05/01/2024
The Paradox of Mental Health and Self-Esteem
May is both “Mental Health Awareness” month and “National Teen Self-Esteem” month. The paradox of this may be not obvious, so I am compelled to post about it.
Self-Esteem does not necessarily translate into Mental Health.
Is it important that teens feel good about themselves? Absolutely. But it is imperative that they feel good about themselves and treat themselves with kindness regardless of their situation at a given moment.
Self-esteem can be derived from performance, from success, from comparing oneself to others. Self-compassion is the way one treats themself when they fail – when they are suffering. Self-compassion allows oneself to recognize and validate their emotions and care for themselves. With self-compassion, one feels connected to fellow flawed humans rather than the need to be better than others. Self-compassion is important because teens, as they make their way through life like the rest of us, will likely experience failure more often than success.
