Building Self-Esteem

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Building Self-Esteem

• Chapter 8

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The Importance of Self-Esteem

• Objectives
• Define self-esteem.
• Describe how self-esteem develops.
• Explain how media messages can affect ones
  self-esteem.
• Asses your own self-esteem.

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Student Activity

• Brainstorm words that describe feelings
  associated with high self-esteem. (Ex likable,
  confident, etc.)
• Write one of your examples on the board.
• Brainstorm words that describe feelings
  associated with low self-esteem. (Ex unwanted,
  weak, etc.)
• Write one of your examples on the board.

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Self-Esteem

• Pride in and acceptance of yourself. Having a
  sense of personal worth.
• Able to make good decisions, experience
  acceptance from others, and give and receive
  love.
• Avoids comparing yourself with others.

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Self-Esteem cont

• Influences your relationship with your family,
  friends, teachers, and bosses.
• Affects how you do in school and in work.
• Low self-esteem has been linked to problems such
  as alcohol and drug abuse, eating disorders,
  suicide, and other self-destructive behaviors.

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Development of Self-Esteem

• The development of self-esteem begins at birth.
• Early on, our feelings about ourselves tend to be
  a reflection of how we are treated by the people
  most important to our livesour parents or
  guardians.

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Development of Self-Esteem cont

• We learn to see ourselves as we think our parents
  do.
• Most parents want to support and encourage their
  children and help them feel loved.
• Serious situations exist when parents neglect or
  abuse their children.

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Development of Self-Esteem cont

• During the first years of life, we make a
  decision about our own worth based on how we
  think others see us.
• Decision may not be a conscious one, but it is a
  decision nevertheless.

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Development of Self-Esteem cont

• Self-esteem is based on a decisionthus, it can
  be changed by making a new decision later in
  life.
• You can decide to raise your self-esteem.

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Body Image

• Your perception of your appearance, level of
  fitness, and health.
• It is difficult for teens to maintain a positive
  body image because so many physical changes are
  taking place during the teen years.

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Body Image (media)

• We are constantly exposed to media images that
  show perfect faces and bodies.
• These images often negatively influence the way
  we see ourselves, which can lower self-esteem.

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Body Image (media)

• Teenage girls often have a hard time because they
  sometimes feel that they must look
  unrealistically thin in order to be attractive.
• Advertisements showing extremely thin women are
  often thought of as the standard/norm from which
  girls judge themselves from.

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Body Image (media)

• The perfect face and body change over time in
  advertisements.
• Thin bodies are fashionable in one decade, and
  curvaceous bodies are stylish during another one.

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Student Activity

• Make a list of some things the media does to
  distort teens views of normal body images.
• What danger do you see in letting media images
  dictate the kind of physical traits that are
  desirable?

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How to Build Self-Esteem

• 8.2

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Objectives

• Name the best way to raise your self-esteem.
• Name at least three other ways of raising your
  self-esteem.

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How to Build your Self-Esteem

• 1. Accept yourself
• 2. Use positive Self-Talk
• 3. Be good at something.
• 4. Use I statements.
• 5. Develop a support group
• 6. Resist peer pressure.
• 7. Act with integrity.

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How to Build your Self-Esteem

• 1. Accept Yourself
• Appreciate yourself.
• Believe in your worth.
• Realistically assess your strengths and
  weaknesses.
• Dont be modest.
• Try not to judge yourself with unrealistic
  standards.
• Decide you are OK as you are.
• Only expend energy on things you know you can
  control.

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• 2. Use Positive Self-Talk
• Talking to yourself in a positive way.
• Refrain from negative/put down self-talk.

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Student Activity

• Write a 1 page letter to yourself. In this letter
  tell yourself how great you are. Be sure to tell
  yourself about all the great skills and traits
  you possess.
• Dont hold back.

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• 3. Be Good at Something
• Everyone has something that he/she is good at.
• Make the most of your talent/talents.
• Cultivate your natural abilities regardless of
  how trivial they seem.

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• 4. Use I Statements
• Take responsibility for your feelings by using
  I statements.
• -I sometimes feel shy around new people.
• Vs.
• -It makes me shy when Im around new people.

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• 5. Develop a Support Group
• Share your joys and sorrows with people you trust
  (friends, family, teammates).
• Self Disclosure telling another person
  meaningful info. about yourself plays a key role
  in the development of self-esteem.
• Develop relationships based on trust and mutual
  respect.

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• 5. Resist Peer Pressure
• Think for yourself.
• Make your own decisions.
• Trust yourself and your values.
• Listen to your inner voice and make decisions
  based on what it is telling you.

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• 6. Act With Integrity
• Treat others with respect and compassion.
• Help others maintain self-esteem.
• Complement others on their skills and actions.

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Student Activity

• Make a list of at least 10 things you do well.
  Why do you do them well?
• Make a list of at least 10 words that describe
  you. Explain why you chose these words.