Want to feel confident about yourself?

Self-esteem refers to whether you appreciate and value yourself. Having a low self-esteem can affect every aspect of your life. It can impact your relationship, your family, job and physical and emotional health. But you can boost your self-esteem by visiting a therapist!

Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in the treatment of low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. It helps you recognize the cause and get rid of the negative thoughts and doubts, and anxiety in order to diminish hurtful feeling and enable you to take action.

Ingredients of effective cognitive behavioral therapy for low self-esteem include:

• Replacing self-criticism with self-compassion.
• Developing healthier (more flexible) rules and beliefs.
• It helps recognize the cause of negative beliefs, thoughts, and emotions to modify them into positive beliefs.
• Facing your fears and confronting anxiety provoking situations.

Sources:

Dr Matthew Whalley, Dr Hardeep Kaur. “Low Self-Esteem.” Psychology Tools, 18 May 2022, https://www.psychologytools.com/self-help/low-self-esteem/.

Lancer, Darlene. “Self Esteem Therapy: Counseling for Low Self Esteem.” TherapyTribe, https://www.therapytribe.com/therapy/self-esteem-therapy/.

Have Self-Love in your Life

Self-Love comprises four aspects which include self-worth, self-awareness, self-esteem, self-care, and self-esteem. If one is missing, then you do not entirely have self-love. To have it, we should be aligned with these four aspects.

• Self-Worth is the level of importance you place on yourself. It is emotional outlook that determines how and what you feel about yourself in comparison to other people.
• Self-Awareness is being aware of your thoughts, how they affect your emotions, and how emotions cause you to act. Having self-awareness helps you understand yourself and is a big part of your personal development and is a key part to achieving success.
• Self-Esteem is a positive or negative orientation towards oneself. To boost your self-esteem, do things you enjoy, spend time with people who make you happy, and take care of yourself.
• Self-Care is the practice of taking action in protecting your own well-being and happiness, especially during times of stress. There are many ways can practice self-care, but it typically looks different for each individual. Start a healthy self-care routine that works for you!

Importance of Self-Care in a Relationship

How do you practice self-care in a relationship? Taking care of yourself first should always be your number one priority. If you are not caring about yourself first, how are you supposed to be the best person you can be around your significant other when you are at your best?

Here are some ways to practice self-care in a relationship:

• Setting boundaries. Doing this is very crucial in a healthy relationship because it keeps a balance between you and your partner. This also helps reduce conflict, because it sets an example of what you and your partner expect from each other. This will help bring you and your partner closer together because setting boundaries creates open communication.
• Hanging out with a group of your own friends. It is important to have a social life outside of your relationship.
• Maintaining independence is important in a relationship. Don’t rely on or allow your partner to control your judgement or tell you what to do.
• Let your partner know what you like and don’t like. It’s also difficult and may lead to some conflict. But it is important to say how you feel and eliminate anything that is not making you feel good and don’t like. If something is not making you happy you don’t have to do it and that brings the importance of the word “NO” and setting boundaries.
• Having a hobby. This can create a safe space that makes you happy or time set away from your partner that you like. You don’t always have to be doing everything with your partner. Just get a hobby of your own. For example, doing a craft, gardening, collecting coins, going on a hike by yourself. These are examples of self-care.

When you and your partner practice self-care in a relationship you both will be happier in your relationship. It is not selfish in a relationship, and you and your partner will be happier in your relationship

Mental Health during the Holiday Season

These are supposed to be happy times during the holiday seasons. Between everything that may be going on holiday parties, family get togethers, vacations, and celebrating the new year. The holidays can be full of joy, but they can also be stressful and challenging for those impacted by mental health, devastation, or loss of a loved one.

According to NAMI, “You are not alone”, as a 2021 survey showed that three in five Americans feel the holidays negatively impacted their mental health [1].

So, what are ways that we can care for our self during the holiday seasons?

Here are some tips to prevent holiday stress and depression:

1. Take care of yourself. This can be done through self-care and forming healthy habits. For example, going on a walk, doing yoga, going to the gym, watching a movie, reading a book or something that can help you feel less worried and take your mind off a stressful environment and help you boost your mental health and deal with stressful activities.
2. Ask for help. Talk with a therapist or make plans with a trusted individual, best friend that you can trust, or a trusted family member.  Asking for help is not a weakness, it shows that you are strong and have the courage to do so you matter. If you are sad, anxious, depressed, stresses please don’t be afraid to ask for help. BCA Therapy has therapists in Wayne and Yardley that can help you today!
3. Focus on what you can control. Don’t worry about things that are out of your control. If something is bothering, you that is out of your control quit worrying about it and thinking about it, there is nothing you can do about it. This will help you relieve a lot of stress and help you focus on what is in your control.
4. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Just because everyone around you is drinking doesn’t mean you have too as well. If someone offers you a drink and you don’t want to drink say “NO”. It is important to set boundaries for the holiday season no matter who is around. By avoiding drugs and alcohol you avoid an increase in depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
5. Identify holiday triggers. Triggers could be people, places, and things that remind you of past trauma or upsetting events. Examples of holiday triggers could be traumatic memories, a narcissist family member, a loss of a loved one, stressful family relationships, or emotional breakups. To avoid holiday triggers put a plan in place ahead of the holidays to avoid these emotional holiday triggers. These plans can put a plan in place to avoid those triggers and help you reduce holiday related stress.

Source:

[1] Mental Health During the Holidays: 8 Tips That Can Help | NU