SELF-ESTEEM
Self-Esteem Defined
• Self- Esteem is defined as the confidence and
worth that you feel about yourself. Your level
of self-esteem can directly affect your
physical, mental and social health. Self worth
is how you value yourself.
External Messages
Messages that come from outside yourself. Many
people base their self-esteem on external
factors like:
• Looks
• How they perform
• How others see them
• Who their friends are
In reality, true self-esteem comes from
knowing and accepting who you are.
Internal Messages
Messages about who you are that come from
inside yourself.
• Gut feeling
• When you feel comfortable about a decision
Remember you know your self the
best . Trust your inner voice.
Signs of High Self-Esteem
If you have high self-esteem, you feel competent in
some areas and are willing to learn and try new
things in other areas.
People with high self-esteem have some of these traits:
• Willing to take chances
• Able to accept failures
• They have healthful relationships
• Look for people who respect them and are respected
back
• Respect differences in others
Signs of Low Self - Esteem
• People with low self-esteem tend to let
others influence them in negative ways.
Some examples are:
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Drop out of school
Have sex too early in life – get pregnant – STD’s
Use alcohol and tobacco and drugs
Engage in violent behavior
Tend to brag
Bully or threaten others they see are weaker than
themselves
• Are not tolerant of the differences in others
What you can do to improve your self-esteem
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Assist others when appropriate
Find something you enjoy doing
Aim for improvement, not perfection
Surround yourself with high self-esteem people
Learn from your mistakes
Reject negative feedback
Spend equal time looking at your strengths and
weaknesses
• Give yourself credit for all of your accomplishments
• Continue to improve your mind
• Set some realistic, achievable goals and work toward them
Goal Setting
A goal is something you aim for that takes
planning and work.
The following is an example of how to set a goal:
1. Select one goal you want to work toward
2. List what you need to do to reach your goal
3. Identify others who can help and support you
4. Give yourself a time period to reach your goal
5. Build in several check points to evaluate how
you are doing
6. Reward yourself when you reach your goal