What Is Self-Worth & How Do We Build It (Incl. Worksheets)

What is Self-Worth & How Do We Build it? (Incl. Worksheets) https://positivepsychology.
com/self-worth/
Self Esteem  18 Nov 2022  48
What is Self-Worth & How Do

We Build it? (Incl. Worksheets)
6 Nov 2018 by Courtney E. Ackerman, MA. 
Scienti�cally reviewed by Jo Nash, Ph.D. 
Chances are, you’ve

heard of the many,
many “self-” words.
There’s self-esteem,
self-compassion, self-acceptance, self-respect, self-
con�dence, self-love, self-care, and so on.
There are so many words to describe how we feel about

ourselves, how we think about ourselves, and how we act
toward ourselves. It’s understandable if they all start to
blend together for you; however, they are indeed different
concepts with unique meanings, �ndings, and purposes.
Read on to learn more about what may be the most vital

“self-” concept of them all: self-worth.
Before you read on, we thought you might like to download

our 3 Self-Compassion Exercises for free. These detailed,
science-based exercises will not only help you show more 
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What is Self-Worth & How Do We Build it? (Incl. Worksheets) https://positivepsychology.com/self-worth/
compassion and kindness to yourself but will also give you

the tools to help your clients, students or employees
improve their self-compassion and realize their worth.
This Article Contains:
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 What Is the Meaning of Self-Worth and Self-Value?
 The Psychology of Self-Worth
 What Is Self-Worth Theory?
 What Determines Self-Worth?
 3 Examples of Healthy Self-Worth
 How to Find Self-Worth and Value Yourself More
 The Importance of Self-Worth in Relationships
 The Risks of Tying Your Self-Worth to Your Job
 The Self-Worth Scale
 5 Activities and Exercises for Developing Self-Worth
 2 Worksheets That Help Increase Self-Worth
 Meditations to Boost Self-Worth
 Recommended Books on Self-Worth
 Must-Watch TED Talks and YouTube Videos
 12 Quotes on Self-Worth
 A Take-Home Message
 References
What Is the Meaning of Self-Worth 
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and Self-Value?
Self-worth and self-value are two related terms that are
often used interchangeably. Having a sense of self-worth
means that you value yourself, and having a sense of self-
value means that you are worthy. The differences between
the two are minimal enough that both terms can be used to
describe the same general concept.
However, we’ll provide both de�nitions so you can see

where they differ.
Self-worth is de�ned by Merriam-Webster as:
 “a feeling that you are a good person who deserves

to be treated with respect”.
On the other hand, self-value is “more behavioral than

emotional, more about how you act toward what you value,
including yourself, than how you feel about yourself
compared to others” (Stosny, 2014).
Self-Worth versus Self-Esteem
Similarly, there is not a huge difference between self-worth

and self-esteem, especially for those who are not
professionals in the �eld of psychology. In fact, the �rst
de�nition of self-worth on the Merriam-Webster dictionary
website is simply “self-esteem.”

Similarly, the World Book Dictionary de�nition of self-
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esteem is “thinking well of oneself; self-respect,” while self-

worth is de�ned as “a favorable estimate or opinion of
oneself; self-esteem” (Bogee, Jr., 1998).
Clearly, many of these terms are used to talk about the same
ideas, but for those deeply immersed in these concepts,
there is a slight difference. Dr. Christina Hibbert explains
this:
“Self-esteem is what we think and feel and believe

about ourselves. Self-worth is recognizing ‘I am
 greater than all of those things.’ It is a deep
knowing that I am of value, that I am loveable,
necessary to this life, and of incomprehensible
worth.” (2013).
Self-Worth versus Self-Con�dence
In the same vein, there are subtle but signi�cant differences

between self-worth and self-con�dence.
Self-con�dence is not an overall evaluation of yourself, but a

feeling of con�dence and competence in more speci�c
areas. For example, you could have a high amount of self-
worth but low self-con�dence when it comes to extreme
sports, certain subjects in school, or your ability to speak a
new language (Roberts, 2012).
It’s not necessary to have a high sense of self-con�dence in

every area of your life; there are naturally some things that

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you will simply not be very good at, and other areas in which
you will excel. The important thing is to have self-
con�dence in the activities in your life that matter to you
and a high sense of self-worth overall.
We explore this further in The Science of Self-Acceptance

Masterclass©.
The Psychology of Self-Worth

In psychology, the
concept of self-
worth may be a less-
popular research
topic than self-
esteem or self-con�dence, but that doesn’t mean it’s less
important.
Self-worth is at the core of our very selves—our thoughts,

feelings, and behaviors are intimately tied into how we view
our worthiness and value as human beings.
What Is the Self-Worth Theory?

