SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIBE

subscribe here

subscribe here

subscribe here

subscribe here

Information gathered and prepared by A. Balind MSW, RSW
Clinical Social Worker, Portage Medical Family Health Team

Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the way we feel about ourselves, the words we use to talk to ourselves and the beliefs that you have about ourselves.  Our self-esteem can change depending on the moment and the situations that we find ourselves in.  The good news is, we can work to strengthen our self-esteem to help increase our mood and reduce any anxiety or insecurities that we may have.

Low Self-Esteem
Here are some ways that someone may notice or feel if their self-esteem is low:

What changes our self-esteem?
May things can have an impact on our self-esteem over a period of time.  The following are just a few examples:

• Early childhood experiences– this can be the praise or neglect a person may have had as a child.The words that parents/guardians/supportive persons have a strong impact.
• Other’s expectations– do people expect things of us or put pressure on us that we do not like or want.
• Peer groups– Do the people we spend time with lift us up or push us down?
• The praise, encouragement, praise and/or attention we receive – is there anyone in your life, including yourself, that provides this? Or only in a negative way?

What keeps our self-esteem going strong?
The beliefs that we have about ourselves and what we continue to tell ourselves can either increase or decrease our self-esteem.  When one’s beliefs about themselves are challenged, we tend to resort to some safety measures as follows:

• Self-talk: try to speak kindly and gently to yourself. “next time I need to pay more attention so I don’t mess up”, “I did my best and I am proud!”
• Rules that you set for yourself: make sure that you are 70-90% confident that you are able to meet the rules and goals that you set for yourself. If your confidence is not that high, change the rules and goals to meet that percentage.
• Future thinking: try to recognize only certain outcomes and not all of the potential things that could happen. Plan for the good and the bad outcome.
• Facing situations: make your best effort to deal with problems as they come up, it will keep your motivation high and stop the problem from getting out of control.
• Friends/family: Surround yourself, when possible, with like-minded, supportive, positive people that care for you in the way that you care for them.

https://www.psychologytools.com/self-help/low-self-esteem/

https://cmha.bc.ca/documents/body-image-self-esteem-and-mental-health/

https://canadianimmigrant.ca/living/wellness/how-healthy-is-your-self-esteem

Information gathered and prepared by A. Balind MSW, RSW
Clinical Social Worker, Portage Medical Family Health Team

Mental health is something that we all have and that we all have to work on.  It is a state of well-being.   A great way to make sure that you have good mental health is if you enjoy life, feel that your life has a purpose and that your life has ups and downs.  Some people think that having strong mental health means that you are happy all of the time.  This is not true and unrealistic.  Having control over your mental health means that you are able to experience all emotions, even the difficult ones from time to time.

Moving your body regularly can help to improve your mental health.  Many people have heard of “runner’s high”, which is a state of happiness people may feel after a long run.  The good news is, you do not have to run to get this good feeling. Going for a walk, doing jumping jacks, playing with a pet or taking the stairs can give you the same good feelings.  Any activity that is going to get your heart beating and increase your breathing will help to improve your mood if you are feeling sad, nervous, worried or just numb.

Science has shown that for people with Anxiety and/or depression exercise and movement can reduce your symptoms.  In fact, it can boost your mood after only 10-15minutes of activity! However, you don’t need to have depression or anxiety to find the benefit from this.  We all need to work on keeping well, both physically and mentally; some regular movement can make a big difference!

https://cmha.ca/blogs/move-for-your-mood

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression

Information gathered and prepared by A. Balind, MSW, RSW
Clinical Social Worker Portage Medical Family Health Team

            Do you stretch?  Often people forget to stretch, do not stretch properly, or do not understand when or why they should stretch.  Stretching daily along with before and after exercise is important for people for the following reasons:

• to prevent getting hurt
• recovery from injury
• lower stress
• increase flexibility
• keep the range of motion in joints
• keep muscles long and lose

It is also important to understand how to stretch properly.  Here are some helpful tips to make sure you are stretching properly:

• move at a comfortable speed
• do not tug or bounce
• hold stretches for between 10-30 seconds each
• stop your stretch once you feel tightness in that muscle
• if it hurts, stop- it should feel good
• do not hold your breath- counting out loud can help to make sure you’re breathing properly
• stretch all muscles in the body- large and small

Knowing which stretches to do and what will be helpful for you can be tricky.  Speaking with your doctor or health care provider may be helpful.  They may give you stretches to try or refer you to a Physiotherapist.  The internet can help to show you stretches to try and how to do them safely as well.  Here are some helpful websites:

• http://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/walkingbookENG.pdf
• https://caminoways.com/video-5-useful-stretches-walkers
• https://blog.fitbit.com/stretching-routine-for-walkers/

The Portage Medical Family Health Team staff will be happy to help you learn or find more information about stretching and exercise.  Just ask us!