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Rebuilding Your Self-Esteem

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Hello Luciana.

I've lived with Arthritis for over twenty years and it has curbed a lot of the activities I used to do. But the worst thing was losing my supposedly friends. It was like I was contagious or had leprosy. I started to feel really useless and worked harder to prove I wasn't. I became very competitive but it didn't help. As I went down hill both phisically and mentally I became reclusive. I spent more time Gardening and tried challenging things to stimulate my mind and body. I put up a green house and grew watermellon and Cantaloupe and other exotics. I live in north east British Columbia so this was a definite Challenge. In the garden I grew pumpkins. In the coffee shop when I mentioned it people would shrug it off and say "I tried that it doesn't work." I filled my basement with woodworking tools when I found I had a knack for that. (can"t garden in the winter). The Arthritis has caused me to slow down and look at life with a different perspective. And I cultivated a whole different class of friends. When people showed an interest I'd give them vine ripe cantaloupe or wood work. I have people I don't even know telling me some one gave them a taste of my Cantaloupe Or they want to know how I make my wine. I got my fifteen minutes of fame when My model of a steam locomotive was photographed and wrote up in the local paper. (A scale model, not a toy). I had put it in a local woodwork show. When I look in the mirror I still see a Bent and twisted body but I no longer see some one useless. I see some one with skills that are different. I have something to offer. Every one has something that they are really good at, it just takes time to find what it is. So do I have low self-esteem? Nope, not any more I know who I am and I'm happy with me, I just wish I wasn't so crippled. Be happy, It's hard to fight anxiety and panic when your not. And now I have to drag my butt outside and plow last nights snow off the driveway since no one is going to do it for me.

Peace every one

Davit

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 224

Members,
Has an illness, addiction or other left your self-esteem in the gutter? In the weeks to come, we will be exploring various strategies to help rebuild your self-esteem:

Today's topic is about being kind to yourself.

Being kind to yourself is essential in rebuilding your self-esteem. This includes:

• Making sure you eat well, sleep enough and get active.
• Engaging in pleasurable activities
• Patting yourself on the back for ALL accomplishments, big or small!
• Remind yourself how great you really are! You have lots of strengths! And the weaknesses you’re not so crazy about, you can work on and grow into an even better version of yourself!
• Tell yourself it’s OKAY if you don’t achieve everything you had set out to do, big or small. Plans life and other need constant revision and remember you may have been put on a different path you can’t see yet.

What does this all have to do with self-esteem you might ask? Everything! If you don’t believe you deserve the basics and learn to start loving yourself, it makes it harder for others to do the same.

It is not selfish, it is self-nurturing!

What are some ways that you are kind to yourself?

Luciana - Bilingual Health Educator

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Rebuilding Your Self-Esteem