Integrating Self-Love, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, and Self-Respect For Enduring Self-Esteem

Thrive • February 10, 2022

By Thrive Waco Therapist Sarah Neelley, MA, LPC-Associate, 200 RYT

WHAT IS SELF-ESTEEM?

Self-esteem is your general opinion of yourself, including how you feel about your abilities and limitations. When you have a healthy sense of self-esteem, you believe that you’re worthy of respect, your opinions matter, and you’re capable of achieving whatever you set your mind to. Alternatively, an unhealthy sense of self-esteem can lead to feelings of worthlessness, comparing yourself to others, and difficulty maintaining boundaries .

THE MULTIFACETED NATURE OF SELF-ESTEEM

Extending love, care, compassion, and respect to yourself is vital for growing and maintaining a healthy sense of self-esteem. By exploring the meaning of self-love, self-care, self-compassion, and self-respect, you can begin to foster an honest and deep appreciation of your amazing self!

What is self-love?

Easily confused with narcissism, which is an unhealthy overemphasis of one’s strengths and ignorance of one’s weaknesses, self-love is something else entirely. Based in self-awareness, self-love means accepting your intrinsic worth as an individual, despite your imperfections.

Some examples of embracing self-love include:

Prioritizing your well-being
Recognizing your strengths
Accepting your imperfections
Acknowledging your feelings
Asking for help when you need it
Letting go of resentments
Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone
Forgiving yourself for any mistakes

Without a foundation of self-love, you may find that you neglect your own needs, make self-sabotaging decisions, and allow others to take advantage of you. When you love yourself, you value your well-being and happiness enough to protect it.

What is self-care?

Self-care is putting self-love into action. You practice self-care whenever you intentionally engage in activities or behaviors that promote your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. What constitutes self-care for an individual is based on their tastes, interests, and needs.

Self-care may mean:

Playing an instrument
Attending a yoga class
Taking a shower or bath
Practicing photography
Spending a day at the beach
Going on a bike ride
Catching up with friends
Visiting places of worship
Reading a good book
Learning something new
Eating adequately, consistently, and intuitively
Embracing a wide variety of foods, including those you enjoy most

Self-care should not be perceived as a reward, obligation, or frivolous pursuit. Instead, self-care should be an integral element of your lifestyle that empowers and energizes you.

What is self-compassion?

Self-compassion is the heart of self-love and self-care and invites you to honor your humanness. It means extending to yourself the same understanding and kindness that you offer to others.

You can practice self-compassion by:

Being patient and kind with yourself
Affirming your positive attributes
Acknowledging your successes of any size
Allowing your progress to be nonlinear
Accepting what you can control versus what you cannot
Allowing yourself to make mistakes and viewing them as learning opportunities
Avoiding unfavorable comparisons of yourself to others
Refraining from self-criticism and self-judgment

While negative self-talk can foster a sense of self-pity, self-compassion keeps you from holding yourself to impossible expectations, encourages you to mindfully recognize your humanity, and allows you to embrace life with graciousness toward yourself.

What is self-respect?

Another aspect of self-esteem is self-respect or self-regard. Self-respect involves embracing your autonomy while also defining your own values and living in accordance with them.

Self-respecting individuals don’t regard themselves as inferior or superior to others. Instead, self-respect is based on adhering to one’s standards for themselves, which are rooted in an individual’s unique sense of integrity.

Having self-respect means:

Desiring to be treated in accordance with your inherent dignity
Protesting degrading treatment of yourself
Living by a self-defined sense of morality
Feeling a responsibility to make your life into something you believe to be good
Seeking to use your talents in pursuit of your goals

Self-respect empowers individuals to have agency over their own lives. With self-respect, you can demand better of and for yourself to create a life you deserve.

GROW WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

Appreciating your uniqueness and honoring your worth promotes healthier relationships, decision-making that honors your desires, and confidence in pursuing your goals. Attending therapy can help you identify any patterns impacting your self-esteem and learn strategies to hold yourself in healthy high regard. If you’re curious about your relationship with yourself and others, reach out to Thrive for details about how outpatient therapy can serve as an insightful, self-reflective practice for personal growth.

About the Author

Thrive Waco Therapist Sarah Neelley, MA, LPC-Associate, 200 RYT

Sarah is passionate about providing holistic care to survivors of interpersonal trauma, as well as individuals struggling with eating and body image concerns.

A registered yoga instructor, she enjoys integrating her counselor education and yoga training to holistically approach mental health treatment. She is skilled at facilitating trauma-informed yoga therapeutic groups for survivors of interpersonal trauma.

As a counseling intern at Baylor University’s Counseling Center, Sarah has provided mental health support to clients facing crisis situations, trauma, anxiety, depression, OCD, substance use, and anger concerns.

