Self-worth may not be what you think it is. As an Aries woman, I always felt that I had self-worth in the bag. However, in the past year, I discovered that this was not exactly the case.

I had confidence and guts, and I did not worry about what other people thought of me. Even during those times when I lacked confidence, I still had the intelligence to understand that whatever I was worried about, probably doesn’t matter that much in the grand scheme of life (I attribute this to maturity, as it wasn’t always this way).

When people spoke about self-worth issues, internally I would think, “Come on, woman, be stronger!” I couldn’t relate to it.

However, my self-worth was completely conditional. This led me to some not-so-great experiences, but they taught me important lessons for which I am grateful. And ultimately I could clearly see that by having high self-worth, you can eat well with ease rather than force, friction and negativity. It’s freeing! Let’s dive deeper.

What Is Self Worth (It’s Not Confidence)

Self-worth is a concept that goes beyond mere confidence or self-esteem. It is the idea that we are inherently valuable and deserving of love, respect and everything we truely desire in life, regardless of our accomplishments or outward appearance. “Inherently” is the part of the definition that I missed when trying to embody self-worth and claim that I had it down-pat.

I’d be willing to bet most millennial women, and likely other generations too, have self-worth issues. This is something in the school of life we just missed out on.

Let’s take it in to your shoes for a moment. Think of something you really desire in life, bonus points if it’s something you would never admit desiring to anyone (including admitting it to your self). If it feels uncomfortable – this is gold, and even more important, so stick with it.

Perhaps you desire a certain job, income level, type of relationship, friendship circle, or achievement. Have you ever compared yourself to others who have those things and thought, “I’m just not that girl” or “That’s achievable for them, but not for someone like me”?

This is low self-worth, a belief that you are inherently unworthy of that thing.

“Yeh but…”

I see what you’re doing! If your immediate reaction is, “Yeah, but it actually is blah blah blah,” this is just your brain finding justifications to keep you stuck in a place of low self-worth. Stagnancy is comfortable for the brain, but growth and change aren’t.

It’s hard, especially because these patterns are so deeply ingrained in your brain that it can be difficult to think of any other way. But if you can rewrite these beliefs, you can get out of your own way and make that thing you desire possible.

Do you see how this is not confidence? It’s a belief and thought pattern one has about themselves.

How Does Self Worth Impact Eating Habits

To begin with, we tend to select things we believe we deserve and attract things we consider worthy of. If you don’t feel worthy of health, happiness, and good food, you’re unlikely to naturally choose those things.

If you think that healthy, nutritious food is only for celebrities and “others,” you won’t eat healthily.

If you believe that preparing a delicious breakfast, shopping at a health food store, or ordering a green juice is just for “others” and not for you, then you won’t do those things.

On the other hand, if you feel worthy of true nourishment:

• You don’t mindless snack
• You say no with confidence to things you know deep down you don’t want
• You seek learning about how to become your best self
• You actually make changes from that learning
• You go about your life feeling self assured
• You make food choices with clarity and confidence
• You don’t question your choices
• You don’t judge others for their choices

Above all, you can eat well with ease. You don’t have to force it, feel bad about it, or let anyone tear you down. At the same time, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone.

This is not how most people live their lives, but if you can reach this place, you will feel on top of the world.

How To Raise Your Self Worth (And Thus Your Eating Habits)

First, it is important to rewrite those limiting beliefs. This is easier said than done, and can take some time, but it is worth it.

Identify limiting beliefs

Somewhere along your life, if you have low self-worth, something (or multiple things) in your childhood happened that you interpreted as “you are not worthy of what you desire”. There are many ways to work through this and the first step is identifying the feelings in the first place, and where they hold you back in your current life.

Inner child healing

Then you can do inner child healing to change this narrative in your subconscious. This can be done in many ways, and the best way for you will really depend on many things – there is no one size fits all. Therapy may be the option for you or hypnosis for some. For me, The Pathway method by To Be Magnetic really is my gold standard. I am not affiliated with them and I’m a paying customer – but honestly, this has changed my life and has been the only thing that has taught me how to rewire my brain pathways and get over limiting beliefs from childhood.

Change the way you talk to yourself

If you are not ready to go deep in your journey, there are some lighter steps you can take to start increasing your self-worth. I really do think that recognising and identifying these thought patterns is a significant step towards raising your self-worth and improving your eating habits.

Start by changing the way you talk to and about yourself. Simply changing the negative “stories” we tell ourselves can make a huge difference. Instead of saying things like “I can’t do this,” “I’m not good enough for that,” or “I’m not pretty/rich/smart enough,” use affirming language! For example, “I am worthy of eating well,” “I feel my best when I eat well,” or “I naturally choose good food.” Write down these affirmations and say them out loud!

Decide things about yourself

Decide things about yourself. Just… Decide them! For example, “I don’t snack after dinner.” Something as simple as this can make a huge difference over time and become a part of who you are. This is what leads to eating well with ease, instead of forcing it with negativity and self-hatred.

Acknowledging Privilege

A quick side note. I cannot write this without acknowledging how privilege plays a part in getting to where you desire, and that not everyone is starting from an equal place. Access to healthy food options, time and resources to prepare meals, and cultural norms around food can all play a role in our eating habits.

Unfortunately, there is no easy solution for this, but my hope is that by writing this, I can expand your mind about what is possible. No matter where you are in life, raising your self-worth, among other things, will always expand opportunities, even though these may look different for everyone at different times, it’s a start in positive direction.

So…

There is no amount of organic food and special powders that can out-health some of these essential things like basic self worth, which is ironically and unfortunately very complex to solve.

By recognising and rewriting limiting beliefs, changing the way you talk to yourself, and affirming it, you can become the best version of yourself and create lasting positive change.

Remember, you are worthy of everything you desire in life, including good health and a nourishing diet. Repeat this to yourself a million times over!