Time:

Materials Required:

To gain understanding of the impact of words on self-esteem.

Thirty minutes (fifteen minutes per activity)

Board/flipchart
Handout - Comparing High and Low Self-Esteem

The levels of self-esteem experienced by people fluctuate on a daily basis. Sometimes people feel really great about themselves and the next day they may feel completely the opposite way. These fluctuations are also experienced on a daily basis.

Life IS a mixture of high and low self-esteem moments and is very much dependent on what is happening on a daily basis. The words that people use are critical when considering the impact on self-esteem and greatly influence how they feel about themselves. Words reflect behaviour and the individual's view of the world.

Method:

1. Draw a large table on the board/flipchart with two columns on it. Write High Self Esteem on one column and Low Self-Esteem on the other.
2. Solicit from the group words/phrases that evoke negative self-esteem. Prompting may be necessary. Refer back to the previous discussion where the participants may think about people who have low self-esteem and the language that they use to describe their behaviour.

Examples are:

• I feel guilty that I didn't go.
• I should have gone immediately.
• I am always late.
• I could have been more organized and gone there earlier.
• Boy, am I ever stupid.
• I must go to my mother's now.
• I can't stop it.
• I'm never there.
• I don't know anything.