Self-Esteem
ImprovingSelf-Esteem
Improving

Improving Self-Esteem
Module 8

Developing Balanced Core Beliefs
Introduction

2

Identifying Your Negative Core Beliefs

2

Adjusting Your Negative Core Beliefs

4

An Ongoing Process

8

Adjusting Your Negative Core Beliefs (Example)

9

Worksheet: Adjusting Your Negative Core Beliefs

10

Module Summary

11

About This Module

12

The information provided in the document is for information purposes only. Please refer to the full
disclaimer and copyright statements available at www.cci.health.gov.au regarding the information on
this website before making use of such information.

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Introduction
We have now come to the final step in tackling low self-esteem – changing the negative core beliefs you
have about yourself. In earlier modules, you learned how to tackle the negative unhelpful thoughts you
might have in day-to-day situations, which sprout from your negative core beliefs. In Module 7, you learned
how to change the unhelpful rules and assumptions that have kept your negative core beliefs intact. All ofthese previous modules have put you in a strong position to now directly tackle the negative core beliefs
that are at the root of your low self-esteem. All the hard work you have done so far has been undermining
your negative core beliefs, shaking the ground beneath them, and sowing the seed of doubt as to how
accurate they are. So let’s finish the job, and focus on adjusting those negative core beliefs – from negativeand biased, to balanced and realistic.

Identifying Your Negative Core Belief
Remember, your negative core beliefs reflect the negative, broad, and generalised judgements you havemade about yourself, based on some negative experiences you might have had during your earlier years.
Based on the work you have done in the earlier modules, you may already know what those beliefs are andyou may have begun to question them. However, let’s really focus on this now.
If you are not clear as to what your negative core beliefs are as yet, you need to first pin them down andidentify them, before you can start changing them. Reflecting on the work you have already done will
provide information and clues as to what your negative core beliefs are. To uncover those negative core
beliefs, you will need to think about the implications of the specific clues and information you alreadyhave, that is, think about what they say about the overall view you have of yourself. Importantquestions to ask yourself throughout this ‘identification’ process are: What does thisinformation mean about me as a person? What does this clue say about who I am? Asking
yourself these questions will help you uncover your negative core beliefs from specificthoughts and experiences you have already identified.
Below are the various clues and information you can use to identify your negative core beliefs. Go througheach of them, and see if you can discover the specific negative core beliefs that ring true for you.
Negative Life Experiences
The negative life experiences that you identified in Module 2 as contributing to the development of yourlow self-esteem could provide clues as to what your negative core beliefs are. Reflect on these experiences
and ask yourself the following questions. Jot down any ideas about the negative core beliefs that come to
mind.
•
•
•

Did these experiences lead me to think there was something wrong with me in some way? If
so, what was wrong?
Do I remember specific situations that accompany the negative thoughts or feelings I haveabout myself? What do my memories of these situations say about me as a person?
Can I link a specific person I know to the way I feel about myself? Has that person usedcertain words to describe me? What does their treatment of me say about me as a person?

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Biased Expectations
The biased expectations that you identified in Module 4 could provide some ideas as to what your negative
core beliefs are. Reflect on the key concerns you identified in your Thought Diaries for biased
expectations, and ask yourself the following questions. Jot down any ideas about the negative core beliefs
that come to mind.
••

If my biased expectations were to come true, what would that mean about me as a person?
If I didn’t avoid or escape or use my safety behaviours, what would I be worried about
revealing to other people about who I am?

Negative Self-Evaluations
The negative self-evaluations you uncovered in Module 5 will also provide clues regarding your negative
core beliefs. Think about the sorts of criticisms you made of yourself in your Thought Diaries for negative
self-evaluations, and ask yourself the following questions. Jot down any ideas about the negative core
beliefs that come to mind.
••••

What do my negative self-evaluations say about me as a person?
What are the common themes, labels, words, or names I use to describe myself? What dothey mean about me?
Do my negative self-evaluations remind me of criticisms I have received from others when I
was young? What do those criticisms tell me about myself?
What things make me critical of myself? What do these things say about who I am?

Difficulties Promoting Balanced Self-Evaluations
The difficulties you may have had in Module 6 with focusing on the positive you (by writing down yourpositive qualities) and acting like the positive you (by doing pleasant activities that are just for yourself) may
give you some ideas regarding your negative core beliefs. Reflect on any troubles you had with thinking
about yourself kindly and treating yourself kindly, and ask yourself the following questions. Jot down any
ideas about the negative core beliefs that come to mind.
•••

What made it difficult to think about myself kindly or treat myself kindly?
What was I telling myself when I tried to do these things?
What do my reactions to thinking/treating myself well tell me about how I see myself?

