Self Esteem Activities

Lately, I've felt tired by the time I fall into bed in the evening. You see, I've been getting up earlier than usual and my bed time hasn't adjusted itself to the new schedule.

But here's the thing. I feel GREAT! Because getting up and getting out lets me sneak in a quick sail before work! That means I start each day with the conscious decision to focus on what makes me feel aligned with my inner self. Sailing does it for me.

And whenever that happens, I spend the rest of the day centered and balanced and just plain grateful for the abundant life we live here in Vermont.

Try to find activities that put you back in touch with your inner self - they'll naturally boost your self esteem.

I found an article yesterday that linked together the everyday activities we use to manage stress with a positive impact on self esteem.

Here's Barry E. R. Fraser discussing how ordinary activities can boost our self worth. He had asked a group of workshop participants to describe their strategies for managing stress - only to hear a surprisingly ordinary set of activities....

But what does having a bath, ironing, going for a drive, going shopping, or any of the other responses given by workshop participants that day, have to do with self-esteem? Knitting socks is surely unlikely to raise our self-esteem level sufficiently to cope with, for example, the bank foreclosing on our home. It might be a great way to feed denial, but it is not likely to do much for anyone's self-esteem!

... True these activities neither create nor enhance self-esteem. However, they do do something of equal importance. They are simple activities that remind us of our basic competence and our basic self-worth.

And, of course, increasing our self-worth is immediately reflected in our self esteem. And in our ability to process stress.

So I'm gonna keep sailing this fall just as late as the weather will let me!

Click to read Barry Fraser's article.

I just came back from one of the best sails of the season! The fall foliage season that is. Lake Champlain is tucked between New York's Adirondack Mountains and Vermont's Green Mountains. And what a glorious day to be out on the lake!

The colder winds of fall carry more umph against the sails and push the waves a bit higher. Today it blew quite hard - 20 to 24 knots - which is a lot to be out in alone. Which brings me back to the positive effects of going out in the cold and wet. There's nothing that can center me and bring me back down to earth the way sailing does. Which puts me back in touch with my higher self!

The net effect is a lifting of spirit and confidence and faith in my ability to tackle the mundane challenges of life.

There are as many self esteem activities as there are people. Find your own and take the time to re-center yourself every day!

I found a fascinating article yesterday that points out the benefits of giving time to a community organization. Not only does volunteering boost self esteem and mental health, it boosts physical health.

According to The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research (2007), which analyzes two decades of scientific inquiry into the topic, volunteers are fitter, saner, more functional in old age and longer-lived than non-volunteers.

And it's not because volunteers are superior specimens to begin with. Social scientists believe it's the volunteering activities themselves that make you healthier: they strengthen community bonds and reduce social isolation, improve self-esteem and foster a sense of purpose and accomplishment -- and in so doing reduce the ravages of stress on mind and body. There's compelling evidence that volunteering lowers rates of heart disease and depression, and boosts the immune system.

The most tantalizing nugget of research unearthed is something called the 'helper's high': the act of giving your time and services (yes, money works too) has been shown to lead to feelings of calm and mild euphoria, an endorphin-fueled state similar to the 'runner's high', or 'getting in the zone' during meditation.

Here are the links to the article and the report.

At this point in the season, I'm just a few weeks away from pulling the boat. My morning sails will then come to an end.

In their place, I've already begun to work on a new activity - Tai Chi. I'm an absolute beginner and yet I already know I love it. I look forward to the same sense of getting in touch with my higher self. Of quieting the mind and allowing the chi to flow through my body.

There are physical benefits galore - but I'm more interested in the mental/emotional/spiritual side. And, it has to be one of the best self esteem activities going!