How do you really feel about your self-worth?
Have you ever stopped to think?
If you’re curious to discover more about developing a healthy sense of self-worth this three-part blog is for you!
I’m going to be inviting you to start your journey into understanding your self-worth by setting you some gentle challenges.
All you need is yourself, some time, and a pen & paper.
Often people ask what is the difference between self-esteem and self-worth as they are sometimes used interchangeably. I’d say self-esteem is more of a feeling in the moment that reflects how we trust ourselves to cope in a particular environment; it’s prone to fluctuate.
Whereas real self-worth goes much deeper and is more constant, and begs the question “do I know and feel I am of innate value and acceptable just as I am?”
Our sense of self-worth is crucial to how we navigate our world. If we have low self-worth, we may be selling ourselves short, letting people take advantage of us, or not taking good care of ourselves.
Self-worth doesn’t dramatically change overnight. But these challenges may be a good start. Here we go!
Start here! Challenge #1
What’s your overall sense of yourself?
For example are you generally happy, or disappointed in yourself? Do you like yourself? Perhaps you don’t have any opinion at all. It’s all okay.
How does it feel in your body as you think about these things? Do you collapse a little inside or are you standing tall? Note it all down.
Now draw two columns;
- What I like about me; my strengths
- What I don’t like; my weaknesses
Over the next 5 minutes, without any distractions, write down as much as you can in each column.
As you do this, you might find that you’re starting to judge yourself. You can notice this, and try to put it to one side. We all have strengths and weaknesses. The point is to see what they are and not judge.
When you’ve finished, notice what you pay more attention to. Is it your ‘faults’ or good points?
Going through this process, are you getting a sense that your level of self-worth is good or lower than you’d like?
Are you curious to change this or learn more? If so, keep reading!
And hold on to these notes; you can refer to them later.
Let’s pause to celebrate!
If you’re still reading this and have completed this exercise, then WELL DONE! 👏 You’ve taken the first step on your self-worth journey.
The first step is to start to become aware of how you feel about being you, to become aware of the stories you are telling yourself about you. Developing self-awareness takes courage. It’s normal to feel resistant to these kinds of explorations.
Self-worth is about discovering our innate value as human beings at a very deep level. Whether we feel lovable or not, just for being who we are.
Challenge #2
Now we’re going to develop our self-awareness a bit further. If you can approach the task with a spirit of kindness and curiosity towards yourself, that will help greatly. Please only do as much as you feel comfortable doing.
I’m going to suggest you answer one or both of these questions, putting all self-judgment to one side as much as you can.
1. Ask yourself “Who am I?”
Give yourself some space to ponder this question.
Some of what you discover will be visible on the outside. For example ‘I am a daughter’, ‘I am a parent’, ‘I am a volunteer’, ‘I am a musician’.
There may be aspects which you are aware of on the inside of you. For example ‘I am honest’, ‘I am fragile’, ‘I am anxious’, ‘I am funny’.
You may find deeper aspects of yourself. For example ‘I am a truth seeker,’ ‘I am spiritual’, ‘I am a mystery to myself and I want to learn’, ‘I am filled with beautiful colours and potential’, ‘I am filled with doubt’.
You can acknowledge your secure aspects, your vulnerabilities and also you can visualise your potential.
Take just enough time to write down whatever rings true for you right now. Just a few words are enough to start with, so that you get the idea. This is something you can keep coming back to.
How do you feel about some of these different aspects of yourself?
2) Ask yourself ‘How am I’?
Give yourself some space to think about how you are in the world. Here are some pointers.
How are you in your day to day?
For example; is it easy to be you? Do you take up space or retreat? Are you focused and engaged?
How are you in your relationships?
For example; do you feel close in your relationships? How do you communicate with people? Do you feel people get you?
How do you think other people see you? Remember this is not about judgement. It’s about imagining yourself through their eyes or even from feedback they’ve already given you.
Do this for as long as it interests you, making some brief notes.
It can take courage to take a look at ourselves. What stands out for you now?
Check-out
So putting the work together that we’ve done in this blog, you’ll have a growing picture about who you are and how you are, your strengths, weaknesses, vulnerabilities and potential. A work in progress of self-awareness.
Let’s acknowledge the hard work you’ve been doing to get this far!
We are going to use some of this information in the second part of this self-worth blog. I look forward to seeing you there!
Part 2 Self-worth Challenge Blog
Part 3 Self-worth Challenge Blog
Counselling for self-worth
Acknowledging and fostering self-worth is at the heart of much of the therapeutic work I do. Our innate self-worth that we are born with and entitled too, tends to get lost along the way as we start to believe that we have to be or behave in a certain way to have value in the eyes of others and to be happy with ourselves. If you’d like to explore what therapy for self-worth is about you can contact me to arrange a free half hour chat.
As a therapist in Bradford on Avon, I am committed to helping individuals navigate their emotional challenges and improve their overall quality of life. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of how to move forward, counselling can offer a way to make positive, lasting changes. Together, we can work to address the issues that are holding you back and help you find greater clarity, balance, and peace of mind.
How to Book an Appointment
To book an introductory call, session or find out more about my counselling services in Bradford on Avon, you can contact me directly via:
- Phone call 07421 219910. If you leave a message I will call you back.
- Email bel.gamlin@protonmail.com
- Or contact me through my BACP directory listing. The contact form is on the left side under my profile picture.
- You can also use my Calendly page to arrange an introductory session. Contact me direct if these times don’t suit you
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