourself, or anyone you meet off the street. Nonetheless, knowing your limits and sticking to them is key to preserving your self-esteem and showing yourself kindness.
While this may have been brief, it is so important that one must recognize how they may be hurting their self-esteem with negative self-talk and poor boundary setting. Schedule an appointment today with one of our clinicians to discuss how we may best assist you in raising your self-esteem while maintaining or improving healthy relationships.
About the Author
Ms. Powell is a Pre-Doctoral Intern at Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center in Chesapeake, VA. She is currently completing her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology through Saybrook University.
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