Contents
8-8-8, the technique to optimize time that helps improve your self-esteem
Psychology
Being able to organize the day helps to gain confidence, strengthen personal capacities and reduce uncertainty
Do you usually calculate how much time you dedicate to each of the situations or daily activities in which you participate in your day to day, whether they are leisure, work or rest? It may seem difficult, crazy or even obsessive, but the truth is that learning to manage time is something that is directly related to self-esteem. This is how the psychologist Sara Navarrete defends it in her book «Increase your self-esteem. The 10 keys you need to change your life ”, in which the author proposes a simple method to feel better about yourself that consists of dedicating eight hours a day to sleep, eight hours to work and eight hours to leisure.
La
psychologist, who also directs the Center for Psychology and Health in Valencia, defines this apparently simple method as the technique 8-8-8 (8 hours of work, 8 of leisure and 8 of sleep) and ensures that the basis of this formula not only lies in managing time, but also in being focused and present in each of the activities that are carried out. “When you are working, look for your moment of maximum productivity and dedicate yourself to the most complicated issues that require more attention,” he proposes.
And just like during the eight hours that he proposes to dedicate to the working day, we will need concentration, efficiency and energy, during the period dedicated to leisure (another eight hours) we will have to learn to really disconnect. The expert assures that during the eight hours that are not dedicated to work, it will be important to approach that time “from the perspective of joy”, of choice and intention, because to feed self-esteem it is essential to enjoy everything we do, whether they are housework, reading a book, tidying up the closet, walking in the park or enjoying the beach.
Perhaps if this article is read in a vacation context, it may seem that it is not possible to apply this method, but in reality the base on which this technique is built serves for any time of the year, since the third eight that is part of this technique It is the one that refers to the necessary eight hours of rest or sleep. Not in vain the psychologist is convinced that one of the keys to achieving the goals that help us improve the concept we have about ourselves is to sleep well. “To think that sleeping is a waste of time is a mistake since sleep is restorative, it is vital,” he clarifies.
We are imperfect, so what?
Managing our time, so that we can rest better and take advantage of leisure hours can help reduce self-demand, a concept that is closely related to self-esteem. As the psychologist explains, there are many people with low self-esteem who are too demanding of themselves and crush themselves when they make mistakes.
That is why, for the author, some of the keys to strengthening self-esteem have to do with learning the value of making mistakes, making mistakes, relativizing and being flexible with ourselves and with others. “We are not perfect. And that’s something we have to assume, but for real. Making mistakes is normal and the healthy thing is to recognize that we have made a mistake and accept ourselves as we are », he clarifies.
It is also important, according to Navarrete, that we are able to express our opinions, respect our values, keep track of our achievements and desires, and differentiate between selfishness and self-respect.
Only if you want to love yourself, you can love yourself
Pretty phrases, movies, videos of dubious origin on social networks, advice from influencers … The fact is that loving yourself and improving self-esteem is in fashion, but being aware of its importance and reading and listening to it at all times is not enough. As the TherapyChat psychologist, Aída Rubio, explains, to improve and work on self-esteem you have to start from yourself, that is, we must want to do it without others telling us or imposing it on us. And that does not come out alone but must be worked through these eight basic guidelines and exercises:
1. Analyze your strengths and your qualitiess: make a list of the ones that come to mind and don’t leave out what other people have highlighted about you. It can help you remember what your achievements in life have been and how you came to achieve them.
2. Take a moment each day to stand in front of the mirror and, leaving the value judgments, smile and say nice and loving words to yourself. Take advantage of the previous list to help you.
3. Love yourself as you are. Sometimes it is difficult for us to embrace all of our parts and we are very critical and demanding of ourselves. That is why the psychologist Belén Colomina, an expert in mindfulness, invites us to meditate to take ourselves into account from a constructive perspective that takes into account our entire being.
4. Treat yourself how you want to be treated: we unconsciously dictate to others how they should treat us, and if you treat yourself badly, or put yourself in a submissive position, you will be sending signals to others that they can do the same.
5. Check how you talk: Even the most wrong ideas, if they are repeated 100 times, they can sound credible. Instead of repeating yourself that you are not worth it, break up that distorted speech and replace it with friendly language that highlights the positive in you.
6. Do not compare yourself with others. Comparison with other people is harmful to us and our self-esteem. «By comparing ourselves we are idealizing the elements of the other person, that is, we adopt an inferior position with respect to the other. Therefore, in this position we do not value ourselves or our abilities and achievements ”, explains Lidia G. Asensi, a psychologist at the Cepsim center.
7. Stop blaming yourself. Living in the present and working in the future are your anchors. When you blame yourself for things that you have done or that you have not done, you settle in the past and that prevents you from moving forward.
8. It is time to act. Perhaps lack of confidence or fear has limited your experiences. It is time to enrich your life if your low self-esteem made you fall into the trap that led you not to experiment, not to try, not to change and to stagnate.