Describe You

Think of five words to describe yourself.

How do you think about yourself?

“Self-esteem”Overall evaluation How you feel about yourself in general

What is Self-Esteem?“Esteem” comes from a Latin word meaning “to

estimate.”How do you estimate yourself?

1.Ratio of successes to failuresProblems?

2.Stable sense of personal worth or worthinessProblems?

3.The experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and being worthy of happiness

How do you think about yourself?Evaluations of yourself that are specific

Things like sports, grades, being a friend

How attractive, smart, popular are you

Mental image in certain areas

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.

-Mark Twain

Self-Esteem and behaviorThe relationship is complex

Does self-esteem cause behavior?

Does behavior cause self-esteem?

Very low self esteem in young peopleMore likely too:

become pregnant as teenagers have suicidal thoughts unemployed longer and earn lesssuffer from eating disorders be victim of crimehave difficulty with close relationships

Quoted and paraphrased from Emler

DepressionSad

Down

Guilty

Loss of interest

Low energy level

Problems concentrating

Things you can doExerciseTake a walkSpend time with your petPlay an instrument

Talk to SomeoneSee a professional in school

School psychologist, school social worker, school counselor

Talk to someoneFamily member, friend, coach

The flip sideLow self-esteem does NOT lead to:

Excessive drinking, drug use Smoking Violence or crime

Extremely high self-esteem can lead to:Risky behaviorPrejudiceRejection of morality

Quoted and paraphrased from Emler

Self-Esteem in schoolSelf-esteem was thought to be criticalSchool programs to increase self-esteemInflating self-esteem alone may not be helpful,

and may actually hurtHigh self esteem goes with good grades, but

which comes first?High self esteem goes with happiness, but

which comes first?

Where does it come from?1. Support of family 2. Academic competence 3. Virtue4. Physical attractiveness 5. Gaining others' approval 6. Relationship with higher power7. Outdoing others in competition

Some Specific CausesActual physical appearance is less important

than his or her self-image.

The quality of close relationships with others is important

Real successes and failures do have an effect.

Quoted and paraphrased from Emler

How can you make a change?Not just talking about it… ACTIONMeaningful directionConcrete accomplishment

Getting good at itGetting something you need

Building Self-Esteem

The Good NewsSelf-esteem is something you can change

Choose things you care about, work on them

You will get better, you will feel proud