How to Improve Self-Image, Part 1
Low self-worth is something we all deal with from time to time. We can’t always look in the mirror and see the worthy, smart, kind, people of substance that we are. When that happens, there are mechanisms we can rely on to improve our self-worth.
Firstly, what is self-worth? Self-worth is defined as “an internal sense of value or worth as a person.” The American Psychological Association (APA) defines self-worth as “one’s evaluation of self as a capable human being deserving of consideration and respect.” The term is often conflated with self-esteem, but if we dig a little deeper, we find that self-esteem relies more on external factors like achievements and the satisfaction we derive from them, whereas self-worth stands on its own. While achievements can contribute to our sense of self-worth, it has more to do with our intrinsic value as human souls, not our accolades.
It’s important to try for a healthy sense of self-worth because it impacts every area of our lives:
How you feel about yourself as a human being
How you feel about yourself as a friend, partner, and/or family member
How you feel about yourself as a member of society
How do you recognize when your sense of self-worth is suffering? Low self-worth has many of the same symptoms as depression, and the two are often tied together. Symptoms like these:
Feeling guilty
Feeling worthless
Wanting to withdraw
Self-criticism
Lack of confidence
In the next couple of articles, we’re going to talk about how to improve our self-worth, separate from our achievements. Even starting to work on one’s self-worth is a big step, because self-worth is about giving to yourself. Giving yourself permission to exist, take up space, and make noise.
To keep yourself on a steady path of improvement, always be changing something. Always be working on something. To illustrate, this is Sasha’s story. Sasha was stuck in a low place in life. She had a job she disliked and was barely making any money. Her housemate was not doing their part financially or with chores. Her boyfriend barely paid her any attention. She had a health condition that resulted in frequent pain and her health insurance wasn’t doing enough to help. As a result, she was using non-prescription substances to deal with the pain far too
much. She had very little going for her except her wits and human spirit. Her self-worth was at an all-time low. Things had to change, and she had no idea where to start.
Through some soul-searching and difficult conversations with herself, she was able to narrow it down to a place where she could start: her job. She felt like she was drowning, but pursuing a different, better-paying job was her first kick toward the surface. One by one, she changed the areas of her life that were bringing her down. A better job meant more money, and more money meant she could move to a better place. The important part is that improving her self-worth didn’t start with the new job. It began with the belief that she could have better. It began with the notion that she didn’t deserve to be in the rut that she was in.
That’s where we want to start. You can feel better about yourself. You can have a better life. Depression feeds on itself, but the good news is that self-improvement does too. Once you’ve picked a spot to start changing, you can keep it rolling with consistent effort and self-awareness.
Talk to us anytime on our website or call (585) 442-6960. One of the services we offer is talk therapy, where we can help you find the first place to start changing in your life to lead you on a journey to improved self-worth.