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Perceived Outcomes Of Not Fulfilling The Rules
In Module 7, you clearly identified your unhelpful rules and assumptions. You can also use these to uncover
your negative core beliefs. Think about what you fear will happen if your rules are broken. Sometimes
your rule will incorporate the negative core belief (eg., “If I don’t do things perfectly, I am incompetent,” “Ifpeople see the real me, then they will know I am inferior,” “If I disappoint someone, then I am a bad
person.”). Ask yourself the following question and jot down any ideas about the negative core beliefs thatcome to mind.
•

If my rule was broken, then what would that mean about me?

Using all of the above clues and asking yourself what these things tell you about how you see yourself will
help you to uncover your negative core beliefs. Once you think you have a clear idea as to what they are,write them down in the space below.

Adjusting Your Negative Core Beliefs
1.

Choose One Negative Core Belief

If you have identified a number of negative core beliefs, choose only ONE to begin working on. You could
choose the one that is of greatest concern to work on now or one that is related to any biased
expectations, negative self-evaluations, or unhelpful rules and assumptions that you have previously worked
on. Write that negative core belief in the top box of the ‘Adjusting Core Beliefs Worksheet’ on page 10.
Also note how much you believe the negative core belief at now, when it’s most convincing, and when it’s
least convincing. Note how the negative core belief makes you feel. Throughout this module, you willneed to keep referring to this worksheet and completing the relevant sections as we go. This will ensurethat as you work through your negative core belief and tackle it, you have a clear record of this process torefer to at anytime in the future. There’s an example of how to complete the worksheet on page 9.
Once you have worked through the process of adjusting this first negative core belief, you will then be able
to apply it to other negative core beliefs you might want to change.
2.

Develop a Balanced Core Belief

Now it’s time to develop an alternative core belief to replace your old negative one. When developing a
new core belief, you want to aim for something that is more positive, balanced, and realistic. Think ofsomething that is a more accurate reflection of yourself. It is important that the work you do on yournegative core beliefs is not just about squashing the belief that you have been carrying around, but also
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about promoting a new balanced view of yourself. So it is not so much about saying what you are not (eg.,“I am not stupid”), but more about saying what you are (eg., “I am capable in many ways”).
From the work you have done in previous modules, you may already have some idea of what a morebalanced core belief might be. It might be the opposite to your old belief (eg., “I am incompetent” ∏ “I amcompetent”), a more moderate view of yourself (eg., “I am a failure” ∏ “I am great at many things, average
at other things, and weaker in some areas like anyone else”), or something else (eg., “I am no good” ∏ “I
am a worthwhile person”). The important thing is that the new belief is more balanced, weighing up all theinformation (not just the negative) available, and including both your strengths and weaknesses. Whendeveloping a new core belief, ensure that your worth as a person is not being determined by only yourfaults or weaknesses. Also make sure that you are not painting an overly positive view of yourself (eg., “I
am perfect in everyway”), as this will be unrealistic, and it is unlikely that you will believe it. Remember
not to discount any new alternative core beliefs on the basis that you don’t fulfil these 100% (eg., “I can’t
put down that I am competent because sometimes I get things wrong.”). No one is capable of such feats ofperfection, so instead, accept that you are your new view of yourself – not perfect, but “good enough.”
Now that you have an idea of your new balanced core belief, write it in the ‘Adjusting Negative Core
Beliefs’ worksheet’ on page 10. Also note how much you believe this new core belief at various times(now, when it is most convincing, and when it is least convincing) and how it makes you feel when you
reflect on it. In these early stages, you might not believe it a whole lot. That is to be expected, given thatyou have carried the other negative view of yourself around with you for some time. To help you be more
open to the new balanced view of yourself, let’s work through the process further.
3.

