Replacing “Don’ts” With “Do’s” for Self-Esteem

After last week’s post on name-calling and how it ruins your self-esteem (and possibly other people’s as well), a reader called Multnoma left the following comment:

 Ok. I get that I am holding myself back by calling names. Even if only in my head. Or under my breath.
But it’s only another item on the list of what I shouldn’t do.

I don’t know what I *should* do. Where is the list for that?

Multnoma’s comment was right on the money; it’s relatively easy to come up with a “Don’t” list.

This is one of those times when mental health advice parallels physical health advice.

For example, we’ve all heard these popular “Don’ts” for health:

• Smoking
• Alcohol/drug abuse
• High sodium
• Refined sugar
• Too much red meat
• etc., etc., etc.

But there always seem to be differing opinions about what we *should* do…

• Vegan diet, or everything in moderation?
• More fruit, or less?
• Reduce carbohydrates, fat, or protein?
• How much fiber?
• How much water?
• Are supplements even helpful, let alone necessary?
• Etc., etc., etc.

In light of conflicting opinions, at a certain point we’re left to rely on our own observations and intuition about our bodies.

For instance I’ve noticed that for me, there is such a thing as too much fiber.

Mike on the other hand is a two-legged fiber-processing factory. He can handle any amount, it seems.

Fasting is not my friend no matter how much I’d like it to be.

Others thrive on fasting and swear by it.

Ultimately, we all must decide for ourselves what works and what doesn’t when it comes to our health.

This is probably true for mental health as well.

Solutions Need Problems

If you wander the earth asking people what you should do, you’ll probably often get the response, “About what?”

This is because the answer to the question, “What should I do?” depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.

In the physical realm, if you’re trying to lower your blood pressure I’m told that, among other things, you should reduce your salt intake.

If your blood pressure is fine but you sweat a lot, you probably need to make sure you get enough salt to replace the sodium that’s lost through sweating.

Different goals, different means.

If your goal is to improve your self-esteem, the basic “to-do” is to esteem yourself.

Self-esteem is an action.

But the “to-do” inherent in that action depends on what it means to you.

How do you show esteem?

Here are a few ways that esteem can be expressed:

• verbal or written communication (e.g., “I like you; you’re different”)
• generosity (donating your time, money or energy)
• compassion (seeking to understand and commiserate rather than judge)
• affection (inviting closeness; cuddling, caressing, smiling, gazing)
• interest; attention (being enthusiastic about knowing the person)
• admiration (recognizing qualities you appreciate)

Think about how you treat those you hold in high esteem. What are your go-to actions?

That gives you your answer, because once you know how you’d treat those people, you can treat yourself the same way.

Are you an affectionate person? Give yourself a hug.

Do you enjoy being generous? Give yourself a gift.

Are you interested in others? How about getting interested in yourself?

Try a little constructive wallowing; knowing your feelings is a shortcut to knowing your authentic self.

If you have ideas about how to practice self-esteem “do’s” rather than “don’ts,” please share them in the Comments section.

Many thanks to Multnoma, whose comment inspired this post.

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