How is your self-esteem going?

“In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. In other words, how much you appreciate and like yourself. It involves a variety of beliefs about yourself, such as the appraisal of your own appearance, beliefs, emotions, and behaviours”

Kendra Cherry at verywellmind.com, September 2019.

I was conscious of publishing a personal photo of myself in my bathing suit. But I thought I would help you think about your self-esteem and how it is playing up in your mind. I had to deal with my self-image and low self-esteem like most human beings do. It was not an easy process, but it is a process. A process of maturity and self-knowledge, self-worth and more than anything, of self-acceptance.

We are not perfect, no one is. I saw many gorgeous women, from ordinary people like you and me to celebrities, speaking up how hard it was to embrace themselves the way they are. Not only that, but to see themselves in all their beauty, and imperfections.

My niece Marina Holler posted a video talking about how she felt bad about her body, either when she was thin and fit and when she put some weight. No matter how she was looking, she did not accept her own image, impacting big time in her mental health, causing depression and anxiety. And God she is gorgeous! Inside and out! She now is in the process of recognising how she feels, gaining consciousness about her feelings, and how to embrace herself. I pray she can look at the mirror and see how beautiful she is!

I also went to the same process of acceptance, understanding that I am me. That what matters most is feeling comfortable in my imperfections. That is what makes me human. That what makes me beautiful. It does take a lot of work, but it worth every effort. An effort of looking at myself and learn what I like, what I do not. It did involve diet, healthy habits, will, and a lot of joy and determination to pursue the results I wanted. But it is not only about my body, or the looks but about my identity. My real identity, and self-acceptance.

Learning I am, you are, no unanimity. People will always judge you, no matter how pretty or awkward you are. But this is their problem, not yours. You only can have a healthy relationship with yourself when you can see you separately from people’s opinion. And learning to feel good about who you are, daring to go places, talk to people, simply be, and make peace with your own being.

Appreciate yourself is the first step you can take to appreciate other people, to be more compassionate, and understanding. There is beauty in everyone. I mean everyone. You are you. And you can change what you like to change. But you also can get to accept and appreciate yourself the way you are.

I have listed below some tips to improve your self-esteem. I have used that myself, and I can help you look into that if you like, coaching you to be the best version of yourself, which is actually, the real you.

My 8 Tips to Improve Your Self-Esteem

1. Get to know yourself, who you really are.

2. Be nice to yourself

3. Embrace your own identity

4. Refrain from comparing yourself to anyone else

5. If you are not happy the way you are, make plans for the changes you can make.

6. Stop negative self-talk and criticism, exercise forgiveness

7. Accept the beauty of imperfections

8. Dare to show up to the great outdoors

Monica Rodrigues Sweeney has a Bachelor in Social Communication from ESPM-SP, she is a Master Coach and Mentor, Accredited Consultant of Behavioural Analysis EDISC and FinxS, with Master certification in NLP and Conscious Hypnosis, member of the AANLP Australian Association of NLP, the American Board of Hypnosis, and the Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association, with over 30 years of Corporate and Entrepreneurship experience.

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