The self-worth theory posits that an individual’s main
priority in life is to �nd self-acceptance and that self-
acceptance is often found through achievement (Covington
& Beery, 1976). In turn, achievement is often found through
competition with others.
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Thus, the logical conclusion is that competing with others

can help us feel like we have impressive achievements under
our belt, which then makes us feel proud of ourselves and
enhances our acceptance of ourselves.
The theory holds that there are four main elements of the
self-worth model:
��Ability;
��Effort;
��Performance;
��Self-worth.
The �rst three interact with each other to determine one’s

level of self-worth. One’s ability and effort predictably have a
big impact on performance, and all three contribute to one’s
feeling of worth and value.
While this theory represents a good understanding of self-

worth as we tend to experience it, it is unfortunate that we
place so much emphasis on our achievements. Aside from
competing and “winning” against others, there are many
factors that can contribute to our sense of self-worth.
What Determines Self-Worth?

According to the
self-worth theory,
self-worth is
determined mostly 
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by our self-evaluated
abilities and our
performance in one or more activities that we deem
valuable.
However, people commonly use other yardsticks to measure

their self-worth. Here are �ve of the top factors that people
use to measure and compare their own self-worth to the
worth of others:
��Appearance—whether measured by the number on the

scale, the size of clothing worn, or the kind of attention
received by others;
��Net worth—this can mean income, material possessions,
�nancial assets, or all of the above;
��Who you know/your social circle—some people judge
their own value and the value of others by their status
and what important and in�uential people they know;
��What you do/your career—we often judge others by
what they do; for example, a stockbroker is often
considered more successful and valuable than a janitor
or a teacher;
��What you achieve—as noted earlier, we frequently use
achievements to determine someone’s worth (whether
it’s our own worth or someone else’s), such as success in
business, scores on the SATs, or placement in a
marathon or other athletic challenge (Morin, 2017).
Author Stephanie Jade Wong (n.d.) is on a mission to correct


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misunderstandings and misperceptions about self-worth.

Instead of listing all the factors that go into self-worth, she
outlines what does not determine your self-worth (or, what
should not determine your self-worth):
 Your to-do list: Achieving goals is great and it feels

wonderful to cross off things on your to-do list, but it
doesn’t have a direct relationship with your worth as a
human;
 Your job: It doesn’t matter what you do. What matters

is that you do it well and that it ful�lls you;
 Your social media following: It also doesn’t matter how

many people think you are worthy of a follow or a
retweet. It can be enlightening and healthy to consider
the perspectives of others, but their opinions have no
impact on our innate value;
 Your age: You aren’t too young or too old for anything.
Your age is simply a number and does not factor into
your value as a human being;
 Other people: As noted above, it doesn’t matter what

other people think or what other people have done or
accomplished. Your personal satisfaction and
ful�llment are much more important than what others
are thinking, saying, or doing;
 How far you can run: Your mile run time is one of the
least important factors for your self-worth (or for
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anything else, for that matter). If you enjoy running

and feel ful�lled by improving your time, good for you!
If not, good for you! Your ability to run does not
determine your self-worth;
 Your grades: We all have different strengths and
weaknesses, and some of us are simply not cut out for
class. This has no bearing on our value as people, and a
straight-A student is just as valuable and worthy as a
straight-F student or a dropout;
 The number of friends you have: Your value as a

human has absolutely nothing to do with how many
friends or connections you have. The quality of your
relationships is what’s really important;
 Your relationship status: Whether �ying solo, casually

dating, or in a committed relationship, your value is
exactly the same—your relationship status doesn’t
alter your worth;
 The money (or lack thereof) in the bank: If you have

enough money to physically survive (which can, in fact,
be $0), then you have already achieved the maximal
amount of “worth” you can get from money (hint: it’s
0!);
 Your likes: It doesn’t matter if you have “good taste” or

not, if your friends and acquaintances think you’re
sophisticated, or if you have an eye for the �ner things.
Your worth is the same either way.

 Anything or anyone but yourself: Here we get to the
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 Anything or anyone but yourself: Here we get to the

heart of the matter—you are the only one who
determines your self-worth. If you believe you are
worthy and valuable, you are worthy and valuable.
Even if you don’t believe you are worthy and valuable,
guess what—you still are worthy and valuable!
3 Examples of Healthy Self-Worth

