Healthy self-esteem is an important part of a satisfying life. How you feel about yourself impacts everything from your emotional health to the types of relationships you have. While external approval can be validating, the key to a healthy self-worth comes down to your relationship with yourself.
The You Game
The You Game will help you and your fellow players explore the best parts of yourselves. To use the game, click on the image below. The document will open as a PDF. Use the print icon to print the game, or the download icon to save it for later. If you have problems, this guide for working with Adobe printables can help.
How to Play
This game is for two or more players. All you need is a six-sided die and a pawn for each player.
- Start with the youngest player and move around clockwise.
- To play, roll the die and move the correct number of spaces.
- Answer the question for the space you land on. Each question on the game board encourages you to consider your best traits as well as the positive traits of the other players.
Playing this game will help build esteem through asking different types of questions that involve exploring your past behaviors, what you appreciate about yourself currently, and hopes for the future. Some of the silly and fun challenges on the game board will keep you on your toes throughout the game as well as encouraging creativity and self-expression.
Building Self Esteem
It is sometimes challenging to know how to improve self-esteem. There are many different factors that affect a person's confidence and feelings of self-worth. Not only do relationships and experiences throughout life play a role, but early life experiences can influence self-esteem throughout the life span. Even as early as infancy, people are taught about their worth by the way their parents address their needs.
Positive Steps
The good news is that self-esteem is malleable. You can take steps to improve the way you feel about yourself. Some positive ways to boost self-esteem include:
- Volunteering for causes that are important to you
- Using positive daily affirmations
- Planning a game night with family or friends
- Creating a list of things you are grateful for, including journaling about your positive characteristics
- Participating in something you are skilled at (such as a sport, craft, etc.)
Taming Self-Criticism
If you tend toward self-criticism, work on catching yourself in the act and asking yourself the following questions:
- Would I judge my best friend as harshly as I'm judging myself right now?
- Can I be more compassionate to myself?
Part of a healthy self-view is not holding yourself to an unfair standard that you wouldn't expect from others.
Keep Working at It
There are many paths to improving your view of self. Try a few and see what works for you. If challenges with self-esteem have been an issue throughout your life, you may find yourself quickly slipping back into old, hard-to-break patterns. You may need to remind yourself of the value of now; past experiences are important, but they don't define you.
