Self-Esteem Research, Theory, and Practice Toward a Positive ...

Self-Esteem Enhancement 5-Week Program 265WEEK 3—HANDOUT 2: INCREASING WORTHINESSTHROUGH COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURINGI. Common cognitive self-esteem trapsA. Concept: Mistakes in thinking and perceiving that keep usstuck or in pain.B. List of common self-esteem traps:1. Emotional Reasoning—Letting feelings overrule rationalthoughts, such as frequently saying, “Yeah, but” or “ifonly.”2. Filtering—Focusing attention on the negative aspects ofa situation or event and ignoring or minimizing positivepossibilities.3. Labeling—Using negative labels to describe self orothers, such as calling yourself or others a “loser,” “awimp,” or a “dummy.”4. Overgeneralizing—Extending the negative meanings ofan event beyond what is necessary so that it seems worsethan it is.5. Personalizing—Being too sensitive about an incident orevent so that it becomes more painful than realisticallynecessary.6. ______________________7. ______________________8. ______________________9. ______________________10. ______________________C. Facilitator’s example of making an error