There has never been more evidence nor as an overwhelming an outcry for self-love than there is at present. For starters we are in the throes of a worldwide pandemic. And, as responsible members of society, we have been urged to comply with the social distancing, self quarantining and other isolation based pandemic related requirements. As a result we have done our part to make our respective corners of the world a little safer and hopefully have contributed in ways that have reduced angst and the likelihood of viral transmission. Sadly, our contribution and participation in all of this has come at a great cost. A cost that I fear we won’t fully realize for some time to come. In the meantime, we as individuals are hemorrhaging and are long overdue for gauze, a cauterizing, or stitches. Why did I paint such a graphic, gut wrenching, time sensitive picture, you might ask? Because studies have shown that in the midst of the pandemic, other issues are escalating in pandemic like proportions. But before I launch into the deep end of the pool and present the thesis for this post i must first offer a disclaimer. I am a life coach. I am not a therapy or a counselor. But only a blogger, an observer that posts my opinion of current events. Albeit, I am going to treat anything I produce studiously, meticulously and using the scholastic guidelines that I have grown accustomed to using in my research as a masters and a Ph.D. student. Meaning, I endeavor to handle my presentation of subject matter with the utmost respect and care being careful in my choice of sources as well as in the presentation of the information drawn from those sources.
In either case this is a blog and I am a blogger who happens to be a life coach and an author. From each of those functions, I passionately present the information in this blog as a grave concern. One that I believe begs our attention now and hopefully prompts us to action sometime shortly thereafter. A peak behind the wizard’s curtain, reveals…”a significant 1 in 5 Americans (20%) say they have suffered from low self-esteem during the pandemic.” This should raise all of our eyebrows at least to our hair lines. Let’s peel back the onion layers and examine the topic in it’s entirety. But, before I go any further, allow me to provide a solid definition of self-esteem. According to Merriam-Webster.com as of 5.7.2022, self-esteem is defined as a “confidence and satisfaction in oneself.” Conversely, low self-esteem is defined in a 1.23.2020 post on the popular site wedmd.com as “when someone lacks confidence about who they are and what they can do”(Brennan, 2020). Now’s let’s stand up and survey the puzzle and see if we have enough pieces to determine to make sense of the big picture. The American Addiction Centers’ research tell us that 1 in 5 Americans have suffered from low self-esteem during the pandemic. And, if that’s not a glum enough picture, their research goes on to say that “42% of those who experience low self-esteem say this has been worse than previous years since the start of the pandemic.”(Editorial Staff, 2021). In other words the people that have experience low self-esteem say their low self-esteem experience during the pandemic has been worse than it was in the years before the pandemic. Now, let’s peel back the final layer. 1 in 5 Americans is 20%. According to the Worldometer.info website the population of the U.S. as of today, Saturday, May 5, 2022 is 334,575,277. Which means that as of the writing of this blog, 66, 915,055 people have suffered from low self esteem or plainly speaking that many fellow Americans lack “confidence about who they are and what they can do.” That is a gruesome picture of a nation on the brink of needing a major overhaul in their regard for their well-being and happiness. Finally, the Addiction Centers offer the following tips to improve self -esteem:
1. Check in with your mind
Especially if you’re isolating on your own, it can be easy to forget to check in with yourself and your mental state on a regular basis as there is no one around to remind you to do so.
2. Identify and replace negative self-talk
Instead of being critical towards your actions, try replacing these words with positive, self-affirming ones. And;
3. Hype yourself up
It’s not as easy to feel confident if no one is encouraging you to do so. It may sound strange at first but try talking yourself up before a task or responsibility you feel nervous about. Repeat things like “I have the power to…” and “I can do this…” in a way which allows you to be your very own cheerleader.
Interestingly enough, the tips offered by the American Addiction Centers are the very areas I cover with the 7 Dimensions of Love in my latest book, Becoming A Self-Love Practitioner. The picture is glum as individuals as well as a nation but their is plenty of light at the end of the tunnel that thankfully is not evidence of an oncoming train but instead the hope of real, substantial support for the kind of personal growth and development that facilitates fulfillment and success in many areas. Experiences that are not possible but able to be enjoyed but following the principles I provide in my book. I know these experiences are possible because they fueled my recovery from being paralyzed and bed ridden to being propelled into my life’s purpose as a coach.
Order your copy of my book Now! Thoughtfully, I’ve made it available as an e-copy so that you can order it and get an instant download and begin to put my principles into practice and enjoy the benefit right away. Click to order: https://www.blurb.com/ebooks/774917-becoming-a-self-love-practitioner.
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James W. falcon is an author and the founder of a unique helps network through which he provides life, relationship, and business & career coaching. For more on James, his helps network, his most recent publication and/or his coaching, visit: encouragementiskey.org or call or text 1.855.92C.OACH/1.855.962.6224. Thank you.
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