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?