You might be thinking, “Okay, I know what does and doesn’t
(and shouldn’t) determine self-worth, but what does healthy
self-worth really look like?”
Given what we know about the determinants of self-worth,

let’s read through a few examples.
Bill is not a great student. He gets mostly Bs and Cs, even

when he spends a great deal of time studying. He didn’t get a
great score on his SATs, and he’s an average reader, a
struggling writer, and nobody’s idea of a mathematician.
Even though Bill wishes he had better grades, he still feels

pretty good about himself. He knows that grades aren’t
everything and that he’s just as valuable a person as his
straight-A friends. Bill has a high sense of self-worth and a
realistic view of himself and his abilities.
Next, let’s consider Amy. Amy has a wide variety of interests,

including marathons, attending book club, playing weekly
trivia with her friends, and meeting new people.
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Amy’s not particularly good at running and has never placed

in a marathon. She’s a slow reader and frequently misses the
symbolism and themes that her fellow book club members
pick up on. She only answers about 10% of the trivia
questions correctly and leans on her friends’ knowledge
quite often. Finally, she loves to talk to new people but
sometimes she gets blown off and ignored.
Despite all of this, she still believes that she is worthy and
valuable. She knows that her worth as a human is not
dependent on her ability to run, read, play trivia, or make
new friends. Whether she is great, terrible, or somewhere in
between at each of her vast range of chosen activities, she
knows she is still worthy of happiness, ful�llment, and love.
Finally, consider the case of Marcus. Marcus is an excellent

salesman and frequently outsells most of the other people at
his company, but one coworker seems to always be just a bit
ahead of him. He is also an avid squash player and frequently
competes in tournaments. Sometimes he gets �rst or
second place, but usually he does not place at all.
Even though he is not the best at his job or at his favorite

hobby, Marcus still feels that he is valuable. He thinks he is
smart, talented, and successful, even though he’s not the
smartest, most talented, or most successful, and he’s okay
with that.
Bill, Amy, and Marcus all have healthy levels of self-worth.

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They have varying levels of abilities and talents, and they get
a wide range of results from their efforts, but they all
understand that what they do is not who they are. No
matter whether they win awards or garner accolades for
their performance or not, they still have the same high
opinion of their value as a person.
How to Find Self-Worth and Value

Yourself More
If these examples
sound desirable to
you and you wish you
were more like Bill,
Amy, or Marcus,
there is hope.
There are things you can do to boost your sense of self-

worth and ensure that you value yourself like you ought to
be valued—as a full, complete, and wonderful human being
that is deserving of love and respect, no matter what.
How to build self-worth in adolescents
As with most lifelong traits, it’s best to start early. If you

know any adolescents, be sure to encourage them to
understand and accept their own self-worth. Reinforce their
value as a being rather than a “doing,” as some say—in other
words, make sure they know that they are valuable for who
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they are, not what they do.
If you need some more speci�c ideas on how to boost an

adolescent’s self-worth, check out the suggestions below.
Researchers at Michigan State University recommend two

main strategies:
��Provide unconditional love, respect, and positive regard;

��Give adolescents opportunities to experience success
(Clark-Jones, 2012).
Showing a teen unconditional love (if you’re a parent, family

member, or very close friend) or unconditional respect and
positive regard (if you’re a teacher, mentor, etc.) is the best
way to teach him self-worth.
If you show a teenager that you love and appreciate her for
exactly who and what she is, she will learn that it’s okay to
love herself for exactly who and what she is. If you
demonstrate that she doesn’t need to achieve anything to
earn your love and respect, she’ll be much less likely to put
unnecessary parameters on her own self-love and self-
respect.
Further, one way in which we gain a healthy sense of self-

worth is through early and frequent experiences of success.
Successful experiences boost our sense of competency and
mastery and make us feel just plain good about ourselves.

Successful experiences also open the door for taking healthy
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risks and the success that often follows. Don’t just tell a teen
that she is worthy and valuable, help her believe it by giving
her every opportunity to succeed.
Just be sure that these opportunities are truly opportunities

for her to succeed on her own—a helping hand is �ne, but
we need to �gure out how to do some things on our own to
build a healthy sense of self-worth (Clark-Jones, 2012).
How to increase self-worth and self-value in

adults
It’s a bit trickier to increase self-worth and self-value in

adults, but it’s certainly not a lost cause. Check out the two
tips below to learn how to go about it.
First, take a look back at the list of what does not determine
self-worth. Remind yourself that your bank account, job
title, attractiveness, and social media following have nothing
to do with how valuable or worthy a person you are.
It’s easy to get caught up in chasing money, status, and

popularity—especially when these things are highly valued
by those around us and by society in general—but make an
effort to take a step back and think about what truly matters
when determining people’s worth: their kindness,
compassion, empathy, respect for others, and how well they
treat those around them.
Second, work on identifying, challenging, and externalizing


