You and I both know how important it is to develop self-esteem for our children and ourselves through positive self esteem activities. Here's what professionals are saying about building self esteem:
A real sense of self esteem doesn’t come from just any old feel-good praise you receive. You have to feel you truly deserve the praise. When you look back at things you've accomplished and take time to recognize them, it fuels your confidence.
That means self esteem comes from recognizing past successes. We can’t control whether others recognize us for our victories, so it's our responsibility to do the hard work of patting ourselves on the back when we find success.
But the truth is, it’s easy to forget past victories in the face of obstacles you are currently struggling with. To overcome this natural tendency, challenge yourself and your children with this self esteem activity.
Self Esteem Activity: The Mirror Exercise
Every night before going to bed, stand in front of a mirror and appreciate all you accomplished during the day. Look deep into your eyes and hold for a few seconds. Maintain eye contact with yourself throughout the exercise.
Step One: Who You Are
The first step is simple. All you have to do is mention your name. For example:
My name is Miriam Laundry.
Step Two: What You've Accomplished
Then appreciate yourself by acknowledging what you did that day. Make sure to say them out loud. This might include...
- Accomplishments & Successes (e.g., Today I got a good mark on a test)
- Risks Taken (e.g., I stood up for a kid being bullied)
- Disciplines Kept (e.g., I did my homework)
- Temptations Resisted (e.g., I didn’t lash out when I was angry)
Step Three: Why It Matters
Next you'll want to weave together your accomplishments and self esteem. You can do this by saying "I love you" to yourself.
The Final Step of the Self Esteem Activity
The final step of this self esteem activity is to take a big, deep breath. Let it all sink in.
FREE MIRROR EXERCISE PRINTOUT
Ready to build your self-esteem? Developing a new discipline is easy with this cheatsheet taped to your mirror.
This self esteem activity is inspired by my book The Big, Bad Bully, which teaches us that the most dangerous bully isn't lurking around the corner, but living in our heads.
Follow a young girl who suddenly decides to stand up to her bully, only to discover she's the one who has been bullying herself!
The Big, Bad Bully is a great conversation starter to help children explore what kind of thoughts we have towards ourselves.
Six self esteem activities are included at the back of the book.