Here comes a rather long blog entry, but I hope you will take the time to read it. I think you may find this entry interesting.
The term "self-efficacy" is not thrown around much in health & fitness circles. It is typically reserved for the world of mental health/psychology. Once I discovered this component of psychology, however, I realized in hindsight that I achieved most of the self-efficacy I have today as a direct result of my experience with fitness. I also thought about the infinite possibilities of repeating that process with children that suffer from low self-esteem.
For background on this subject matter I am including an excerpt that nicely summarizes the topic. Note that this is just a summary. More complete definition and related information can be obtained from the source website.
Summary
Perceived self-efficacy is concerned with people's beliefs in their capabilities to exercise control over their own functioning and over events that affect their lives. Beliefs in personal efficacy affect life choices, level of motivation, quality of functioning, resilience to adversity and vulnerability to stress and depression. People's beliefs in their efficacy are developed by four main sources of influence. They include mastery experiences, seeing people similar to oneself manage task demands successfully, social persuasion that one has the capabilities to succeed in given activities, and inferences from somatic and emotional states indicative of personal strengths and vulnerabilities. Ordinary realities are strewn with impediments, adversities, setbacks, frustrations and inequities. People must, therefore, have a robust sense of efficacy to sustain the perseverant effort needed to succeed. Succeeding periods of life present new types of competency demands requiring further development of personal efficacy for successful functioning. The nature and scope of perceived self-efficacy undergo changes throughout the course of the lifespan.
Source:
Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998). www.des.emory.edu/mfp/BanEncy
Growing up, I wasn’t part of a "rah-rah" family being raised by "super parents" that seem to be so prevalent in the world today. This is not to criticize my upbringing; it simply was a different time. A time when self-help, self-improvement, coping skills and mental health did not have important emphasis put on them. I can honestly say that I grew up not thinking that the world was my oyster, or that I really could achieve anything I wanted with effort. "Girl power" did not exist… yet.
Stumbling into fitness many years ago, I quickly discovered the challenges associated with it, the graduation from small accomplishments to bigger ones, and ultimately how to parlay that very same process into other areas of my life. What started off as a few reps with the lightest weights, became many more reps with heavier weights. I quickly felt physically and mentally empowered. Next thing I knew, I was teaching the classes. This empowerment manifested itself into a certain mental tenacity and realization that if I just tried hard enough, I really could do anything I put my mind to.
Where am I going with this? Well, without the self-efficacy I have today, for instance, I would have never taken the risk of starting my own business. I owe the very belief that I can take on new challenges with successful outcomes directly to fitness, its repetitive processes, and the many mastery experiences I’ve had with it.
The point I would like to make in this is what an incredible gift this is to give a child or anyone else suffering from low self-esteem. I have worked with many kids professionally, and have cried real tears of joy watching them grow and exceed their own expectations. The incredible thing about doing one-on-one fitness consulting & training with children is that they ONLY compete with themselves. There is no peer pressure, no leering eyes upon them, and no impossible standards to achieve to. They are in the driver seat and decide just how far they want to go. I ask them often to look back and reflect upon where they started and how they’ve grown. So often, they blow the doors off of what I even think is possible for them. The beauty of this is that these kids achieve FOR THEMSELVES. This is key.
As parents, we always tell our children how wonderful they are, but that doesn’t mean they internalize this message and believe it. After all…we are their parents! With self-efficacy attained through exercise, however, they are solely responsible for creating the magic. They earn and internalize the reward. They enjoy and want to repeat the process. It is done by them, for them.
Should you know a person suffering from low self-esteem or depression, please consider encouraging them to start a fitness program. An incredible journey of self-discovery and growth awaits them if they are willing to put forth the effort. Any personal achievements earned are theirs, and can never be taken away from them. The positive belief system they create for themselves makes for happier people and better tomorrows. It changes lives.