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your critical inner voice. We all have an inner critic that

loves to nitpick and point out our �aws (Firestone, 2014). It’s
natural to let this inner critic get the best of us sometimes,
but if we let her win too often she starts to think that she’s
right!
Whenever you notice your inner critic start to �re up with

the criticisms, make her pause for a moment. Ask yourself
whether she has any basis in fact, whether she’s being kind
or not, and whether what she’s telling you is something you
need to know. If none of those things are true, feel free to
tell her to see herself out!
Challenge her on the things she whispers in your ear and

remind her that no matter what you do or don’t do, you are
worthy and valuable all the same.
For more speci�c activities and ideas, see the exercises,

activities, and worksheets we cover later in this piece.
The Importance of Self-Worth in

Relationships
One of the most
common mistakes
you see people with
low self-esteem
make is to base their
self-worth on one

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aspect of their lives—and often, that aspect is a relationship.
It’s an understandable tendency to let someone else’s love

for you encourage you to feel better about yourself.
However, you should work on feeling good about yourself
whether you are in a relationship or not.
The love of another person does not de�ne you, nor does it
de�ne your value as a person. Whether you are single,
casually seeing people, building a solid relationship with
someone, or celebrating your 30th wedding anniversary
with your spouse, you are worthy of love and respect, and
you should make time to practice self-acceptance and self-
compassion.
This is true for people of any relationship status, but it may

be especially important for those in long-term relationships.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your partner’s love

is what makes you worthy of love. If anything ever happens
to your partner or to your relationship, you don’t want to be
forced to build up your sense of worth from scratch. It can
make breakups and grief much harder than they need to be.
Although this facet of the issue might be enough to

encourage you to work on your self-worth, there’s another
reason it’s important: Having a healthy sense of self-worth
will actually make your current relationship better too.
When you learn to love yourself, you become better able to 
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love someone else. People with high self-respect tend to

have more satisfying, loving, and stable relationships than
those who do not, precisely because they know that they
need to �rst �nd their worth, esteem, and happiness within
themselves.
Two people who are lit with self-worth and happiness from
within make are much brighter than two people who are
trying to absorb light from each other (Grande, 2018).
The Risks of Tying Your Self-Worth

to Your Job
Similar to the dangers of anchoring your self-worth to
someone else, there are big risks in tying your self-worth to
your job. Like a signi�cant other, jobs can come and go—
sometimes without warning.
You can be let go, laid off, transitioned, dehired, dismissed,

downsized, redirected, released, selectively separated,
terminated, replaced, asked to resign, or just plain �red. You
could also be transferred, promoted, demoted, or given new
duties and responsibilities that no longer mesh with the
sense of self-worth your previous duties and responsibilities
gave you.
You could also quit, take a new job, take some time off, or
retire—all things that can be wonderful life transitions, but
that can be unnecessarily dif�cult if you base too much of
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your self-worth on your job.
As noted earlier, your job is one of the things that don’t

de�ne you or your worth. There’s nothing wrong with being
proud of what you do, �nding joy or ful�llment in it, or
letting it shape who you are; the danger is in letting it de�ne
your entire sense of self.
We are all so much more than a job. Believing that we are

nothing more than a job is detrimental to our wellbeing and
can be disastrous in times of crisis.
The Self-Worth Scale

Are you interested in
getting an idea of
what your current
level of self-worth is?
If so, you’re in luck. There is a scale that is perfectly suited

for this curiosity.
Also known as the Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale, this

scale was developed by researchers Crocker, Luhtanen,
Cooper, and Bouvrette in 2003. It consists of 35 items that
measure self-worth in seven different domains. These seven
domains, with an example item from each domain, are:
��Approval from others (i.e., I don’t care if other people

have a negative opinion of me); 
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��Physical appearance (i.e., my self-esteem is in�uenced

by how attractive I think my face or facial features are);
��Outdoing others in competition (i.e., my self-worth is
affected by how well I do when I am competing with
others);
��Academic competence (i.e., I feel bad about myself
whenever my academic performance is lacking);
��Family love and support (i.e., my self-worth is not
in�uenced by the quality of my relationships with my
family members);
��Being a virtuous or moral person (i.e., my self-esteem
depends on whether or not I follow my moral/ethical
principles);
��God’s love (i.e., my self-esteem would suffer if I didn’t
have God’s love).
Each item is rated on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7

