Growing up, many of us have had the idea of how to build self-esteem, how to raise self-esteem, and how to keep a high self-esteem emphasized throughout our school careers. Although self-esteem has its place of importance, I challenge you to take a look at the concept of self-compassion. You see, the problem with self-esteem is that it emphasizes that failure is unacceptable and many times encourages comparison of yourself with others. Self-Compassion involves being kind to ourselves even when things don’t go our way. Check out this article from Dr. Kristin Neff, a leading researcher on Self-Compassion. https://self-compassion.org/why-self-compassion-is-healthier-than-self-esteem/
In addition, if you are interested in learning more about Self-Compassion, email counseling@mtu.edu to find out more about our Self-Compassion Group.