International Boost Self-Esteem Month 

Self-Esteem, simply put, is how you feel about yourself, and while our self-esteem is developed in early childhood, it is not set in stone. As a matter-of-fact, self-esteem is ever-changing throughout our life span. There may be times when our self-esteem is at an all time high, and other times when it has taken an undesirable dip, perhaps due to a stressful life event or mental health struggle, like clinical depression. We all have the power to re-develop our self-esteem, independent of help from others, and the benefits are significant.

Having a healthy self-esteem is not simply about liking yourself more. It is also a way of improving your mental health. In fact, for those with existing mental health struggles, such as severe depression and anxiety, boosting self-esteem can increase feelings of worth and help you manage feelings of sadness, emptiness, etc. Also, a healthy self-esteem can help ward off mental health concerns altogether, as low self-esteem is one of the main major depression causes.

So, if you suffer from clinical depression, or simply feel your self-esteem could use a boost, there are ways you can help yourself. International Boost Self-Esteem Month is dedicated toward the improvement of self-esteem among people of all cultures, race, ethnicity, age groups and social status.

We can’t change something if we don’t recognize that there is something to change. By simply becoming aware of our negative self-talk, we begin to distance ourselves from the feelings it brings up. This enables us to identify with them less. Without this awareness, we can easily fall into the trap of believing our self-limiting talk “Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are just that — thoughts.” As soon as you find yourself going down the path of self-criticism, gently note what is happening, be curious about it, and remind yourself, “These are thoughts, not facts.”

As human beings, we all have “flaws”; things we wish we could change or improve upon within ourselves. Yet, to stop these “flaws” from overpowering our self-esteem, it is important to separate the “flaws” that can be worked on, from those which are unchangeable.

For those unchangeable “flaws”, there really are only two choices: you mull over it, or you can choose acceptance. With acceptance, you can begin to move further away from personal struggle, whether it be clinical depression, or simply low-self-esteem. You might be wondering how you can just accept something you do not like, and it is all about a state of mind. Accepting your “flaws” does not have to mean you like them. It simply means you choose to no longer let something that cannot be changed have control over you. Acceptance allows you to spend less time and energy focusing on what you do not like, which gives you space to discover your strengths.

2. Channel your inner rock star

Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”