SELF-ESTEEM Your feelings of self-worth

OBJECTIVES  Students will:  define self-esteem  examine factors that influence self-esteem  examine how self-esteem relates to other areas of their life  identify personal strengths and weaknesses  Illustrate manifestations of poor self image and steps to improve self image

What is self-esteem?  Self-esteem is a measure of how much you value, respect, and feel confident about yourself.

Why is good self-esteem important? Self-esteem affects how you communicate with people and what decisions you make about your health.

SSpeaks up for self RRespects self and others HHas confidence TTries new things FFeels valuable to society AAdjusts to change FFeels optimistic MMakes decisions based on values High Self-Esteem

Low Self-Esteem  Feels insecure  Disrespects self and others  Vulnerable to peer pressure  Doesn’t Feel valuable  Feels depressed  fears failure  uses drugs and alcohol  Feels pessimistic  Behaves destructively

Ten tips for improving self-esteem Volunteer in community Practice gratitude Speak positively about yourself and others Take care of your physical health Reward yourself when you do well Try something new (take positive risks) Choose friends who support you and your positive choices Set a goal to improve a weakness Cheer yourself through hard times Have fun and laugh (good clean fun,that is)

Living Above The Line  Behaviors which exist “above the line” are related to response-ability, which we define as “having the ability to respond”. With this ability comes freedom and choices. “Living Above the Line” means being accountable for your actions and willing to make corrections when necessary. It means looking at options, choosing solutions and finding ways to become more effective.

Living below the line  “Living Below the Line”, on the other hand, involves characteristics like laying blame, justifying, denying and quitting as handy alternatives to responsibility.

Your Best Self = Ownership  When you “Live Above the Line”, you take responsibility for your life. You have greater control because you stop blaming things outside yourself for your current situation. It is the first step toward taking ownership. Taking this ownership also means not blaming others for what happens to you.

Making Amends  The 4 Part Apology  Apologizing when we’ve made mistakes isn’t easy. When we find ourselves in those situations, the “4 Part Apology” can help. It allows us to acknowledge what we did, take responsibility for it, and look beyond the actual incident to the consequences of our behavior. By stating these consequences and choosing a different behavior we can help the person we have affected move from feeling angry or resentful to being thoughtful and supportive.

ACKNOWLEDGE  “It’s All About My Relationships” AAMR  A All = Acknowledge Take responsibility for your actions by admitting them. Use “I” statements when speaking. “I acknowledge that I didn’t hand in my homework.”

APOLOGIZE A About = Apologize State the cost or damage your actions caused. “I apologize for breaking my word and frustrating you.”

MAKE IT RIGHT

Recommit  R Relationships = Recommit Make a commitment to appropriate behavior, which will mend the relationship. “I agree to get all of my work in to you tomorrow and do my best to get future assignments in on time.”

4-part apology  Using the “4 Part Apology” cleans up our mistakes,  gives us a fresh start and realigns our integrity.