Sarah holds a Master of Arts degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Baylor University.

In her free time, Sarah loves reading, spending time with friends and family, taking long walks outdoors, enjoying a good cup of coffee, and doing puzzles. She recently developed an interest in keeping plants alive. Wish her (and her plants) all the luck!

Supervised by Erin McGinty Fort, LPC-Supervisor (76628) | Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors

The post Integrating Self-Love, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, and Self-Respect For Enduring Self-Esteem first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Is It OCD or an Eating Disorder? What Parents Need to Know

July 17, 2025

As a parent, noticing alarming behaviors around food or routines in your child can raise some important questions. You might be asking yourself, “Is this an eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or something else entirely?” Understanding the signs and differences between these disorders is key to getting your child effective, timely treatment. In this blog, we’ll break down the overlap between OCD and eating disorders, what signs to watch for, and how to get professional help. If you're a parent wondering “Is my child’s eating disorder actually OCD?” or “OCD vs eating disorder in teens,” know that you’re not alone and you’re in the right place to find specialized care for your child. What Is OCD? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where unwanted thoughts (obsessions) cause anxiety, leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) intended to ease that anxiety. OCD can be focused on any subject. Common obsessions include contamination, perfectionism, scrupulosity, and harm, but sometimes, the content of obsessions can be focused on food, body image, or weight. What Is an Eating Disorder? Eating disorders , like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) involve disturbed eating behaviors and intense concerns about body weight or shape. These conditions go beyond dieting or “picky eating” and can become life-threatening without professional intervention. The Overlap: Why It Can Be Confusing OCD and eating disorders often share similar symptoms : Ritualistic eating (e.g., needing to eat foods in a certain order or at a certain time) Rigid rules about food (like only eating certain food groups or certain amounts of food) Excessive checking (like weighing food or body or repeated checking of expiration dates or thorough cooking) Avoidance behaviors ( like avoiding carbs, fats, or other food groups or avoiding places or objects that can trigger obsessions) Distress when routines are disrupted (either around mealtimes or exercise routines) So, How Can You Tell the Difference? Use the following chart to compare and contrast symptoms of OCD and eating disorders.

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Because LGBTQIA+ individuals face added mental health burdens due to stigma and discrimination, taking care of yourself during this time is more important than ever. You might experience increased anxiety, mental exhaustion, or avoidance ahead of coming out, so don’t be afraid to reach out for support. At its core, coming out is about authentic self-expression and showing your truest self, which can feel both exciting and scary at the same time . The self-acceptance and community gained from coming out is a vital part of finding long-term strength and joy. Still, it’s okay if you feel uncertain or conflicted, and these feelings are just part of the process. Before Coming Out: Emotional Preparation Coming out starts with reflection. Remember that there’s no rush when it comes to figuring out who you are. It’s okay to take time to understand your identity and what coming out might mean for you. Here are a few questions to consider: What do I hope to gain by coming out? Who feels emotionally safe to talk to? What are my fears, and how can I manage them? Mental wellness tips before coming out: Journaling can help you better understand your feelings and fears and explore different ways to share your truth. Talking through your feelings and different scenarios with a therapist , especially one who is LGBTQIA+ affirming, can help you to feel more supported and ready to come out. Practice grounding techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or visualization to ease anxiety ahead of sharing your identity. Helpful resources for coming out include: Trevor Project Lifeline (1-866-488-7386) TrevorSpace (an online community for LGBTQIA+ youth) OurCenter (a local community center for the LGBTQIA+ community in Reno) During the Coming Out Process: Staying Grounded The act of coming out can feel intimidating, as you’re sharing such a vital part of who you are. You might experience fear, panic, or doubt. 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Even difficult conversations are acts of strength. Rebuild your safety if you've experienced rejection. This might mean changing your environment or seeking new support systems. Release guilt or shame. Being who you are is never something you should feel ashamed or guilty for. Support networks can make a huge difference. Seek out different forms of support like: LGBTQIA+ support groups (in-person or online) Peer mentors or community leaders Allies, friends, or family who affirm and respect your identity Therapeutic options to deal with stress, grief, or isolation associated with coming out: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help process trauma. Narrative therapy helps you rewrite your story in your own empowering voice. Coming Out More Than Once: Navigating the Long Game Coming out isn’t just a single milestone, it’s a recurring process. You might come out again and again: to a healthcare provider, a neighbor, a partner, or a friend. 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Whether you're preparing to come out, in the midst of sharing your truth, or processing what came after, know that you are worthy of love, safety, and joy. Your truth is worth celebrating, today and everyday! For support during the coming out process and beyond, reach out to our team of affirming, inclusive, and compassionate mental and physical health care providers. We're here for you.