Self-Image

Self-image is your mental picture of yourself. It’s also how you think other people see you. A self-image isn’t based just on how you look. (That’s called body image.) Self-image is about all of who you are. For example, do you think of yourself as a leader or a follower? Do you feel sure of yourself and your abilities or doubt that you can do things well? Do you feel liked or disliked by others? Your self-image not only affects how you feel about yourself, but how you interact with others.

Your self-image has been developing since childhood. It’s not just how you feel on a great day or on a bad day. It’s your sense of your regular everyday you. However, your self-image isn’t permanent. It changes and grows over time. You can also learn ways to improve your self-image. A mature and realistic self-image is something that people can work on all their lives.

Self-Esteem

Self-image is part of self-esteem. Self-esteem is how much you feel loved, valued, and accepted by other people. It’s also about how much you value, love, and accept yourself. It can also be called self-respect or self-worth.

People with healthy self-esteem recognize and feel good about their strengths. They also recognize their weaknesses but can forgive themselves for not being perfect. If there’s something they’re not so good at, they’ll try to figure out if they can do it better. They are willing to try new things and be bad at them for a while. This makes it more likely that they will learn to be better at them.

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SPEAKER 1: But what if we don’t have such a good self-esteem or good self-image? Can we change it, or is that just how it is? SPEAKER 2: Absolutely you can change it. But most of the time the change is gradual, and it takes a commitment to change. Its important to remember, though, you don’t have to do it alone. You could talk with a friend to help you, or someone in your family, or even a counselor at school. They can help you be accountable to your change, and remind you of what your strengths are. SPEAKER 1: So what are some ways that you can boost your self-esteem? SPEAKER 2: Learn to accept praise. When someone gives you a compliment don’t just brush it off. Focus on your strengths. What is it that you’re really good at, and how could you get even better? Use your strengths to help others — try it, it feels great to help other people when you’re doing things that you’re great at. Learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, the trick is not to focus on them too much, but see them as opportunities to grow. Accept yourself as you are. I know that that’s hard sometimes, but remember that you have unique gifts and abilities that nobody else has. If you can do those things, you’ll be in pretty good shape.

People with low self-esteem can be extremely critical of themselves. They may downplay or ignore their positive qualities. They tend to focus on the negative and expect not to do very well. This can get in the way of their trying to do new things. They assume they won’t succeed. People will laugh. So why even try?

People with extremely high self-esteem may also have an unrealistic sense of themselves. They may overvalue their strengths and feel they’re doing really well even when they’re not. It’s wonderful to feel good about yourself, but if you need to work harder at math or want to play a team sport, knowing your limitations is useful. It doesn’t mean you feel bad about yourself; it means you need to work on your skills and maybe ask for help. Healthy self-esteem or self-regard is realistic. If you’ve got some strengths and some aspects about yourself that you’d like to improve, that’s normal.

How Self-Image and Self-Esteem Develop

Self-image and self-esteem develop over time, partly in response to the messages people get from outside themselves. Your childhood experiences can play an important role in how you feel about yourself. For example, a child who is constantly compared to their sibling may grow up feeling that nothing they do is good enough. This can help create children (and adults) who seem to “have it all” but still feel terrible about themselves. Some people are able to turn off the voices that say they aren’t good enough and to take pleasure in their achievements, but others need to work at changing their inner voice.

As people are growing up, they compare themselves to the people they see around them. They create an image of who they want to be and of which traits are worth having.

Body Image

Your body image is influenced by many different things. It is influenced by family, friends, and a culture that is obsessed with weight, body shape, dieting, and food. All people have negative thoughts and feelings about their body at some point in their life. But when it becomes more than a passing concern, when people base their happiness and self-worth on what they eat, how often they exercise, and how much they weigh, they are suffering from a negative body image. This outlook can cause people to believe that all their experiences in life are affected by their appearance and body weight.

Nobody is born with a negative body image. It is something that you learn, something that develops over time. As you grow older, your experiences are shaped by the different messages you get from society. And those messages often connect personal success and happiness with being thin and beautiful. If people feel they don’t measure up to those ideals of success, then they tend to disregard any other real accomplishments. Having a negative body image can seriously distort the way you look at yourself and your life. The good news is, because a negative body image is something you learn, it also can be unlearned.

What is the Body Mass Index (BMI)?

The body mass index, or BMI, is a number based on the relationship of people’s height to their weight. It provides an estimate of body fat and can help doctors measure a patient’s risk for diseases or health conditions that can occur with being overweight or obese. However, BMI does not take into account other factors such as muscle mass; overall body composition; bone density; or racial, ethnic, and gender differences. This means that even if two people have the same BMI, their levels of body fat may differ.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the BMI isn’t used as a diagnostic tool for children and teens. Instead it is used to screen for potential weight and health-related issues. Children and teens are still growing, and a young person’s body fat changes with age. A healthy weight also depends on a person’s activity level. For example, a young person who plays a lot of sports may weigh more because they have extra muscle, not extra fat.

If you’re interested in learning more about BMI, you can find growth charts, a BMI calculator, and explanatory information on the CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/ bmi/childrens_BMI/about_childrens_BMI.htm.