Dear MDECOE and greater community,
According to several recent articles in Psychology Today, self-appreciation is an important skill for all of us to have in order to truly appreciate who we are. With self- appreciation, we can reflect on the hard things we’ve done as well as our strengths, especially in the face of adversity. One can find resiliency, self-confidence, and peace when feeling a sense of self-appreciation. However, it isn’t always easy to achieve self-appreciation due to negative self-talk and feelings of not being worthy for who we truly are. Here are some ways that you can find self-appreciation:
1. Look back and reflect on where you’ve been in your life. One of the easiest ways to experience self-appreciation is practicing self-reflection. Reflecting gives you the ability to look at how things have gone. Looking back on where you came from can give you a sense of strength in truly understanding where you can go, and lead to optimism for the future (Open University, 2021).
2. Put time into your physical health. This includes eating food that is good for you and getting regular physical exercise. Science has shown that when you take care of your body and put time into your physical health, you can have a greater sense of appreciation for who you are and all that your body can do (Stonsy, 2021).
3. Put time into what you value. Find a sense of greater connection and meaning by reflecting on what you value. An article in Psychology Today indicates that you can quickly find what you value by appreciating those around you. To do this, think of people who you look up to or that are role models for you. Think about why those people are important to you and the values they embody. This may help you realize that you have some of the values as well (Selig, 2021).
4. Evaluate the way you talk to yourself. Sometimes our inner monologue is not our friend. When you start to doubt yourself over something you are about to do or have done, allow yourself to turn the fear and doubt into an opportunity, and instead make it positive. Oftentimes we leave ourselves off our gratitude list, but it is important to make sure remember all that you have done well.
To learn more about self-appreciation, see these articles:
References
- Holland, K. (2020, June 27). Positive Self-Talk: How Talking to Yourself Is a Good Thing. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/positive-self-talk#examples-of-positive-self--talk
- The Open University. (2021). Self Reflection. https://www5.open.ac.uk/choose/unison/develop/my-skills/self-reflection
- Selig, M. (2021). 6 Ways to Discover and Choose Your Core Values. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201811/6-ways-discover-and-choose-your-core-values
- Stonsy, S. (2021). Anger in the Age of Entitlement How Much Do You Value Yourself? Https://Www.Psychologytoday.Com/Us/Blog/Anger-in-the-Age-Entitlement/201406/How-Much-Do-You-Value-Yourself. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anger-in-the-age-entitlement/201406/how-much-do-you-value-yourself
For a list of many self-care options, please see our College of Education self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community:
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
I hope that you can appreciate yourselves for the great individuals that you are!
Warmly,
Shari