(strongly agree). Once you have rated each item, sum the
answers to the �ve items for each domain and divide the
total by 5 for the sub-scale score.
To learn more about this scale or use it to determine your

own self-worth, click here.
5 Activities and Exercises for

Developing Self-Worth
According to author and self-growth guru Adam Sicinski,
there are �ve vital exercises for developing and maintaining
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self-worth. He lays them out in �ve stages, but there’s no

need to keep them in strict order; it’s �ne to move back and
forth or revisit stages.
1. Increase your self-understanding
An important activity on the road to self-worth is to build

self-understanding. You need to learn who you are and what
you want before you can decide you are a worthy human
being.
Sicinski recommends this simple thought experiment to

work on increasing your understanding of yourself:
��Imagine that everything you have is suddenly taken away

from you (i.e., possessions, relationships, friendships,
status, job/career, accomplishments and achievements,
etc.);
��Ask yourself the following questions:
a. What if everything I have was suddenly taken away
from me?
b. What if all I had left was just myself?
c. How would that make me feel?
d. What would I actually have that would be of value?
�� Think about your answers to these questions and see if
you can come to this conclusion: “No matter what
happens externally and no matter what’s taken away
from me, I’m not affected internally”;
��Next, get to know yourself on a deeper level with these

questions:
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a. Who I am? I am . . . I am not . . .

b. How am I?
c. How am I in the world?
d. How do others see me?
e. How do others speak about me?
f. What key life moments de�ne who I am today?
g. What brings me the most passion, ful�llment, and joy?
��Once you have a good understanding of who you are and
what ful�lls and satis�es you, it’s time to look at what
isn’t so great or easy about being you. Ask yourself these
questions:
a. Where do I struggle most?
b. Where do I need to improve?
c. What fears often hold me back?
d. What habitual emotions hurt me?
e. What mistakes do I tend to make?
f. Where do I tend to consistently let myself down?
�� Finally, take a moment to look at the �ipside; ask
yourself:
a. What abilities do I have?
b. What am I really good at?
Spend some time on each step, but especially on the steps

that remind you of your worth and your value as a person
(e.g., the strengths step).
2. Boost your self-acceptance
Once you have a better idea of who you are, the next step is
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to enhance your acceptance of yourself.
Start by forgiving yourself for anything you noted in item 5

above. Think of any struggles, needs for improvement,
mistakes, and bad habits you have, and commit to forgiving
yourself and accepting yourself without judgment or
excuses.
Think about everything you learned about yourself in the

�rst exercise and repeat these statements:
��I accept the good, the bad and the ugly;

��I fully accept every part of myself including my �aws,
fears, behaviors, and qualities I might not be too proud
of;
��This is how I am, and I am at peace with that
3. Enhance your self-love
Now that you have worked on accepting yourself for who

you are, you can begin to build love and care for yourself.
Make it a goal to extend yourself kindness, tolerance,
generosity, and compassion.
To boost self-love, start paying attention to the tone you use

with yourself. Commit to being more positive and uplifting
when talking to yourself.
If you’re not sure how to get started, think (or say aloud)
these simple statements:
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��I feel valued and special;

��I love myself wholeheartedly;
�� I am a worthy and capable person (Sicinski, n.d.).
4. Recognize your self-worth
Once you understand, accept, and love yourself, you will

reach a point where you no longer depend on people,
accomplishments, or other external factors for your self-
worth.
At this point, the best thing you can do is recognize your

worth and appreciate yourself for the work you’ve done to
get here, as well as continuing to maintain your self-
understanding, self-acceptance, self-love, and self-worth.
To recognize your self-worth, remind yourself that:
��You no longer need to please other people;

��No matter what people do or say, and regardless of what
happens outside of you, you alone control how you feel
about yourself;
��You have the power to respond to events and
circumstances based on your internal sources,
resources, and resourcefulness, which are the re�ection
of your true value;
��Your value comes from inside, from an internal measure
that you’ve set for yourself.
5. Take responsibility for yourself

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In this stage, you will practice being responsible for yourself,

your circumstances, and your problems.
Follow these guidelines to ensure you are working on this

exercise in a healthy way:
 Take full responsibility for everything that happens to

you without giving your personal power and your
agency away;
 Acknowledge that you have the personal power to

change and in�uence the events and circumstances of
your life.
Remind yourself of what you have learned through all of

these exercises, and know that you hold the power in your
own life. Revel in your well-earned sense of self-worth and
make sure to maintain it.
2 Worksheets That Help Increase

Self-Worth
If you’re partial to
�lling in the blanks
instead of
completing more
freeform exercises
and activities, not to worry.
Check out the four worksheets below that can help you 
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build your self-worth.
About Me Sentence Completion Worksheet
This worksheet outlines a simple way to build self-worth. It

only requires a pen or pencil and a few minutes to complete.
Feel free to use it for yourself or for your adult clients, but it
was designed for kids and can be especially effective for
them.
This worksheet is simply titled “About Me: Sentence

