International Boost Self-Esteem Month: Building Up Your Self-Esteem
February is well-known for one day: Valentine’s Day. The day that most people associate with spending time with loved ones and gifting chocolate, flowers, and over-sized teddy bears. While showing love to others is incredibly important, showing love to yourself is a must.
This leads us to another, albeit, lesser-known “reason to celebrate” in February: International Boost Self-Esteem Month. Self-esteem refers to “a person’s overall sense of self-worth or personal value” (Cherry, 2019). Having healthy self-esteem levels is important, as it can heavily influence someone’s motivation or achievements. On the other hand, having low self-esteem could have a serious impact on one’s goals, as they don’t believe that they are worthy of success.
Low self-esteem can also have an impact on one’s mental health. Too low self-esteem can lead to one lacking motivation and feeling defeated, which then can lead into depression.
So, what can you do about it? Here are some tips on how to increase your self-worth;
1. Identify Troubling Situations
The first step towards boosting self-esteem is becoming aware of situations that might have a large impact on your self-esteem. Some situations could include preparing for an important, stressful presentation at work, a challenge with a co-worker, or losing a job.
While a lot of these situations may seem out of your control, there are many that you can identify and work towards changing. It’s also important to pay attention to those you willingly surround yourself with. Let go of toxic relationships and focus on spending time with those will help boost your self-esteem, instead of destroying it.
2. Challenge Negative Thoughts
This one might be fairly obvious, but is also incredibly important. By changing the way you talk to yourself, and turning negative thoughts into positive ones, it can help build up your self-esteem. Remember:
“If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself.”-Mel Robbins
One way to channel positive thoughts and be mindful of negative self-talk, is to keep a gratitude journal. This can prove to be a great, daily reminder on what we are appreciative for and help “disconnect us from toxic, negative emotions” (Miller, 2020).
3. Take Care of Yourself
This might be another obvious one, but honestly, is often overlooked. Many of us tend to put others first, such as our kids, partners, siblings, friends, etc. While there is nothing wrong with this, it is important to take care of yourself, too! Remember to:
Exercise at least 30 minutes daily
Eat a healthy diet
Spend time with people you love
Do things that you enjoy
So, take this time building up your self-esteem , focusing on positive thoughts and working on self-care. Remember, self care isn’t selfish!
References:
Cherry, K. (2019). Signs of Healthy and Low Self-Esteem. Retrieved January 18, 2020 from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-esteem-2795868
Miller, K. (2020). 14 Health Benefits of Practicing Gratitude According to Science. Retrieved January 18, 2020 from https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-gratitude/
Guest Blogger: Mollie Clupper, Public Ally
Mollie Clupper is working as a Public Ally AmeriCorps Apprentice for MHA. Using her own experiences, she wants to help bring awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, drinking coffee, and spending time with her fur-niece.