Understanding Self Worth
Self-worth impacts the many aspects of our lives we deem important. It influences how we show up in relationships, perform in our jobs, engage socially, and most importantly, treat ourselves.
Self-worth is defined, in the APA, as evaluating oneself as a valuable, capable human deserving of respect and consideration. Christine Hibbert (2013) differentiates self-esteem as the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about oneself, whereas, self-worth is knowing that one is more than those things and of value, loveable, and necessary to life.
Within this explanation of self-worth, it is important to look at what shapes or defines our relationship with our self-worth. So much of what we believe about ourselves is nurtured by our society, culture, and family.
Within the influences of society, culture, and family, there is an emphasis on ability, effort, and performance as they relate to our worth. Emphasizing our “doing” in a society of consumerism leaves us constantly comparing ourselves to others and competing to be the “best” as a way to prove our worth.
What if we lived in a world where “doing” was deemphasized and more value was placed on “being”?
Better yet, if we created an inner world where “being” was understood as inherently worthy and valuable, would we also begin to treat ourselves as such? Shifting our self-worth requires us to know ourselves and our inner critic(s).
The inner critic can be overt, and we may know it well, meaning we can begin to work on how we relate to the critical voice in our head. The more challenging, covert, and subconscious, inner critics show up in our actions or behaviors and ask us to explore the “why” of how we think and behave.
What defines your self-worth?
How do you measure your self-worth?
How much emphasis do you place on the following:
Appearance
Material Possessions and Money
Social Status
Your Career
Your Achievements
How do you view yourself versus how others perceive you?