Completion” and is exactly what you might expect: it gives
kids a chance to write about themselves. If your youngster is
too young to write down his own answers, sit with him and
help him record his responses.
The sentence stems (or prompts) to complete include:
 I was really happy when . . .
 Something that my friends like about me is . . .
 I’m proud of . . .
 My family was happy when I . . .
 In school, I’m good at . . .
 Something that makes me unique is . . .
By completing these six prompts, your child will take some

time to think about who he really is, what he likes, what he’s

good at, and what makes him feel happy.
26 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
Self-Esteem Sentence Stems worksheet.
Self-Esteem Checkup
This worksheet is good for a wide audience, including

children, adolescents, young adults, and older adults. The
opening text indicates that it’s a self-esteem worksheet, but
in this case, the terms self-esteem and self-worth are used
interchangeably.
Completing this worksheet will help you get a handle on

your personal sense of understanding, acceptance, respect,
and love for yourself.
The worksheet lists 15 statements and instructs you to rate

your belief in each one on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 10
(totally or completely). These statements are:
��I believe in myself;

��I am just as valuable as other people;
��I would rather be me than someone else;
��I am proud of my accomplishments;
��I feel good when I get compliments;
��I can handle criticism;
��I am good at solving problems;
��I love trying new things;
��I respect myself;
��I like the way I look;
��I love myself even when others reject me;
��I know my positive qualities; 
27 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
��I focus on my successes and not my failures;

��I’m not afraid to make mistakes;
��I am happy to be me.
Add up all of the ratings for these 15 statements to get your

total score, then rate your overall sense of self-esteem on a
scale from 0 (I completely dislike who I am) to 10 (I
completely like who I am).
Finally, respond to the prompt “What would need to change

in order for you to move up one point on the rating scale?
(i.e., for example, if you rated yourself a 6 what would need
to happen for you to be at a 7?)”
Click here to preview this worksheet for yourself or click

here to view it in a collection of self-esteem-building, small-
group counseling lesson plans.
Meditations to Boost Self-Worth

If you’re a fan of meditations, check out the four options
below. They’re all aimed at boosting self-worth:
 A Guided Meditation to Help Quiet Self-Doubt and

Boost Con�dence from Health.com;
 Guided Meditation for Inner Peace and Self-Worth

from Linda Hall;
 Guided Meditation: Self-Esteem from The Honest

Guys Meditations & Relaxations; 
28 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
If you’re not fond of any of these four meditations, try

searching for other guided meditations intended to improve
your self-worth. There are many out there to choose from.
Recommended Books on Self-

Worth
To learn more about self-worth and how to improve it,
check out some of the most popular books about this
subject on Amazon:
 The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think

You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by
Dr. Brené Brown (Amazon);
 What to Say When You Talk to Your Self by Dr. Shad

Helmstetter (Amazon);
 The 21-Day Self-Love Challenge: Learn How to Love

Yourself Unconditionally, Cultivate Con�dence, Self-
Compassion & Self-Worth by Sophia Taylor (Amazon);
 Love Yourself: 31 Ways to Truly Find Your Self Worth &

Love Yourself by Randy Young (Amazon);
 Self-Worth Essentials: A Workbook to Understand

Yourself, Accept Yourself, Like Yourself, Respect
Yourself, Be Con�dent, Enjoy Yourself, and Love
Yourself by Dr. Liisa Kyle (Amazon);
 Learning to Love Yourself: Finding Your Self-Worth by


29 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse (Amazon).
Must-Watch TED Talks and

YouTube Videos
If you’re more of a watcher than a reader, there are some
great TED Talks and YouTube videos you can check out,
including:
TED Talk: Meet Yourself: A User’s Guide to

Building Self-Esteem by Niko Everett
In her talk, Niko Everett, the founder of the organization

Girls for Change, discusses inspiring ways to build up your
self-esteem.
TED Talk: Claiming Your Identity by

Understanding Your Self-Worth by Helen
Whitener
30 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
Judge Helen Whitener discusses self-worth through the lens

of social justice and equality in this talk.
A Clever Lesson in Self Worth from Meir Kay
This video uses a dollar bill as a metaphor to demonstrate

that no matter what happens to you, your worth remains
constant.
12 Quotes on Self-Worth

31 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
Sometimes all we need to kickstart or motivate us to work

on our self-love and self-worth is a good, insightful quote. If
that’s what you’re looking for, read on.
 You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire

universe, deserve your love and affection.
Buddha
 A man cannot be comfortable without his own

approval.
Mark Twain
Remember always that you not only have the right

to be an individual, you have an obligation to be

one.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives.


Louise L. Hay
 The fact that someone else loves you doesn’t rescue

you from the project of loving yourself.
Sahaj Kohli
Why should we worry about what others think of

us, do we have more con�dence in their opinions

than we do our own?


