2. Seek and find your own stress level. Never get too tired, too hungry, too worried, too sick. Your reactions will be out of balance.

3. Refuse to be obsessed with time. Give yourself a day of the week when you do not wear a watch, don't watch a clock. Listen to your inner clock.

4. Control rate and volume of change. Remember baby steps before we could walk, running came much later.

5. Set and pursue your own goals. Pace yourself. Make a time line. Write down your goals and how to achieve them. Set some for today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. Don't set everything beyond your reach. Praise yourself for the things you do and have done.

6. Stay flexible. New thoughts may come, new ideas- be open to them.

7. Keep your expectations realistic. If you make a list of all the things you want, you may be too depressed to even get out of bed. If you make such a long list of expectations only a super person can achieve them. Shorten the list. Remember you are human and only one person.

8. Don't take yourself too seriously. Somehow the sun got up without you this morning. Find the time to smile, see the beauty, say I love you, love yourself.

9. Regular and rigorous physical exercise helps. Exercise helps your brain work at capacity.

10. Good nutrition. Feed yourself as if you cared as much as you care for anyone else. Feed yourself as though you were your favorite pet. Plan to eat. Plan to cook. Treat yourself to paper plates and plastic cups for clean up.

11. View change as opportunity for growth and learning. Show yourself and your kids that it is ok to grow up. You do want them to grow up , don't you?

12. Occasionally do nothing and don't feel guilty. When your children rest don't clean the house frantically. They will get up full of energy and your energy level and attitude will be lousy. Trade babysitting with a friend so you can have a few hours to relax.

Below are some of the dimensions of overall wellness. As you build your overall wellness, you enhance your self-esteem and become a more positive person.

Improve your eating habits.

Begin and maintain an adequate and consistent exercise program.

Find "alone time" ( to be used for meditation, prayer, renewal, relaxation ).

Take risks ( physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually ).

Build a solid support group. ( share successes and disappointments with others ).

Avoid toxic people in your life whenever possible.

Involve yourself in re-creation instead of wreck-creation.

Know what you really, really love

Establish/maintain a love relationship.

Learn to manage your time.

Have a counseling outlet.

Be open to change and new experiences.

Have fun in your life.

Enjoy art, music, theater and beauty.

Establish a positive reinforcement system for yourself.

Model your own self-esteem by being self-nurturing, self-expressive and self-accepting. Then, give yourself room to be, and to express all that you are---- strengths, weaknesses, fears and hopes. Who you are teaches more then anything you will ever say.

Gaining self-esteem after all is a way to help you overcome the negative ideas you may have about yourself and to discover your unique potentials.