It’s hard to stay motivated when you think things can’t change. Reframe the approach to challenges. Instead of thinking “I can’t do this,” think “I can’t do it yet.”
Quick tip 2
Celebrate the wins.
Celebrate the wins.
Self-doubt can cloud the successes you’ve had. Take a moment to remember a past win — big or small. Think about how that win felt. This can help connect a feeling of success to facing new challenges.
Quick tip 3
Reflect on the positives.
Reflect on the positives.
It’s easy to get caught up in negative thinking when you’re used to setbacks. Shift the focus from “what’s going wrong” to “what’s going well.”
Quick tip 4
Talk openly about challenges.
Talk openly about challenges.
When someone is struggling with self-esteem, talk about things you find challenging and work to overcome. Acknowledging your own challenges helps others open up about theirs.
Kids across the United State have experienced a major academic slide since COVID began. But certain student groups have lost ground more than others. That includes kids with learning challenges.
Starting a new school year being behind can be hard for kids who’ve faced setbacks and worked hard to improve. They may feel defeated by further losses and think there’s no reason to keep trying.
If your child has fallen behind, you might feel defeated, too. You may worry that your child won’t easily recover from these setbacks, academically or emotionally.
But there are ways you can help your child regain self-esteem and stay motivated, even with the COVID academic slide.
Dive deeper
It can be hard to see how skills can improve, especially after a series of challenges. But having a growth mindset helps you move past setbacks and have more faith in your abilities.
People with a growth mindset believe that skills can get better with work and support. They’re more confident that they can find solutions and make progress.
Growth mindset isn’t about feeling good. It’s about learning from experiences and working to make things better.
Self-advocacy means being able to communicate your needs. It’s an empowering skill for both kids and adults, and it can play a big role in building self-esteem.
Asking for help might feel like a sign of weakness. But self-advocacy allows people to find solutions. Knowing how to get support so they can do their best is a confidence booster.
Setbacks don’t need to erode self-esteem. In fact, they can help build it.
Facing obstacles can create opportunities. It lets people discover strengths and find new ways to approach problems. And it helps build resilience, an important skill for coping with challenges.
Doing well isn’t always about results. The process of finding solutions and improving skills can be just as important as the outcome.
Embrace “not yet.”