32 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
Brigham Young
Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and

self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If
you can’t love and respect yourself—no on else will
be able to make that happen. Accept who you are—

completely; the good and the bad—and make

changes as YOU see �t—not because you think
someone else want you to be different.
Stacey Charter
Your problem is you’re afraid to acknowledge your

own beauty. You’re too busy holding onto your

unworthiness.
Ram Dass
It’s surprising how many persons go through life

without ever recognizing that their feelings toward
 other people are largely determined by their
feelings toward themselves, and if you’re not
comfortable within yourself, you can’t be
comfortable with others.
Sidney J. Harris
 Most of the shadows of this life are caused by

standing in one’s own sunshine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson


33 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
It is never too late to be what you might have been.


George Eliot
 Stay true to yourself. An original is worth more

than a copy.
Suzy Kassem
A Take-Home Message
Self-worth is an important concept for both researchers and
laymen to understand, and it’s especially important for us to
be able to identify, build, and maintain a normal, healthy
sense of self-worth.
Learning about self-worth can teach you how to be more

happy and ful�lled in your authentic, loveable self.
What do you think is the most important takeaway from

research on this topic? Do you think a lack of self-worth is a
problem? Or perhaps you think an excess of self-worth is
the bigger problem today? Let us know in the comments
section.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to

download our 3 Self Compassion Exercises for free.
 REFERENCES 
34 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
▪ Bogee, Jr., L. (1998). Leadership through personal

awareness. University of Hawaii. Retrieved from
http://www.hawaii.edu/intlrel/LTPA/selfwort.htm
▪ Clark-Jones, T. (2012). The importance of helping teens

discover self-worth. Michigan State University – MSU
Extension. Retrieved from http://www.canr.msu.edu
/news/the_importance_of_helping_teens_discover
_self-worth
▪ Covington, M. V., & Beery, R. G. (1976). Self-worth and

school learning. Oxford, UK: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
▪ Crocker, J., Luhtanen, R. K., Cooper, M. L., & Bouvrette,

A. (2003). Contingencies of self-worth in college
students: Theory and measurement. Journal of
Personality
ABOUT THE andAUTHOR
Social Psychology, 85, 894–908.
▪ Firestone, L. (2014). Essential tips for building true self-

worth. Psych Alive. Retrieved from
https://www.psychalive.org/self-worth/
▪ Grande, D. (2018). Building self-esteem and improving

relationships. Psychology Today. Retrieved from
Courtney Ackerman, MA, is a graduate of the positive
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-it-
organizational psychology and evaluation program at
together/201801/building-self-esteem-and-
Claremont Graduate University. She is a researcher and
improving-relationships
evaluator of mental health programs for the State of
▪California
Hibbert,and her professional
C. (2013). interests
Self-esteem include survey
vs. self-worth. Dr.
research, wellbeing
Christina Hibbert.in Retrieved
the workplace,
fromand compassion. 
35 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
https://www.drchristinahibbert.com/self-esteem-vs-
self-worth/
 HOW USEFUL WAS THIS ARTICLE TO YOU?
▪ Morin, A. (2017). How do you measure your self-worth?
NotPsychology
useful at all Today. Retrieved from Very useful
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201707/how-do-
you-measure-your-self-worth
▪ Roberts, E. (2012). The difference between self-esteem

and self-con�dence. Healthy Place. Retrieved from
 COMMENTS
https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs
What our readers think

/buildingselfesteem/2012/05/the-difference-
between-self-esteem-and-self-con�dence
▪ Sicinski, (n.d.). How7,to

A.November
O. K on build
2022 at self-worth
09:17 and start
believing in yourself again. IQ Matrix. Retrieved from
Amazing article, I’m using this in my work as a therapist
https://blog.iqmatrix.com/self-worth
and even for myself. Thank you so much for this
ReplyS. (2014). How much do you value yourself?

▪ Stosny,
Psychology Today. Retrieved from
Ay Kay on December 30, 2021 at 20:19
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anger-
terri�c article. I appreciated the structure and the
in-the-age-entitlement/201406/how-much-do-you-
various pcs of information.
value-yourself
Please help, I too couldn’t access the downloads either.
▪ Wong, S. J. (n.d.). 13 things that don’t determine your
even with this link https://tools.positivepsychology.com/s
self-worth. Shine. Retrieved from
elf-compassion-pack on two different browsers.
https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/12-things-that-
Reply
dont-determine-your-self-worth/
Nicole Celestine, Ph.D. on December 31, 2021 at

04:42

36 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
Hi Ay,
I’m sorry you’re having trouble with the link. Once

you enter your details, the exercises should be sent
straight to your email, so I’d suggest checking your
spam/promotions folder to ensure our email has not
ended up there.
Let me know if that resolves the issue.
– Nicole | Community Manager
Reply
Mohammed Ayebale on November 29, 2021 at 06:34
The article was worth reading and insightful, thanks for

this craft, I hope to improve on my self worth and self
love.
Reply
Susan on November 19, 2021 at 04:38
This article is very good! Thank you for your work and
sharing. I am a undergraduate in China and I wonder
whether I am permitted to cite this article in my thesis. If
so, how am I supposed to cite it?
Reply
Nicole Celestine, Ph.D. on November 20, 2021 at

