Self-worth for Students
Even before the pandemic, students were telling us how self-esteem was impacted by anxiety and non-stop evaluation. Covid has added additional burdens: such as isolation and uncertainty.
Here are some of the current issues, affecting students and young professionals:
- Significant loss of traditional employment opportunities
- Intense competition for courses, jobs, scholarships, grants etc.
- Information overwhelm, exhaustion
- Academic pressures, pressure from parents, social media and peers leaving young people feeling that they must constantly prove their worth via accomplishments
- Even when surrounded with “resources” and “support”, being very much on your own with your choices and issues
- Uncertainty about the future, how to navigate all the options ahead
- Finding work that is meaningful
- A bewildering array of choices and dilemmas: career/business direction, geography, relationships, identity
Here are some of the current issues, affecting students and young professionals:
- Significant loss of traditional employment opportunities
- Intense competition for courses, jobs, scholarships, grants etc.
- Information overwhelm, exhaustion
- Academic pressures, pressure from parents, social media and peers leaving young people feeling that they must constantly prove their worth via accomplishments
- Even when surrounded with “resources” and “support”, being very much on your own with your choices and issues
- Uncertainty about the future, how to navigate all the options ahead
- Finding work that is meaningful
- A bewildering array of choices and dilemmas: career/business direction, geography, relationships, identity
KEY SWA INSIGHTS / APPROACH
Detach from those evaluations and stories that define your self-esteem: instead learn to shape an unconditional identity
A fresh understanding of self-worth unleashes new energy and fresh perspective
Establish routines of self-care, study and exploration as an expression of self-worth
Find your own voice, rather than living the life that others want you to live. Bring this voice into work life, romance, relationships and leisure
“To love yourself is the beginning of a lifetime romance”
– Oscar Wilde
SELF-WORTH
A sense of loyal, unconditional, friendship with yourself…no matter what is going on inside or outside.
Unlike self-esteem, self-worth is not contingent on meeting expectations: neither those of others nor even of your own.
Self-worth is independent of your performance; it’s a fundamental, unconditional friendship with yourself.
Unlike the fickle friendship of self-esteem, self-worth is a faithful ally in the most challenging of times, on those grey days when you most need to be a friend to you.
A deep sense of self-worth brings joy and freedom to life. By stepping off the hamster wheel of self-esteem, we rebound better from setbacks and find new meaning in what we do.
Services for students and young professionals
The Self-Worth Safari
Key Elements:
– 7 week program with 7 modules which can be delivered in-person or online, preferably as a hybrid
– A teacher’s guide, accompanied by a 1-2 modules for teachers (again either in-person or online)
– Homework to be set between modules: practical steps for students to undertake
– A self-evaluation for students to complete at the beginning and at the end of the program (to be developed)
Skills for students, to improve happiness as well as performance
- Managing stress and anxiety, nurturing resilience and energy
- Building healthy routines for self-care and study, vs. being swamped by deadlines or projects
- Choosing which feedback you take on board, and from whom
- Bouncing back from setbacks, ending the energy-drain of self-reproach
- Learning to communicate needs and requests respectfully
- Implementing healthy boundaries, asking for help
- Dealing with difficult people, strengthening self-worth
- Packaging your strengths into insights, so that you can plan your career from a fresh perspective
- Introducing yourself with impact, making the most of social situations
- Having “explorer conversations”, the power of being interested rather than trying to be interesting
- Systematically eliminating all conditions for self-esteem, instead making choices from a foundation of unconditional self-worth
- Preventing a host of more serious issues, including addiction, self-harm and even suicide
For a confidential session with John, with no obligation, or a talk to a student group, book an exploratory call
ABOUT JOHN NILAND
John Niland is a professional speaker, as well as being a coach, author and guest lecturer at universities and professional associations. He works with professionals to be seen and valued in their work, by building a powerful professional identity rooted in self-worth.
Some of his key insights include:
- Energising and re-inventing who we are at work—not just what we do
- Fuelling professional life on self-worth rather than self-esteem
- Leading self and others by developing their professional identity
- Making professional life sustainable and enjoyable, enabling us to work to 75 and beyond
- Raising the value of our work, as the basis of more opportunity and reward
In 2018, he established The Self-Worth Academy, a global network of professionals passionate about promoting self-worth (and self-awareness) as a foundation for life and work.
John is the author of “The Self-Worth Safari”. Previous books include “Hidden Value”, “Opportunity Conversations” and “The Courage to Ask” (co-authored with Kate Daly). He was a co-founder of the European Forum of Independent Professionals and previous CEO of Education for the Children, which works with families in Guatemala to break the cycle of poverty.
“In the School of Business & Law at the University of Brighton, Self-Worth Academy’s discovery session is already now well-embedded into the Foundation Year curriculum and is piquing the interest of other colleagues also working on wellbeing approaches to teaching and learning. Anyone considering introducing this to their students should find it a worthwhile endeavour.”
DR CLARE FORDER
“If we can bring the sense of self-worth into schools, children will succeed better and have a better future”
FRANCES REYNOLDS
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