Inner strength is the body’s ultimate resource for getting through life‘s challenges without sinking into a sea of despair or hopelessness. With constant burnout and current hustle culture, people are rapidly developing low self-worth, which is estimated to be around 85% of individuals globally. The field of positive psychology aims to offer practical tools and guidance to build up inner resilience and, hence make life truly worth living.
Positive psychology is all about focusing on our strengths Instead of giving in to weaknesses so that we can appreciate what we have at the moment and develop a positive attitude towards the ebbs and flows of life. By doing so, empower individuals to not only survive adversity but also thrive in the face of it. In this article, we explore evidence-based positive psychology interventions to build inner strength and create a life aligned with purpose and positivity.
Understanding Self-Esteem from the Lens of Positive Psychology
A person’s own sense of self-worth and personal value determines their self-esteem. Human nature is made resilient to bounce back from adversities, have a sense of purpose, and maintain emotional well-being. However, a person with low self-esteem often struggles with self-doubt, criticizing their own beliefs and capabilities. Such discrepancy often results in negative outcomes with serious consequences.
Positive psychology not only eliminates these insecurities creating self-doubt but also provides psychological resources to build inner strength, encourage optimism and gratitude, and foster personal growth and ability to navigate challenges. Cultivating inner strength empowers us to face life's ups and downs with greater confidence and adaptability.
Low Self-Esteem Targeting Teens and Young Adults
Low self-esteem is specifically targeting our teens and young adults due to the highly demanding nature of their environment. Instead of embracing diversity, many schools and workplaces are focused on creating robots out of humans to fit them in a box. Not fulfilling such demanding expectations often results in self-doubt and negative self-talk, which in turn develops low self-esteem and mental health issues.
Integrating positive psychology in classrooms and workspaces proves to be a life-changing step to provide inner strength tools for a better and more fulfilling life.
Christina M Scott is a wonderful professional clinical counselor and presenter at Core Wellness, offering her expertise in positive psychology interventions in both live and on-demand courses.
Key Positive Psychology Interventions for Self-Esteem
There are several methods to build resilience and inner strength to promote self-esteem. This development is crucial for everyone to be able to handle the challenges life throws at them. Some of the most prominent positive psychology interventions are:
1. Strength-Based Approaches
Strength-based positive psychology interventions help individuals focus on their unique abilities rather than their shortcomings or weaknesses. This approach helps you identify and celebrate your strengths, promoting a positive self-image.
2. Self-Compassion Exercises
Positive psychology often involves small exercises to rewire your brain to be more compassionate about yourself. These exercises are focused on encouraging a kinder, more forgiving attitude toward oneself and reducing self-critical thoughts.
3. Visualization Technique
Visualization is an effective positive psychology tool that uses imagination for the manifestation of a goal you want to achieve with the steps you must follow. This strategy enhances self-efficacy and confidence, reinforcing belief in personal capabilities.
4. Growth Mindset Development
Positive psychology plays a vital part in developing a growth mindset. It significantly reframes failures into learning opportunities by keeping a log of what you learned from that experience. This strategy instills the belief that abilities and self-worth can evolve with effort and persistence.
5. Gratitude Practice
Humans are often forgetful about their achievements and positive experiences after experiencing any shortcomings. However, gratitude practice and mindfulness exercises encourage individuals to keep remebering those moments by doing daily gratitude journaling. This successfully shifts attention from negative self-perceptions to moments of growth and success.
Benefits of Positive Psychology
Positive psychology offers a number of benefits and opportunities to make our world a better place to live in harmony and peace. Therapists need to understand these benefits and leverage this simple yet effective strategy to provide better tools to their clients to face any challenge life throws at them. Here are a few benefits that define the worth and effectiveness of positive psychological interventions:
Reduces Self-Criticism: Focusing on positive traits shifts the direction of self-criticism to self-appreciation by highlighting positive experiences.
Builds Resilience: With the necessary tools like journaling and gratitude practice, individuals develop resilience to face challenges.
Promotes Long-term Well-being: Engaging in activities that give a sense of fulfillment promotes long-term well-being and better emotional regulation.
How Positive Psychology Interventions Build Resilience?
Positive psychology shifts the focus from pathology and deficits to strengths and positive qualities. By actively cultivating these strengths, individuals can build a stronger foundation for mental and emotional well-being. Here are some key positive psychology interventions used to enhance self-esteem and self-worth:
Identifying Strengths
Focusing on individual strengths empowers individuals to leverage their unique talents and abilities. Using surveys and tools to identify one’s strengths is a great initiative. That way, individuals can recognize and acknowledge their positive traits. Another very effective way to identify your strengths is by engaging in activities that utilize and develop your core positive strengths, reinforcing your beliefs in your own capabilities.
Cultivating Optimism
Optimism involves having a positive outlook on the future and believing in one's ability to achieve goals. Positive psychology provides necessary tools like Imagining and writing about one's ideal future self to challenge negative thought patterns and replace them with more positive and realistic ones. This approach helps individuals focus on identifying potential solutions instead of dwelling on problems.
Finding Purpose
Finding a sense of meaning and purpose in life is crucial for well-being. Using positive psychology interventions will identify core values and align actions with them. The best way to get fruitful outcomes is by engaging in activities that provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment, reflecting on life experiences, and identifying themes and lessons learned by keeping a gratitude and lessons log.
Integrating Positive Psychology in Therapy
Positive psychology is not some humbo jumbo magic but a therapeutic intervention that reframes the brain to focus on the positives rather than trying to fix the negatives, offering optimism and empowerment. Therapists can effectively integrate these practical, evidence-based interventions into their practice to help their clients build inner strength to enhance self-esteem and self-worth.
Combining tried and true therapies with positive psychology as complementary will enhance positive therapeutic outcomes and promote long-lasting emotional and physical well-being. By focusing on strengths, promoting positive emotions, and fostering a sense of meaning and purpose, therapists can empower clients to navigate challenges, build resilience, and live more fulfilling lives.
Final Thoughts
Low self-esteem is becoming a burning issue as we progress, which is why it must be addressed as quickly as possible with practical strategies that focus on the development of a growth mindset rather than looking behind at failures. The negative challenges and super demanding nature of life can be detrimental to many individuals. However, focusing on building inner strength and resilience is more effective than addressing weaknesses and deficits.
There are several courses at Core Wellness that examine the benefits and opportunities associated with positive psychology and how therapists can integrate these approaches in therapy to get fruitful outcomes. These courses are available as both live and recorded courses to take at your convenience. Visit Core Wellness today and understand the benefits of positive psychology in therapy to get better therapeutic outcomes!