06:42
Hi Susan,
You can reference this article in APA 7th as follows: 
37 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
Ackerman, C. E. (2018, November 6). What is self-

worth and how do we increase it? (Incl. 4
worksheets). PositivePsychology.com. https://positiv
epsychology.com/self-worth/
Hope this helps!
– Nicole | Community Manager
Reply
Blessy on August 23, 2021 at 02:01
Thank you for this article on Self-worth. It’s been very

helpful. �
Reply
Caring_Cactus on April 5, 2021 at 08:33
This, THIS article on self-worth is so profound in my

opinion, the many references and credible sources used
only further validates the many points brought up. The
whole self-worth theory I believe is such a fundamental
part for how to manage our social wellbeing in respect to
functioning as a whole for society at large with others. I
think it is a key part to social developmental theory, if we
all could develop and maintain our own self-worth we
would see HUGE gains in energy, ef�ciency, quality,
productivity, complexity, comprehension, creativity,
mastery, enjoyment and accomplishment.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs seems to be a good outline

for what needs to be done �rst before one can focus on 
38 of 45 21-11-2022, 20:39
esteem needs.
Reply
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What Is Self-Worth & How Do We Build It (Incl. Worksheets)

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What is Self-Worth & How Do We Build it? (Incl. Worksheets) https://positivepsychology.

Self Esteem  18 Nov 2022  48

What is Self-Worth & How Do

Scienti�cally reviewed by Jo Nash, Ph.D. 

Chances are, you’ve

There are so many words to describe how we feel about

Read on to learn more about what may be the most vital

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download

compassion and kindness to yourself but will also give you

This Article Contains:

 What Is the Meaning of Self-Worth and Self-Value?

 The Psychology of Self-Worth

 What Is Self-Worth Theory?

 What Determines Self-Worth?

 3 Examples of Healthy Self-Worth

 How to Find Self-Worth and Value Yourself More

 The Importance of Self-Worth in Relationships

 The Risks of Tying Your Self-Worth to Your Job

 The Self-Worth Scale

 5 Activities and Exercises for Developing Self-Worth

 2 Worksheets That Help Increase Self-Worth

 Meditations to Boost Self-Worth

 Recommended Books on Self-Worth

 Must-Watch TED Talks and YouTube Videos

What Is the Meaning of Self-Worth 

However, we’ll provide both de�nitions so you can see

Self-worth is de�ned by Merriam-Webster as:

 “a feeling that you are a good person who deserves

On the other hand, self-value is “more behavioral than

Self-Worth versus Self-Esteem

Similarly, there is not a huge difference between self-worth

esteem is “thinking well of oneself; self-respect,” while self-

“Self-esteem is what we think and feel and believe

Self-Worth versus Self-Con�dence

In the same vein, there are subtle but signi�cant differences

Self-con�dence is not an overall evaluation of yourself, but a

It’s not necessary to have a high sense of self-con�dence in

We explore this further in The Science of Self-Acceptance

The Psychology of Self-Worth

Self-worth is at the core of our very selves—our thoughts,

What Is the Self-Worth Theory?

Thus, the logical conclusion is that competing with others

The �rst three interact with each other to determine one’s

While this theory represents a good understanding of self-

What Determines Self-Worth?

However, people commonly use other yardsticks to measure

���Appearance—whether measured by the number on the

Author Stephanie Jade Wong (n.d.) is on a mission to correct

misunderstandings and misperceptions about self-worth.

 Your to-do list: Achieving goals is great and it feels

 Your job: It doesn’t matter what you do. What matters

 Your social media following: It also doesn’t matter how

 Other people: As noted above, it doesn’t matter what

anything else, for that matter). If you enjoy running

 The number of friends you have: Your value as a

 Your relationship status: Whether �ying solo, casually

 The money (or lack thereof) in the bank: If you have

 Your likes: It doesn’t matter if you have “good taste” or

 Anything or anyone but yourself: Here we get to the

3 Examples of Healthy Self-Worth

Given what we know about the determinants of self-worth,

Bill is not a great student. He gets mostly Bs and Cs, even

Even though Bill wishes he had better grades, he still feels

��Appearance—whether measured by the number on the

��Provide unconditional love, respect, and positive regard;

��Approval from others (i.e., I don’t care if other people

��Physical appearance (i.e., my self-esteem is in�uenced

��Imagine that everything you have is suddenly taken away

��I accept the good, the bad and the ugly;

��I feel valued and special;

��You no longer need to please other people;