Your sense of self-worth is how you understand your qualities strengths, and your personal attributes and it is a measure of how you value yourself.   With that in mind here are some things that have a significant impact on our self-worth. 

Comparing ourselves to others is part of the human condition, for many of us it is a way of gauging our progress.  However there is a price to pay for this as we often are harsh judges of ourselves.  There will always be people who do things to a greater degree than us (and a lesser degree too).

The benefits of just being who you are mean a lot less stress – getting rid of the shoulds and all or nothing thinking will help life to flow more gently.  Accepting who we are gives us and those around us permission to be imperfect.  We are able to value ourselves for being who we are regardless of what we achieve and of course we can then value those around us for who they are and not what they do.

When we are able to accept ourselves it improves our self-image and allows us to be self-nurturing and self-compassionate.

Bottom line, no one can do a better job of being you – than you!!

Our minds are so busy all day long, making observations, judgments and decisions, but often the inner critic’s voice is the loudest and the most damaging.   Try not to believe everything that you think, thoughts after all are just thoughts and it’s not helpful to give so much power to the negative ones.    

It’s important to ask yourself – is this thought fact or an opinion?  If it is a fact it cannot be disputed but most of our thoughts are our own negative opinions.  Remind yourself that this is not a fact – but a thought – thank your mind for the information and move on with what you need to do with your day.

A great quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn …

[blockquote sc_id=”sc1410957137598″]Until you stop breathing, there’s more right with you than wrong with you.[/blockquote]

So many people feel that they fall short of what they hope to achieve – its then that our brains begin the beat up.  When the noise inside your head gets loud try to remember all of the things that you like about yourself too.

Try to be kind to yourself and if you must compare yourself to anyone – make sure it’s you!!!

The phrase above always catches my attention. People tend to find it very difficult to accept love and understanding from others when they need it the most. These are often the times we are experiencing strong feelings like anger, shame, anxiety, or depression. Allowing yourself to be self-loving and others to be loving is a wonderful gift you can give yourself.

We are not our mistakes but we do make mistakes from time to time.

Making any change requires courage and there is always a sense of excitement or fear attached to those moments in our lives.

Being courageous means doing what is right for you even if it is difficult.  It can mean facing a fear and being brave.

So bring your courage to doing what you feel is right, moving toward your values, dealing with daily challenges, trying new things, admitting mistakes and not giving in to peer pressure.

[blockquote sc_id=”sc1410957573833″]Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. (Brené Brown)[/blockquote]

As the inner critic takes hold and we begin to run familiar stories through our minds like – what a failure you are or that you are not living up to your full potential- or the old stories of telling ourselves that we are worthless and unlovable – the self-loathing begins.

These stories really don’t help us to feel better or to be kinder to ourselves.  Try to remember that you are enough just as you are and self-love will be a little bit easier every time you remind yourself of that.

[blockquote sc_id=”sc1410958908188″]To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now. (Fred Rogers)[/blockquote]

Love is an inside job, it doesn’t come from out there, it starts inside of all of us.  Be kind, loving, compassionate and nurturing to yourself. Become your own best friend.

So many people are thinking about the past and worrying about the future.  Staying in the moment can be a challenge, but be so rewarding.

Living in the moment is often called mindfulness and is a state of active, open, intentional focus on the present and is something that you can practice and learn.

When doing any activity focus on what is present – the sounds, smells, what can you see. When you become mindful, you realize that you are not your thoughts; you become an observer of your thoughts from moment to moment without judging them.

Mindfulness reduces stress, boosts immune functioning, reduces chronic pain and lowers blood pressure. Reducing stress and spending a few minutes each day actively focusing on living in the moment will reduce your risk of heart disease.

Mindful people are happier, more exuberant, more empathetic, and more secure. They have higher self-esteem and are more accepting of their own weaknesses.

 

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