What would it take for you to feel worthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe validation for the great work you\u2019ve been doing at the office? Getting a \u201cHey beautiful!<\/em>\u201d from the guy you\u2019ve secretly been crushing on? Or looking in the mirror and telling yourself, \u201cI am enough<\/em>\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are great boosts for your neurochemicals. But how long does it last until you\u2019re Bridget Jones-ing it on the couch with ice cream?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discover how you can go from falling into self-loathing to increasing your feelings of self-worth with invaluable insights shared by clinical psychologist Dr. Adia Gooden in an interview with Mindvalley\u2019s co-founder, Kristina M\u00e4nd-Lakhiani<\/strong> (members can listen to it free on the Mindvalley app).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Self-worth, like all concepts of self, comes from within. It\u2019s not based on the recognition of your value by others. Rather, it\u2019s how you value yourself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even in movies, though they may encompass other themes, the search for self-worthiness is often the core of the protagonist\u2019s existential crisis<\/a>. Think Bridget Jones, Erin Brockovich, and Mulan\u2014they all went through a journey of self-discovery that resulted in recognizing and honoring the virtues of self-worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe core of self-worth isn\u2019t just about affirmations or navel-gazing or saying, \u2018<\/em>I\u2019m the best\u2019,<\/em>\u201d Dr. Gooden explains. \u201cIt\u2019s really about \u2018<\/em>how do I go through life for and with myself?\u2019<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, self-worth is often used interchangeably with self-esteem. But one shouldn\u2019t confuse the two. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Self-esteem is what you think, feel, and believe about yourself. However, self-worth is recognizing, acknowledging, and embracing your value as a human who is worthy of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feelings of unworthiness can be caused by several reasons, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, a 2021 global report<\/a> by The Body Shop revealed that in the U.S., women experience an extent of unworthiness due to their financial status, the state of the world, and the feeling that they\u2019re not making progress toward the things they want in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the core of it all, self-worth is deeply rooted in beliefs<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMost of us struggle with the relationship with ourselves,<\/em>\u201d says Dr. Gooden. \u201cMany people engage in a lot of harsh self-criticisms, feel a lot of shame, and experience a lot of blame.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to a sense of self-worth, many people feel like they\u2019ve got to follow the culturescape<\/a>. They feel they have to be different and look different from who they authentically are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can lead to self-criticism and self-esteem issues, which, as research<\/a> has shown, can have toxic effects on one\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if we know the darkness that goes hand-in-hand with not feeling worthy, what\u2019s keeping us from cultivating unconditional self-worth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her TED Talk<\/a>, Dr. Gooden highlights the following points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s human nature to want to satisfy our need for love, belonging, and validation. And there are steps you can take to help increase your self-worth<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is self-worth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why do we not feel worthy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n