Melanie isn't confident about her looks and suffers from low self-esteem. Which of the following is the most effective strategy for her to improve her self-esteem?

• A. Avoid social situations to prevent feeling judged by others.
• B. Ignore her feelings and hope they go away on their own.
• C. Compare herself to others on social media to find motivation.
• D. Practice positive self-talk and challenge negative thoughts about herself.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that self-esteem refers to a person's overall sense of self-worth or personal value, which can be influenced by thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
2. Recognize that avoiding social situations or ignoring feelings are avoidance strategies that do not address the underlying negative self-perceptions and can actually reinforce low self-esteem.
3. Identify that comparing oneself to others, especially on social media, often leads to unrealistic standards and can worsen feelings of inadequacy rather than improve self-esteem.
4. Learn that practicing positive self-talk involves consciously replacing negative, self-critical thoughts with affirming and supportive statements, which helps reshape self-perception.
5. Understand that challenging negative thoughts means critically examining and disputing irrational or harmful beliefs about oneself, which is a key technique in cognitive-behavioral approaches to improving self-esteem.