Examining the Evidence for Old Beliefs

To start to chip away at your old negative core belief, we first need to examine the evidence you base thisbelief on. What evidence do you have for this negative view of yourself? What experiences do you use tojustify this negative core belief? To try to uncover what you base your belief on, ask yourself the following
questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Are there current problems I am having that I base this belief on? (eg., problems withdepression or anxiety, relationship problems, etc)
Am I condemning myself because I need help and can’t manage alone? (eg., turning tofriends, family or mental health professionals for assistance)
Am I condemning myself based on past mistakes I have made? (eg., failing school,
trouble with the law, infidelity in past relationships, etc)
Am I condemning myself based on specific weaknesses of mine? (eg., not being
academically minded, not being good at sport, etc)
Am I condemning myself based on my physical characteristics or my personality
attributes? (eg., my body size, my attractiveness or my shyness, my untidiness)
Do I base my view of myself on how I compare to other people? (eg., whether I am
better than them in certain tasks, achievements, appearance, etc)
Do I use how other people treat or have treated me as a basis for how I view myself?
(eg., abuse, neglect, mistreatment)
Do I use the behaviour of other people as a basis for how I view myself? (eg., mychild’s poor behaviour)
Have I lost something that is important to my self worth? (eg., job loss, relationshipbreak-up)Once you have a clear idea of some of the evidence you use to justify the negative view you have ofyourself, write the evidence down in the column marked “Evidence For” your Old Negative Core Belief, on
the worksheet on page 10.
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When you have identified the evidence for your negative core belief, it is time to assess how credible andaccurate the evidence is. This is like being a lawyer who questions how good or trustworthy the evidenceis, whether or not it stands up under scrutiny. This is where you also ask yourself: Are there alternative waysof understanding this evidence? Are there other explanations you have not considered? Are there other ways ofinterpreting or making sense of the evidence, other than condemning who you are as a person? Try to uncoverother ways of understanding the evidence by asking yourself the following questions:
•
•
•
•
•

•

•
•

Are there other explanations for the current problems I am having, other than personal
shortcomings? (eg., “I have not been meeting my commitments – not because I am lazy –but because procrastination and neglect are symptoms of depression”)
Are there benefits in getting help from other people? How do I view people that ask mefor help? (eg., “I guess two heads are better than one, and I don’t think badly of people
who ask me for help, sometimes it takes a stronger person to admit they need help”)
Is it reasonable to base my self-esteem on my past mistakes? (eg., “Everyone makes
mistakes. It is unfair to beat myself up over things I can’t change”)
Is it reasonable to base my self-esteem on my specific weaknesses? (eg., “Just because I am
not good at something, does not make me useless as a whole person. Everyone has theirstrengths and weaknesses”)
Is it reasonable to base my self-esteem on my appearance or on certain personality
attributes I have? (eg., “I don’t’ judge others by how they look, so why do it to myself”;“Just because I am shy, doesn’t mean I am a freak, it is just who I am, everyone is different
in that way”)
Is it fair to compare myself to others, and base my self-esteem on whether I am better
than they are? (eg., “Just because someone is better than me at this doesn’t make them abetter person. There will always be people I am better than at certain things and others
who are better than me at certain things”)
What are other reasons for the way people treat or have treated me, other than personal
shortcomings? (eg., “The way they treated me was probably due to the type of person
they are and problems they have, rather than who I am”)
Can I be 100% responsible for other people’s behaviour? (eg., “As much as I try to do mybest, I don’t have absolute control over my child’s behaviour. There are other factors
involved, it is not all my fault”)

Once you have identified some other ways of understanding the evidence for your old negative core belief,
list these new perspectives in the column marked “Alternatives Ways of Looking at the Evidence” on theworksheet. Now that you have completed this section of the worksheet, what did you make of what you
had written? Hopefully this exercise will show you that the evidence you base the old negative view ofyourself on is not totally accurate and probably unfair in many ways. Did you find this difficult to do? It canbe in the beginning, because you have always accepted your negative core beliefs and the evidence forthem. However, with practice, and putting on a different perspective (like putting on a different pair ofspectacles), you’ll soon find that you can do this exercise with ease.
4.

