To increase self-esteem, try changing the way you think
about yourself. You can reframe your negative thoughts about yourself
into positive ones that support you instead of tearing you down. The
following exercise will help you reframe your negative mental "snapshots"
of yourself - replacing the dreary, old frame that surrounds each thought
with a bright, shiny new one.
1. List "The Positives"
Write a list of all the positive things about yourself
- all the things you like, things people have complimented you on, your
strengths, talents, and abilities, positive aspects of your character,
appearance, etc. Write down everything you can think of.
2.
List "The Negatives"
Next, write a list of things you'd like to improve about
yourself, or that are still "in process" - things you don't
like about yourself, etc.
3. Reframe "The Negatives"
Now go through the list from #2
and - on a new sheet of paper - write a new positive version for each
that "reframes" it in a self-supporting, self-encouraging
way.
(For example, if you wrote "I can't jump
higher than 2 feet," you might write the new version of "I've
increased my jumping ability by 6 inches during the last year"
or "I can jump with more accuracy than I could 2 months ago."
Another example might be if you wrote "I don't like my face,"
you might rewrite it as "my nose gives me a wonderful, unique character
all my own" or "my eyes convey my beauty and love very clearly."
Make sure that you are still being honest in the new version you write
- only write things that you honestly feel. In some cases, you may need
to be creative to find the "silver lining.")
4. Release "The Negatives"
When you are finished, tear up or burn your old
list from #2 (to symbolically release the negatives), and keep your
original list of positives (from #1) and your new "reframed"
list (from #3) to review periodically to help keep your self-esteem
on track.
Keep in mind that the idea of this exercise is not to
reject your self-criticisms, but to first acknowledge them, and then
use them as a springboard into a more positive, productive way of thinking
about yourself.
Get
a "Self Esteem Check-Up" Psychic Reading
