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Self-esteemFor yourself55 min read

Self-esteem: a step-by-step programme to rebuild it

Why low self-esteem survives compliments, achievements and positive affirmations — and an eight-step, evidence-based programme to raise it for good.

In short

This programme is for an adult who has judged themselves harshly for a long time, who doubts their worth even when things are going well, and who has already tried to "think positive" without result. It explains how low self-esteem is built and, above all, how it keeps itself alive, then sets out an eight-step course of work drawn from cognitive and behavioural therapy. It also says what does not work — and why some very popular methods make things worse for exactly the people who need them most.

Topic
Self-esteem
Who it's for
For yourself
Languages
FR · EN · DE · IT · ES · ZH · AR

Français · English · Deutsch · Italiano · Español · 中文 · العربية

The programme

This programme supports care, it does not replace it. Low self-esteem is not a diagnosis: it is a way of judging yourself — common, changeable, and often sitting alongside a disorder that can be treated. If you are having suicidal thoughts, if you are harming yourself, if you can see no way out, do not stay alone with this text: contact your doctor or your local emergency services today. Allow forty minutes to read, and several months to practise.

1. Before you start

You succeed at something, and you assume you got lucky. Someone pays you a compliment, and you look for what it is hiding. You reread a message you sent three hours ago to check you did not sound ridiculous. You say yes when you meant no, and by the evening you resent yourself — for saying yes, and then for resenting yourself.

And inside, there is a voice. It never takes a holiday. It comments. It knows exactly where to press, because it has known you all your life.

The rest is for members

Create your access to read this programme in full, along with every other resource.

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self-esteemself-criticismperfectionismself-compassionCBT

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