Nicole Connell M.Ed
  • Home
  • About
  • Work with me
    • Educational Therapy
    • Personalized Alternative Education
    • Girls Shine Bright
    • Mentoring
    • Get Ready for College Retreat Workshop
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact

Self Esteem or Self Compassion?

3/21/2018

1 Comment

 
While I love to highlight and focus on the gifts and strengths of learning differently than school wants children to learn, the hardships do also need to be addressed. I remember about 5 years ago, sitting in one of my graduate school classes and raising my hand with a pressing question. I asked our guest speaker how to help children with their self-esteem. At that time, I had worked with many children who were hard on themselves and feeling down about struggling at school. I could see how deeply this was affecting them. Unfortunately I did not get a very helpful answer to my question at that time.

However, I stumbled across the work of researcher Kristin Neff and realized that I was asking the wrong question. It wasn't self-esteem that I could help cultivate, it was Self-Compassion! I came to this realization after watching Kristin Neff's TED talk on Self-esteem vs. Self-Compassion. I learned that "While self-esteem comes from comparing yourself to others, self-compassion focuses on being kind to yourself."

I have since used it in my own life, studied it when completing my Master's thesis and use it in nearly all of my work with children. If a child is beating themselves up about making a mistake, I ask them how they would talk to a friend if their friend made a mistake? Bringing awareness to how we talk to ourselves and showing them that there is another way can be very beneficial.

Want to learn more? I recommend watching Kristin Neff's Ted Talk: The Space between Self-Esteem And Self-Compassion.
1 Comment
Custom Glass Massachusetts link
12/22/2022 01:55:26 am

Hii thanks for posting this

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2024
    February 2023
    September 2022
    March 2021
    March 2019
    October 2018
    March 2018
    November 2016
    October 2016

    Categories

    All

Serving Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Mountain View, San Jose, Saratoga, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Willow Glen, Rose Garden areas with San Jose in person availability in addition to virtual availability.
 © COPYRIGHT 2016-2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
                            Privacy Policy  |  Terms & Conditions  |  Disclaimer
  • Home
  • About
  • Work with me
    • Educational Therapy
    • Personalized Alternative Education
    • Girls Shine Bright
    • Mentoring
    • Get Ready for College Retreat Workshop
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact