Building Self-Esteem

For the past few years, I have had a folder in my inbox where I put any emails that contain compliments or thanks. I haven't ever looked back into it, but I know it's there, waiting for the right time. I also have a few thank you notes and hand-written "kudos" hiding in my desk at work.

I've decided to take all of these little gems and put them into one place. That way, when I'm feeling down, I can go there and find something that will help life my spirits.

I got a nice spiral bound notebook from Borders and it's got some pockets and see-through pages interspersed throughout the pages. That way I can take some of the hand written notes and put them in there, but I can also transcribe the emails onto the pages.

Maybe I'll take a look at it every morning, or those mornings where I just don't want to get up and go. Or maybe I'll look at it every night. Either way, I think that having a little haven for these positive tidbits will help me feel better about myself.

Every Night, Thank Yourself

Got this wonderful idea from my best friend, who happens to also be battling with depression right now.

Every night, thank yourself for doing something healthy or positive that you did that day.

When my friend first suggested this to me, I immediately started thinking "What in hell would I thank myself for?" From her examples, and a little but more of my own soul searching, I realized that they don't need to be huge things. Just one small thing every day is more than enough.

Looking back on the past few days, here are some things that I thank myself for:

• Thank you for getting up and going to the psychiatrist. I really needed that appointment to get help with the problems my insurance company is giving me about increasing my Lexapro dosage.
• Thank you for eating three meals a day. It's nice to not have to be hungry all throughout the work day.
• Thank you for taking the time to dress up. I got lots of nice compliments and I felt better about myself during the day.
• Thank you for opening up to my friend today. It got things off my chest, let them know what has been going on with me and meant that I got hugs. Hugs always make me feel good.

As I've mentioned before, I'm really loving routines, so I'm adding this one to my nightly routine!