We're all familiar with the term self-esteem, but it can be hard to describe it in a concrete manner. In the simplest of terms, self-esteem is a positive sense of self. Having self-esteem often fuels confidence, pride, belief in self, a sense of belonging, and a positive self-image. Kids with poor self-esteem tend to be more self-critical, focus on perceived failures, doubt their abilities, and believe they don't measure up to their peers. Per psychologist Dr. Paul Foxman, we develop self-esteem in two ways:
The first point probably seems like common sense. When parents and caregivers acknowledge and celebrate a child's accomplishments, as well as their values and choices, it helps the development of positive self-talk within the child. At first glance, the second point may also seem like common sense, but let's dig a little deeper to explore how parental fear may inadvertently become a factor in the development of a child's self-esteem relating to their ability to self-manage their food allergy. TWO WAYS TO HELP KIDS DEVELOP FOOD ALLERGY-RELATED SELF-ESTEEM:
Remember....kids that develop confidence in managing food allergies become adults who are able to navigate life with food allergies. The opportunities you allow and approach you take to teaching them food allergy management skills directly impacts their self-esteem and internal self-talk about their ability to handle food allergy-related situations.
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Day 7: PDF Worksheet To Use or Share!Today marks the end of Food Allergy Awareness Week 2019. I've covered a lot within the last seven days, including the following topics (in case you've missed any):
Day 7 leaves you with a hands-on PDF worksheet to help you explore your Food Allergy Mindset. Many don't typically even stop to consider their automatic beliefs or how their mindset impacts feelings and actions. This activity is useful for adults and teens, and can even be adapted to use with older elementary kids (with a parent's help). It can be used for personal benefit, distributed at food allergy support group meetings, or even used during therapy sessions. (Visit the Worksheets Section for this and other worksheets). So this officially means that it's the last daily food allergy mental health tip! But don't worry; there's always new posts/info popping up on the Food Allergy Counselor blog and frequent updates/additions made to the Food Allergy Mental Health Resource page. Plus, there's NEW content coming.... stay tuned for more on that soon! Thanks for reading these daily tips and for following the Food Allergy Counselor, Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC! Day 6: Fight Food Allergy Fears w/FactsFear is a present-oriented basic emotion that typically occurs as a response to a real or perceived danger/threat. Threats can be from:
When managing food allergies, real and perceived threats pop up often, sometimes daily. Additionally, it's common to be thinking about potential food allergy threats even when not currently dealing with one. So what can people do to help tame and manage food allergy fears? One Tool To Fight Food Allergy Fears Is...KNOWLEDGE!![]() Is it truly that simple - knowledge takes care of food allergy fears? No. However, knowledge is an important tool in the Food Allergy Fear Tool Kit individuals and families need to build in order to fight back against and ultimately manage fear levels. Other crucial tools needed in the Food Allergy Fear Tool Kit:
For the purpose of this article, let's focus on building your knowledge tool. One caveat that needs to be made about this tool is that you want to be sure that it is formed primarily with material that is evidenced-based in nature. That is, the information comes from reputable sources within the food allergy community, such as allergists, healthcare professionals, or well-respected food allergy organizations or groups. (While information gleaned from health support groups can be valuable, it's best to confirm information with your personal allergist and evidence-based resources). Below are four links to information addressing common fear-producing topics, as well as a general list of reputable food allergy information sources.
Reputable Food Allergy Information Sources: In case you missed the other Food Allergy Awareness Week mental health-focused tips, find them via links here: Day 1 & 2 (FA Support Groups & FA Mindset); Day 3: FA Thinking Errors Connected w/Anxiety; Day 4: Food Allergy Anxiety Resources; Day 5: Problem-Solving Method When Fear Rules Your Mind If you find yourself needing support for food allergy-related psychosocial impacts, locate a food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral healthcare provider
via the Food Allergy Counselor Directory. |
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