Supporting New Beliefs

You have spent time gaining a new perspective on the evidence you have used in the past
to support your old negative view of yourself. Now let’s turn to supporting the newbalanced view of yourself that you have developed. To support your new core beliefs, totake them on board, let them sink in, and make them believable, you need to do two things.
Firstly, you need to gather evidence that is consistent with this new view of yourself, paying
attention to evidence from the past/present and looking out for appropriate evidence in the
future. Secondly, you need to act on, and experiment with, this new view of yourself. This means that you
need to test it out, try it on for size, and act in ways that are consistent with the new you.
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Evidence
In previous modules, we have discussed how when you have a core belief about yourself, you will tend to
only pay attention to things that confirm your belief. Therefore, to enhance the new balanced view ofyourself, you will need to start paying attention to evidence from the past and present that confirms thisnew view. You also need to be ready to pay attention to evidence that arises in the future that confirms
this new view. On the ‘Adjusting Negative Core Beliefs’ worksheet, fill in past or present examples orexperiences you have had that are consistent with your new balanced core belief. When doing this, pay
attention to things that have happened that support this kinder view of yourself. Once you have done this,fill in the types of evidence likely to arise in the future, which will confirm your new balanced view. This
will act as a reminder of what to be on the look out for, to help you strengthen this kinder view of yourself.
Experiments
The last part of adjusting your negative core beliefs involves behaving as if the new balanced view ofyourself is true. At the moment it doesn’t sound very good, does it? But of course, it is true! It’s just thatyou might not quite believe it as yet. Do you agree? This is because you have been carrying around thenegative core beliefs for a while. However, you are beginning to loosen their hold on you. Let’s loosen it
further by changing how you behave and live your life! Ask yourself how someone who believed this kinder
view of themselves might act or behave from day to day? How you can test out this new perspective you
have of yourself? What things could you do to obtain more evidence for your new balanced core belief?
What new experiences might further support this new perspective you are developing?
In general, to create new opportunities for more experiences that will support your new core belief will
involve:• Approaching rather than avoiding things• Sticking with challenges rather than escaping• Stopping safety behaviours and approaching things without taking precautions• Treating yourself well
• Doing pleasant things for yourself• Taking note of achievements and positive qualities• Being active and engaged in life
• Being assertive
At a more specific level, think about exactly what you could do to ‘test-drive’ this new view of yourself.
Exactly what new behaviours will you need to try out? How will you be behaving differently to before?
Once you have some specific ideas about how to experiment with this new core belief, write these down in
the “New Behaviour/Experiments” section of the ‘Adjusting Negative Core Beliefs’ worksheet.
5.

Evaluating Your Beliefs

Now that you have been through the step-by-step process for adjusting your negative core beliefs, it isimportant to reflect on what impact this process has had on you. You can do this by re-rating how muchyou now believe your old negative core belief and compare it to how much you now believe your new
balanced core belief. Complete these ratings at the bottom of the worksheet.

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An Ongoing Process
It is important to remember that changing your core belief about yourself is a difficult task that might takesome time and practice. It will involve revisiting the steps in this module a number of times, reflecting on
what you have written, and perhaps adding more things. It will involve continually re-training yourattention in everyday life so that you take note of all the future evidence that will arise to further support
your new belief. It will involve behaving differently and using experiments to help accumulate moreexperiences and evidence for you new belief. It is an ongoing process. Remember, you have carried thisold belief around for many years, so it will take some time to adjust it and embrace your new belief.
However, you will find that if you continue to apply these strategies over time, your conviction in your old
negative core beliefs will decrease and your conviction in your new balanced core beliefs will rise.

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Adjusting Negative Core Beliefs(example)

Old Negative Core Belief I would like to Adjust
I am incompetent

Emotions

Rate how much I believe it (0-100%):
Now: 50%

When it is most convincing: 95%

When it is least convincing: 80%

Depressed,
Sad, Hopeless

New Balanced Core Belief I would like to Adopt
I have some weaknesses like anyone does but I am good at many things

Emotions

Rate how much I believe it (0-100%):
Now: 30%

When it is most convincing: 60%
Evidence For

When it is least convincing: 5%

Ok, Calm,
Accepting

Old Negative Core Belief
Alternative Ways of Looking at the Evidence

I am anxious all the time.
There are other people better than me.
Everyone knows what they are doing.
I have made mistakes and gotten things wrong.
Bosses have told me I am no good.
I have to ask people for help at times.
I find things hard.
Things don’t come naturally to me.

Feeling unconfident is a symptom of anxiety - itdoesn’t mean I can’t do things well.
There will always be some people who are better
than me. Lots of those people have moreexperience than me. It doesn’t make me
incompetent. I can always improve further.
I don’t know for sure that everyone knows what
they are doing - it just appears that way. They
may be feeling the same way I do on the inside.
Everyone makes mistakes. It is not fair to usethat as a reason to keep beating myself up andtelling myself I’m incompetent.
The two bosses who criticised me did it toeveryone, not just me, so it probably doesn’t
accurately reflect my level of competence.
Finding things a challenge doesn’t mean I am
incompetent – I just need to work at what I do.

New Balanced Core Belief
Evidence For New Balanced Core Belief
Evidence For New Balanced Core Belief(from the past/present)(what to look out for in the future)
I complete most of my projects on time.
I complete all of the duties expected of me as aworker, parent, partner, daughter, etc.
I juggle work and home commitments well.
I am able to do things that others can’t do.
I have had positive feedback about my work.
People acknowledge I do a good job.

Meeting deadlines.
Completing tasks at work and home.
Fulfilling commitments I have made.
Handling difficult challenges.
Positive feedback from others.
Signs others value my work or abilities.

