Self-Esteem For Dummies

Looking to get your hands on some more self-esteem? You're not alone. Thankfully, Self-Esteem For Dummies presents clear, innovative, and compassionate methods that help you identify the causes of low self-esteem—as well the lowdown on the consequences. Packed with trusted, hands-on advice to help you improve your overall self-worth, Self-Esteem For Dummies arms you with the proven tools and techniques for learning how to think and behave with more self-assurance at work, in social situations, and even in relationships.

Self-esteem is shaped by your thoughts, relationships, and experiences. When you were growing up, your successes, failures, and how you were treated by your family, teachers, coaches, religious authorities, and peers determined how you feel about yourself. But you can shift your thinking and reclaim your self-worth with the help of Self-Esteem For Dummies.

• Helps you understand the ranges of self-esteem and the benefits of promoting self-esteem
• Arms you with the tools to learn how to think and behave with more self-assurance
• Covers the importance of mental wellbeing, assertiveness, resilience, and more
• Shows you how to improve your self-image, increase personal power, and feel better about yourself

If you're looking to boost your sense of self-worth, Self-Esteem For Dummies sets you on the path to a more confident, awesome you.

Introduction 1

Part I: The Lowdown on Self-Esteem 5

Chapter 1: The Nature of Self-Esteem 7

Chapter 2: Understanding the Impacts of Low Self-Esteem 19

Chapter 3: Where Does Low Self-Esteem Come From? 29

Chapter 4: Measuring Your Self-Esteem 43

Part II: Expressing a Positive Attitude 53

Chapter 5: Affirming and Visualizing Your Better Self 55

Chapter 6: Nurturing Yourself to Create Happiness 67

Chapter 7: Creating a Healthy Body Image 83

Part III: Changing Your Negative Thoughts and Coming to Grips with Being a Perfectionist 97

Chapter 8: Dealing with Your Negative Self-Talk 99

Chapter 9: Analyzing Perfectionism 115

Chapter 10: Dealing Positively with Perfectionism 127

Part IV: Growing Your Self-Esteem 137

Chapter 11: Increasing Your Confidence through Self-Awareness 139

Chapter 12: Moving Beyond the Fear That’s Zapping Your Faith 159

Chapter 13: Creating and Reaching Your Goals 171

Part V: Dissolving Internal Barriers to Success in Love and Work 183

Chapter 14: Examining Your Role in Creating Conflicts in Your Relationships 185

Chapter 15: Rewriting Your Love Story 201

Chapter 16: Getting Beyond Loving Love 215

Chapter 17: Improving Personal Relationships 229

Chapter 18: Re-Creating Your Image for Professional Success 243

Chapter 19: Managing Your Relationships at Work 263

Chapter 20: Presenting with Confidence 279

Part VI: Nurturing Self-Esteem in Others 293

Chapter 21: Helping Family and Friends 295

Chapter 22: Helping Children and Teens Achieve Healthy Self-Esteem 309

Part VII: The Part of Tens 323

Chapter 23: Ten Famous People Who Raised Their Self-Esteem 325

Chapter 24: Ten Approaches to Pursuing Excellence 337

Chapter 25: Ten Tips for Quickly Improving Your Self-Esteem 347

Index 355

S. Renee Smith is a renowned self-esteem and branding expert, speaker, author, and resource to the media. Her expertise in personal and professional development and ability to inspire others to make positive, permanent changes has made her a sought-after consultant and speaker to Fortune 500 corporations, universities, government and nonprofit agencies, and churches. Vivian Harte has taught assertiveness skills online to over 10,000 students worldwide. She has 14 years of experience teaching in the classroom at Pima Community College and the University of Phoenix. She also hosted her own radio and television shows for many years in Colorado Springs, Minneapolis, and Tucson.

Learn to:

• Identify triggers to low self-esteem
• Set and achieve goals that will enrich your life
• Celebrate your personal strengths
• Build self-esteem in children

Get on a path to self-discovery—and believe that you are perfectly awesome

Looking to get your hands on some more self-esteem? You’re not alone. Written by the experts and packed with accessible, compassionate guidance, Self-Esteem For Dummies presents clear and innovative methods to help you identify the causes of low self-esteem, shift your thinking, behave with more self-assurance, and reclaim your self-worth.

• Mirror, mirror on the wall — get to know your “inner critic,” how your thoughts affect your level of self-esteem, and why your sense of self-worth can be skewed
• Perfect, schmerfect — come to grips with being a perfectionist, deal with your negative self-talk, create a healthy body image, and nurture yourself to create happiness
• Get on that high horse — discover the benefits of healthy self-esteem, find the fear that is zapping your faith, and create and reach achievable goals
• Tear down the walls — find out how to break down internal barriers to success in love and at work
• Pay it forward — get trusted guidance on helping family, friends, children, employees, and coworkers build self-esteem from the ground up

Open the book and find:

• How your low self-esteem may have been formed
• Why it’s important to make friends with yourself first
• The lowdown on the impacts of low self-esteem
• How to measure your self-esteem
• Guidance on increasing your self-esteem
• Ways to set healthy boundaries for yourself and others
• 10 tips for quickly improving your self-esteem
• Tips on speaking up confidently