Finding Your Value—A Road to Self Exploration:

 Are you feeling like you don’t have faith in yourself and what you can do? You're not alone. We have been taught to embrace validation from outside rather than from within. 

 We will uncover what self-worth is, the contributing factors, and share actionable steps where you can discover and nurture your worth.

What is Self-Worth?🏆

Self-esteem, or self-worth, is how we see or value ourselves. It is the totality of everything we think, feel, and do that builds our self-identity and self-esteem. With positive self-worth, we feel competent, worthy, and deserving of love, respect, and happiness.

👉A myriad of things can affect our self worth. Such as:

1. Childhood experiences:

 Our formative years can have long-term effects on how we value ourselves, due to the relationships we had with our caregivers, parents and siblings.

2. Social media:

 Living among a barrage of false advertising and filtered images and videos can build unrealistic comparisons and self-worth ideas.

3. Cultural and social pressure;

 Our personal value and individuality can be lost to the pressure of becoming part of social expectations and norms.

4. Trauma and adversity:

 Trauma, abuse, or mounting adversity can deeply affect our sense of worth and identity.

5. Internalised negative self-talk:

 If we repeat the inner dialogue about our own worth, it becomes our truth — whether that truth is supportive or abusive depends on-what narrative  we embraced.

Discovering Your Worth🔍

So how to know your worth and build a healthy level of self-esteem? Here are some tangible techniques:

↪ Gratitude practice: Rather than dwelling on negative thoughts or experiences, think about the things you’re appreciative of. All of it can include keeping a gratitude journal, writing down three things each day that you feel grateful for, or talking to a friend or loved one and sharing what you are thankful for.

↪ Self-care:  Practice self-care by doing things that nurture you — exercise, meditate, pursue creative activities, to name a few.

↪ Exposure to negative self-talk: When you engage in negative self-talk, notice your thoughts, and challenge how you think about the situation with more positive and realistic thinking.

↪ Stay in the light : Be around those who lift you up, not those who drain your energy or diminish your self-esteem.

↪ Praise yourself: Take the time to celebrate all your accomplishments, big or small. This can help contextualise them and affirm positive self-esteem.

↪ Be mindful: Pay attention to the moment, without judgement. Try mindfulness practices such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to help develop a greater sense of self-awareness and self-acceptance.

Nurturing Your Worth🤳

Once you have some awareness of values, you need to develop and defend them. Here are a few more strategies that may help you preserve a healthy sense of self-worth:

1. Establish healthy boundaries: 

Say “no” and set limits with others to protect your time, energy, and emotional health.

2. Be kind to yourself: 

Just as you would do with your best friend, show understanding and patience to you.

3. Emphasis your positive qualities:

Instead of fixating on your shortcomings or what you can’t do, focus on the things you excel at and do well.

4. Develop a growth mindset:

 Embrace challenges and failures as chances to grow and learn, not as threats to your ego or self-esteem.

5. Find and nurture supportive relationships:

 Find people who support you, who encourage you and help you feel accepted for who you are.

👉Conclusion

Learning your value is a journey, not a destination. This is something that takes time, patience and some self-reflection to develop. These are just a few of the effective ways to develop your worth, as mentioned in this article, then start embracing it.

 So now, discover your worth — take the first step today.👍