Coaching Information

Boost Your Self-Esteem


What Is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem literally means to esteem, or respect, yourself. Having high self-esteem means that you have a positive image of yourself. Let's look at where such a positive self-image comes from.

In her classic book Celebrate Yourself, Dorothy Corkville Briggs makes a distinction between the real you and your self-image. She says that the real you is unique and unchanging. Most of your self-image-what you think is true about yourself-is learned. It is not necessarily accurate at all!

Where are your beliefs about yourself drawn from? Where did you learn them? If you think about it, you'll see that they came from:

? What others said about you
? What others told you
? What others did to you

Your self-image is the result of all the messages you heard about yourself as a child. These messages added up to a set of beliefs about who you are. It may have nothing to do with who you really are.

For example, you may believe things like:

? I'm not very smart.
? I'm naturally passive.
? Girls aren't any good at math.
? I'm too old to start over.
? All of the women in the Breski family become doctors.
? I'm painfully shy.
? The Hurleys never lie.

In addition to learning to believe certain things during our early years, there are certain situations that make most people feel inferior or lacking in self-esteem.

Some examples are:

? Being criticized
? Not being loved
? Being rejected
? Experiencing failure

What Low Self-Esteem Feels Like

In situations like these above, it is not uncommon to feel emotions such as:

? Sadness
? Inferiority
? Anger
? Jealousy
? Rejection

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy is one of the most successful methods for helping people feel better about themselves. Cognitive therapists help depressed and anxious people feel better by identifying how faulty ways of thinking are making them feel bad. They believe that faulty thoughts cause us to feel bad, which makes us feel bad about ourselves.

Cognitive therapists call these faulty ways of thinking "twisted thinking." Cognitive therapy is a process where the client analyzes his or her thoughts and beliefs, and learns to substitute more healthy ways of thinking and believing. These therapists help their clients feel better in four steps: First, identify the upsetting events that cause bad feelings; second, record your thoughts about the event; third, identify the distortions in your thinking process; and fourth, substitute rational responses. When the client successfully completes these four steps, the client usually feels better about him- or herself.

Thinking the right kinds of thoughts is one way to feel good about yourself. Now let's talk about a second way to increase your self-esteem: by taking a look at your life environment and seeing whether it supports you feeling good about yourself. You may find that some nourishing elements need to be replenished. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do you have people in your life who:

1. Treat you with love and respect?

2. Encourage you to do and be anything you want?

3. Help you find out what you want to do, and how to do it?

4. Encourage you to explore all of your talents and interests?

5. Are thrilled when you succeed?

6. Listen to you when you need to complain?

7. Help you bounce back from failure without making you feel bad?

Take a moment to think about each of the items on this list. Note where your environment is providing adequately for you, and where it is lacking. This can give you clues to how to build your own self-esteem.

Strategies for Esteem Building

1. Pay attention to how you are feeling from moment to moment. Tune in to what your five senses are experiencing. Take it down to the most basic level of "I feel warm right now," "I feel light-headed," "I feel a tightness in my stomach."

2. Revisit your interests and goals. Make a list of things you'd like to do and learn. Today, take one step toward learning more.

3. Spend less time with critical people and more time with those who appreciate you.

4. Spend some time with yourself at the end of each day. Review what happened and how you were feeling. Write about it in a private journal.

5. If you are feeling bad about yourself, consider finding a therapist to help you get your life on a positive track.

Garrett Coan is a professional therapist,coach and psychotherapist. His two Northern New Jersey office locations are accessible to individuals who reside in Bergen County, Essex County, Passaic County, Rockland County, and Manhattan. Garrett also offers online and telephone coaching and counseling services for those who live at a distance. He can be accessed through http://www.creativecounselors.com or at 201-303-4303.


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Resignation Raises Issue of Minorities in Coaching
New York Times, United States - Nov 30, 2008
By PETE THAMEL Mississippi State Coach Sylvester Croom resigned on Saturday, ending his tenure as the only African-American head football coach in ...
MSU COACHING SEARCH:Will they stay ... Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
Shumpert Unfazed By Coaching Change DawgsBite.com
With Croom gone, Miss. St. focuses on what's next SportingNews.com
Biloxi Sun Herald - Greenwood Commonwealth
all 1,014 news articles


Coaching arms race unconstrained by logic
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Nov 30, 2008
By ART THIEL IT'S A LITTLE surprising that Fresno State's Pat Hill wants the University of Washington football coaching job. By the time they reach their ...


New Marketing Coaching and Consulting Firm for Physicians ...
MarketWatch - 13 hours ago
... of their Concierge Practice Profits LLC that will offer specialized marketing coaching and consulting services to this growing population of physicians. ...


Coaching-Search Guessing Game Continues at Washington
Kitsap Sun,  United States - 59 minutes ago
The biggest is Mora, the Seattle Seahawks secondary coach and head coach in waiting. "It's killing us," cornerback Quinton Richardson said. ...
Willingham's final game at UW arrives International Herald Tribune
Tedford says no contact from UW HeraldNet
all 15 news articles


WJBF-TV

Clemson's coaching appointment needs to consider past and future
Greenville News, SC - 22 hours ago
Clemson interim coach Dabo Swinney referred to it as, "A beautiful day, gloomy, cloudy, sorta rainy, great for football." Like most everything else he's ...
Coaching candidates whom Clemson should not consider RealFootball365.com
Dabo Swinney gets Clemson coaching job SportingNews.com
Phil's next stop ... Clemson? Tiger Sports Digest
Bleacher Report - Anderson Independent Mail
all 626 news articles


Coaching Seat Only Gets Hotter For Weis After 38-3 Loss To USC
AHN - 11 hours ago
The team is 6-6 this year and coach Charlie Weis might be looking for a job next year. Other factors weight into Weis and his unstable job situation. ...
Charlie Weis, Totally Honest, Tells Recruits He'll Be Coaching the ... FanHouse
If not for his attitude, Weis might not be on hot seat FOXSports.com
Notre Dame’s reality show South Bend Tribune (subscription)
NBC Chicago - Detroit Free Press
all 656 news articles


WLFI.com

Hope announces coaching staff changes
WLFI.com, IN - 9 hours ago
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Purdue head football coach-to-be Danny Hope today announced the addition of two assistants and the promotion of a third to his ...


ISU football coach makes changes on coaching staff
International Herald Tribune, France - 16 hours ago
AP AMES, Iowa: Iowa State football coach Gene Chizik is making big changes to his coaching staff after the Cyclones' dismal 2-10 season. ...


Men’s Roundup UConn Rolls; Calhoun Ties for Eighth in Coaching Wins
New York Times, United States - Nov 29, 2008
2 Connecticut routed visiting Bryant, 88-58, giving Coach Jim Calhoun his 780th career victory. The Quad returns to a new season of college basketball ...
Another milestone for UConn coach Waterbury Republican American
Five Starters Each in Double Figures UConn Huskies
Huskies continue to coast TheDay
Norwich Bulletin
all 201 news articles


Alcorn State fires entire assistant coaching staff
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS - 4 hours ago
By Kareem Copeland • kareemcopeland@clarionledger.com • December 1, 2008 Alcorn State football coach Ernest Jones confirmed today that his nine assistant ...

Coaching - Google News

home | site map
© 2006