Author: Isabella Adams, MSW
Good mental health isn’t something we “arrive” at – it’s something we nurture over time. In this series, we’ll explore ways to protect your well-being, strengthen your resilience, and create space for the things that truly matter.
Self-identity is a term used to describe how we see and understand ourselves. It includes our personal beliefs and personality traits, our core values, life experiences, roles we play in our lives (parent, sibling, occupation, etc.), and our ethnicity and culture. Building a strong and healthy self-identity allows us to view ourselves in a productive way. Having a healthy-self identity enhances our ability to set healthy boundaries, grow our self-confidence and self-awareness, understand our strengths and weaknesses, and maintain a mindset built for growth in our lives. Many parts of our self-identity grow with us as we age and change throughout our lifespan, and maintaining our self-awareness can help us to understand those changes as they occur.
Many things can weaken a strong self-identity, such as unhealthy or unstable relationships with loved ones, major life changes, traumas, societal pressures, and existing mental health concerns. These things can contribute to a much more negative self-identity, which can lead to concerns such as insecurity, depression, and anxiety.
Building a healthy self-identity requires self-reflection, especially if dealing with concerns like self-doubt or insecurities. Understanding why you think and feel the way you do offers you the ability to address them before they cause detrimental impacts on your personal and professional ambitions. Building and focusing on positive relationships in your life also greatly contributes to a healthy self-identity, particularly in relation to concerns of social pressures to our sense of self. Practicing self-compassion in times of hardship and feeling supported by those around you help to build self-acceptance and combats negative self-identity.
If you have a negative self-identity it can be overwhelming to work through alone. Additional support can be found in speaking with a mental health professional to work towards a stronger and healthier sense of self. They are equipped to offer more tools and workshops to better work through any specific concerns you may have.
National Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org, to connect with a counselor. Counselors are available 24/7/365, and all communication is free and confidential.
