Depression, low self-esteem and the brain
5. If you already are trying to get better and it doesn´t work, analyze if you do good behaviors for yourself at the same time as you try to think that you want to take care of yourself. If you ”only” think but behave in a mean way towards yourself, you won´t get anywhere.
6. Analyze in what way you talk about yourself in front of others. If you have low self-esteem it´s not unusual that you minimize yourself in front of others, if you do, try to stop yourself, it´s better to say nothing.
7. Analyze how you react when you get a compliment. If you usually reject the compliment try, next time just to say ”thank you” and then be quiet.
8. If you have low self-esteem and may be depressed it´s common to feel an urge to explain yourself and your actions in front of others. If someone for example ask you if you can do them a favor and you can´t because you have promised someone to do something else, it´s common that you feel an impulse to explain every detail of why you can´t do the favor. If you recognize yourself in this, try to resist defending yourself. Try to say that you can´t do the favor this day but you want to help another day and then you can suggest a day that is good for you.
8. If you are depressed and have low self-esteem, remember that it is possible get better. When you have low self-esteem you think low of yourself and you act in way that is disrespectful towards yourself, and then it is logical that you feel sadness and hopelessness.
9. A central point in depression is the feeling of helplessness, that is it is no point to do anything because nothing will help anyway. Try to think that if you get a grip of what negative you actually do towards yourself every day it is quite logical to feel bad. In other words you can feel better if you start behaving better towards yourself. You just have to start analyzing what specifically you are doing towards yourself that is mean.
Cognitive Behavior Psychologist Monica Emanell
www.kbtemanell.se