New Behaviour/Experiments (things I can do to support or gain more evidence for my New Balanced Core
Belief):Less preparation for presentations and meetings. Stop checking work so much (just proof once).
Leave small mistakes and note reactions from others. Try not to do everything perfectly at workand home, aim for 80% or “good enough” with some tasks. Approach challenging work
opportunities. Ask for help with something at least once a week. Admit to not knowing something
regularly. Express my opinion even when I am not 100% sure of the correct answer. Spend time
weekly doing pleasant activities just for myself. Treat myself kindly, rather than filling my weekwith striving to achieve.

Rate how much I believe the following now (0-100%)
Old Negative Core Belief: 30%
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Adjusting Negative Core Beliefs
Old Negative Core Belief I would like to Adjust
Emotions

Rate how much I believe it (0-100%):
Now:

When it is most convincing:

When it is least convincing:

New Balanced Core Belief I would like to Adopt

Emotions

Rate how much I believe it (0-100%):
Now:

When it is most convincing:
Evidence For

When it is least convincing:
Old Negative Core Belief
Alternative Ways of Looking at the Evidence

New Balanced Core Belief
Evidence For New Balanced Core Belief
Evidence For New Balanced Core Belief(from the past/present)(what to look out for in the future)

New Behaviour/Experiments (things I can do to support or gain more evidence for my New Balanced Core Belief):

Rate how much I believe the following now (0-100%)
Old Negative Core Belief:forCentrelinical
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New Balanced Core Belief:

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Module Summary•

A negative core belief is a broad, negative, and generalised judgement you have made about yourself,
based on some previous negative experiences•

Activities you have done in previous modules will give you information and clues for identifying yournegative core belief•

You may have more than one negative core belief, but it is best to choose the most problematic belief
first, and work on them one at a time•

To identify your negative core belief, reflect on the following and ask yourself what these things mean
about you as a person?






•

Negative life experiences you have already identified
Biased expectations you have noted
Negative self-evaluations you have become aware of
Difficulties you had promoting balanced self-evaluations
What you fear will be the outcome if you don’t fulfil your old rules

To adjust your negative core belief you need to:






Develop a new understanding of the evidence on which you based your old beliefs
Develop a new balanced core belief
Identify evidence from the past and present that support this new belief
Identify what evidence you need to look out for in future to support this new belief
Behave and experiment in ways that confirm your new core belief

Coming up next …
In the next module, you will beable to explore what healthy selfesteem is and put all the concepts
in this infopax together.

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About This Module
CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Louella Lim (DPsych1)
Centre for Clinical Interventions
Dr. Lisa Saulsman (MPsych2, PhD3)
Centre for Clinical Interventions
1

Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

2

Paula Nathan (MPsych2)
Director, Centre for Clinical Interventions
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Psychiatry and Clinical
Neuroscience, The University of Western Australia

Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)3

Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology)

BACKGROUND

The concepts and strategies in the modules have been developed from evidence based psychologicalpractice, primarily Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of psychotherapy that is based on
the theory that unhelpful negative emotions and behaviours are strongly influenced by problematic
cognitions (thoughts). This can be found in the following:
Beck, A.T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B.F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive Therapy of Depression. New York:
Guildford.
Clark, D. M. (1986). A cognitive approach to panic. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 461-470.
Clark, D. M. & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. Heimberg, M. Liebowitz, D.A.
Hope and F.R. Schneier (Eds), Social Phobia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Treatment. New York:
Guidlford.
REFERENCES

These are some of the professional references used to create the modules in this information package.
Fennell, M. (1998). Low Self-Esteem. In N. Tarrier, A. Wells and G. Haddock (Eds), Treating Complex Cases:
The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Approach. London: John Wiley & Sons.
Fennell, M. (2001). Overcoming Low Self-Esteem. New York: New York University Press.
Fennell , M. & Jenkins, H. (2004). Low Self-Esteem. In J. Bennett-Levy, G. Butler, M.Fennell et al (Eds),
Oxford Guide to Behavioural Experiments in Cognitive Therapy. Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Burns, D. (1993). Ten Days to Self-Esteem. New York: Quill William Morrow.
Dryden, W. (2003). Managing Low Self-Esteem. London: Whurr Publishers.
Field, L. (1995). The Self-Esteem Workbook. An Interactive Approach to Changing Your Life. Brisbane: Element
Books Limited.
McKay, M. & Fanning, P. (1987). Self-Esteem. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.
“IMPROVING SELF-ESTEEM”

This module forms part of:Lim, L., Saulsman, L., & Nathan, P. (2005). Improving Self-Esteem. Perth, Western Australia: Centre forClinical Interventions.
ISBN: 0-9757995-0-9

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Created: July 2005

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