There are two friends. Both friends took a math test and received their scores. One friend did well on the exam and exclaimed loudly, “Awesome! I knew I could do it.” The other friend did not score as well and said, “I’ll never be good at math. I’m a failure at everything.”
We could say that the first friend has high-self esteem and the other has low self esteem.
But what does that mean?
Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. If you have high self-esteem you have good feelings about yourself. People with high self-esteem know they are worthy of love and respect, and they love and respect themselves.
If you have low self-esteem you may have poor feelings about yourself. People with low self-esteem do not expect love and respect from others because they feel unworthy of it.
Self-esteem is something that must come from inside your own heart. It doesn’t come from someone giving you a trophy or telling you you’re great or pretty. Self-esteem is about believing in your heart that you are able to make choices you are proud of, and that even when you make a mistake, you are still worth loving.
People with high self-esteem have confidence, or pride in themselves. If you are confident you are with yourself, knowing that you have the power to do the things you want to do.
It can be hard to build our self-esteem and confidence in ourselves if we view ourselves negatively. It can be even harder if there are people in our lives who put us down or insult us. Those negative things can affect us in a lot of ways. People with low self-esteem may be more likely to fall under the influence of others, not trust their own values, not think of themselves as smart, or be scared to talk with others.
It is always important that you encourage yourself every day. Encouragement is something people can say or do to make someone feel good/happy/confident.
When you make a mistake, tell yourself “I made a mistake but I tried my best.”
When you feel lonely, “I am a great person and there are people who care about me.”
When you feel sad, “I am a strong person and I can keep going.”
Try it yourself
Everyday you can do things to help you feel good about yourself. It can be doing something we love like dance or sing. It can be learning a new skill. It can be reminding yourself each day about something you like about yourself. Encourage yourself every day!
In your notebook, write down 5 things you like about yourself. Try to pick things that are not around your physical appearance, but rather about your mind and personality.
For example:
- I like that I am a good friend.
- I like that I try my best.
- I like that I listen to others.
Show Your Confidence!
Feel good about yourself? Share it with the iamtheCODE team! On a piece of paper write one of the encouragements you gave yourself, take a selfie, and share it with the iamtheCODE team on social media. Use the hashtag #wellbeing