How to take a quick Self-Appreciation Break

When someone pays us a compliment, if we lack self-esteem, it’s likely the words will simply brush over us. We hear them but they don’t land in our bodies, missing the opportunity for a little welcome boost of self-worth.

That can be the same when it comes to acknowledging our own strengths, accomplishments and the moments to be proud of. We see they may have happened but we pass them off as the result of someone or something external to us, “Yeah, but I could only do it because they helped me.” Or someone commends us for being generous or supportive, “Yeah, but anyone would do that.”

Yeah, but…

All we hear is the ‘but’, the excuse that allows us to brush off what we could be feeling good about, if only we could lean in and believe it.

To begin building your self-esteem and self-belief, try taking a Self-Appreciation Break. I created this short activity to ensure those words, those concrete facts about ourselves that we’re so quick to pass off, actually land in our bodies. Paying attention to them in this way means we create neural pathways in our brain for self-belief instead of self-deprecation.

Self-Appreciation Break

1. Note down your strengths

Take a pen and paper and give yourself a few minutes to answer the following prompts:

What are you proud of yourself for?

What are your biggest positive qualities, strengths or traits?

What 3 positive words would your friends describe you as?

2. Reflect

Take a few minutes (or longer if you have the time) to reflect on the above answers. Close your eyes and notice the sensations in your body. Repeat your strengths to yourself, what you’re proud of, visualise the challenges you’ve faced and survived. 

3. Feel into your body

As you reflect, notice what you feel in your body, where you feel it, whether it’s warm, spacious, lifting, expansive, open. Sit with those sensations for a moment. Name the emotions you feel.

That is your self-belief. You can cultivate it at any time. Remember how it feels in your body and repeat this self-appreciation break whenever you’re feeling self-doubt.

With love,

Suzi x

I hope you find this practice helpful. I often share practices and tips like this over on my Instagram @trustandbloom_, I’d love to connect with you there and find out if this self-appreciation break made you feel expansive and strong with self-belief.