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Mental Health Matters
Many associate positive mental health with having positive self-esteem, however, more important than prioritizing self-esteem is prioritizing self-compassion. Self-esteem is often defined as how we feel about ourselves when comparing ourselves to others, while self-compassion is about treating ourselves nicely no matter what grade we get or how many goals we score. One way to practice self-compassion is by utilizing positive self-talk. Positive self-talk means ensuring your inner voice is encouraging rather than discouraging. After getting a bad grade on an essay, your inner voice might say “I’m so dumb. I’m never going to be a good writer.” Instead of accepting this self-talk, try reframing your thoughts into something less negative. For example, you could say, “I have trouble with writing. I could use extra help with that.”
Lesson Idea: MyleMarks, a Sage Oak community provider, has a variety of worksheets to help you practice the skill of positive self-talk. Like learning any skill, it may feel awkward and challenging initially, but with practice, positive self-talk is an important skill that will become a great tool in achieving positive self-compassion. |
