5 Steps to Boosting Your Self-Image

Low self-esteem can negatively affect virtually every area of you life, including relationships, your job, and your health. You can raise your self-esteem to a healthy level even if you have been harboring a negative self-image.

From the OHSU employee wellness program:

Step 1 - Identify troubling conditions or situations.

Think about what conditions or situations about your life you find troubling and that seem to deflate your self-esteem.

Step 2 - Become aware of beliefs and thoughts.

What do you tell yourself? What do you believe about yourself?

Step 3 - Pinpoint negative or inaccurate thinking.

How do you react? Emotionally? Behaviorally? Do you experience physical symptoms(stiff neck, stomachache, back ache)?

Step 4 - Challenge negative or inaccurate thinking.

All-or-nothing thinking. Mental filtering. Jumping to negative conclusions. Mistaking feelings for fact. Self put-downs.

Step 5 - Change your thoughts and beliefs.

Use hopeful statements. Forgive yourself. Avoid ‘Should’ or ‘must’ statements. Focus on the positive.

It may take time to get yourself to think in a new way and change the negative thinking to positive, but over time you are bound to notice change and continue developing your new self-image.

What do you do to improve your self-image?