5 Creative Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem

How do you determine what self-esteem you currently have? Are there any criteria for its norm?

“Self-esteem is a complex of a person’s ideas about himself, his abilities and capabilities, qualities and intrinsic value. We acquire these perceptions by comparing ourselves with others, taking into account external evaluation. And this helps to make decisions, set goals and objectives and fulfill them,” explains art therapist Polina Postelgina. – Self-esteem motivates to develop certain qualities and skills. Analyze your behavior and feel satisfied or, conversely, feel dissatisfied with yourself.

Working with her is not a tribute to fashion, but the harmonization of an important component of the psyche. It allows you to adapt in society: find yourself in some business and achieve success in it, show talents and abilities, establish relationships and feel belonging to some social group and humanity as a whole.

Without the ability to evaluate oneself, a “social person” is nowhere. Another thing is that often self-esteem does not correspond to reality.

What are the criteria for the norm?

“Self-esteem can be adequate and inadequate: underestimated or overestimated. The key point here is that healthy, adequate self-esteem corresponds to the real state of affairs. A person is aware of his strengths and weaknesses, adequately assesses the possibilities, feels confident in communicating with other people – without superiority or without constraint and insecurity, ”says the psychologist.

A balanced subjective self-image can serve as a criterion for adequate self-esteem. For example: “I’m good at this, but in another area I still need to work on myself in order to get a higher position.” And this self-image is confirmed by the objective requirements of the employer.

Low self-esteem makes us insecure and makes us give up ambition, even with the ability, avoid contacts and opportunities, fearing failure. Inflated self-esteem makes a person overly arrogant and arrogant. It often creates a misleading image of its resources. Because of this, some important project may not be realized and people who rely on a specific result will suffer.

“As practice shows, the problem is most often in understating one’s own significance, so self-esteem has to be increased. And few people with inflated self-esteem will voluntarily strive to “descend from heaven to earth”, this is how we are arranged, ”explains the art therapist.

Self-esteem is formed closer to adolescence and “ripens” to a young age, by the age of 22-25. “Until then, other people’s assessments are important to us, but as we grow up, we learn to rely on our own ideas and knowledge about ourselves and correct them. If this process is difficult and it is difficult for a person to assess himself adequately, you can turn to a psychologist and separate other people’s projections from yourself, identify strengths, identify growth areas, and learn self-support, ”says Polina Postelgina.

So social standards are arranged that a man’s self-esteem can be underestimated if he shows sensuality and faces disapproval of this from relatives and society. It is not customary for a man to cry, he can only be upset. But if such a sensitive man gets into an environment where this quality is useful, for example, in acting or other creative fields, his self-esteem can be strengthened.

Women are often judged by external data. From childhood, they are divided into beautiful and ugly, and soon the girl herself looks at herself through the eyes of others. But the standards of beauty are changing rapidly.

“The psyche cannot instantly adapt to these changes. What was laid down in childhood can have a strong influence on the self-esteem of an adult, although it will not be confirmed outside. But I, as a psychologist, am convinced that every person has value, has a unique combination of personal qualities and properties, abilities and talents. All of them can already be the basis for feeling the value of oneself in society and the world,” states Polina Postelgina.

Creativity, art therapy is a universal way to increase self-esteem. This awakens in a person the ability, inherent from birth, to be a creator: to manifest himself outside, to order the world around him, to create, to invent something new and unique. This is the basis for self-respect and self-acceptance, the art therapist believes.

“Unfortunately, we also often lose contact with this ability “thanks to” criticism and evaluation of our work. But art therapy can become that means and that environment where a person freely and without judgement manifests himself again, as in childhood. Over time, he gains the ability to follow his creative energy, rely on it and trust it, and therefore himself.

In the course of art therapy, a person acquires the beliefs: “I can, I can do it”, “I, my feelings and manifestations are valuable in themselves”. Interaction with the color and tactile properties of visual materials also helps to relieve stress and enhance the adaptive qualities of the individual, ”explains the specialist.

Technique number 1. self-portrait

You will need: A4 white sheet, colored pencils or crayons.

Draw a self-portrait (draw quickly without worrying about artistic value) and answer the questions:

• How would you describe this person?
• What strengths does he have?
• What is this person missing?
• What would you like to wish him?
• Is there anything you would like to correct or change in the drawing? Do it on the same sheet or draw the portrait again.

The technique allows you to look at yourself from the outside, explore self-esteem and express approval and support for yourself.

Technique №2. Mandala

You will need: an A4 sheet of a color that is pleasant for you, pencils or felt-tip pens, the basis for a circle.

Draw a large circle using a compass or plate. Fill the space inside the circle as you wish, after saying to yourself: “It’s me. I am a part of this world, and I am such (such), what (what) I am.

Look at the finished drawing:

• What do you like about the mandala?
• What are your qualities and properties?
• What message could this mandala give you?

If you want to correct or add something, do it.

Mandala is a harmonizing form and a slice of the inner state. By drawing mandalas regularly, with a theme or just like that, you can balance your mood, relieve stress, improve contact with the inner world, and find answers to exciting questions.

Technique number 3. Postcard to yourself

You will need ready-made sets for creating postcards. You can use what is at hand: paper, paints, magazine clippings, ribbons, decor. Find the content you like.

As a child, we often drew or made postcards to our loved ones: remember what delight and awe they caused! But even if someone did not appreciate such a gift, now you will have the opportunity to make it yourself. Enjoy the creative process and write wishes and thanks to yourself, funny phrases or add kind drawings. Let this work serve as an anchor of self-support, love and attention to yourself.

Technique number 4. Letter to myself

You will need: a piece of paper and a pen.

Text practices are also part of art therapy. If you are not ready to draw and create a postcard, or want to complement other techniques, write yourself a letter. Just as if you were writing to a friend. Share what you want, say something important, ask for advice or support. This practice allows you to get rid of tension and pent-up feelings, sort out your thoughts, as well as establish and strengthen contact with yourself, learn self-support.

Technique number 5. My personal coat of arms

You will need: colored paper and cardboard, paints and felt-tip pens, scissors, magazines and images, colored tape and other decor materials.

Create a personal emblem reflecting your achievements, values, unique personality, talents and goals – whatever you see fit. You can come up with a motto and put it on the coat of arms. Crests often have animal holders – this can be your “power animal”.

Technique strengthens not only self-esteem, but also the boundaries of the individual. As a result, we better understand our values ​​and symbolically protect them: after all, the coat of arms is often depicted as a shield and placed on roadside plots, where it marks the beginning of a new territory.