I feel that there’s always a sort of stigma against books like these. “Oh, it’s just what’s been said in another book..with more words and then some.” Kind of thing, you know? But I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. I highlighted so many parts of this book and my favorite was the chapter about learning to love yourself unconditionally. Sometimes, reading these words can really make a difference for people and that’s completely okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, I really appreciate being accepted for this one. I can’t wait to request for more books like this.

The Self-Esteem Class by psychiatrist Dr Yoon Hong Gyan is a stand out book for anyone seeking to really understand self-esteem, this is the master class in this subject.

I have read other books on self-esteem over the years and was appreciative of the way in which Dr Gyan approaches this subject. I found it so much deeper and authentic than the myriad of pop psych books that have been written on self-esteem.

Dr Gyun presents the three pillars of self-esteem, being competence, autonomy and security.
Whilst not an emotion self-esteem is the basis on which we evaluate ourselves and is affected by everything - our behaviours, our words, our emotions, out actions etc.

Dr Gyun suggests we focus on the process in life to remain connected to the present moment.
What can I do right now, with the situation I am facing? Making a decision will help build trust in oneself, but don’t wait too long as even a right decision will lose its value if it takes forever to make the decision.

Dr Gyun them pulls apart the crucial emotions that affect our self-esteem so that we can become aware of their impact and the stories they tell us. Emotions he says, are “the outfit of the mind”. I loved this analogy and others used throughout the book.

He examines what he calls hot and Cold emotions such as self-loathing, guilt, self-pity , neglect, cynicism and disappointment.
How, for example is cynicism different from apathy? Or self-loathing different from anger?

The key to managing emotions, he states, is in knowing how to mix them appropriately. He then outlines the habits to break recovery of self-esteem such as for example catastrophising; being the catalyst for despair and the habit of lethargy.

I appreciate that a psychiatrist has take the time to write this book. It is written in a relatively, easy to understand manner and I love the analogies he used throughout,

This is a fabulous catalyst to create change within the mind and our behaviours and as Dr Gyun states, any movement in the correct direction is fantastic and beats inaction and indecision on all counts.

Thank you Clarkson Potter / Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book. I highly recommend it.

For many their sense of self-esteem has been battered in our conflict-ridden times. We are divided, angry and on the attack. This book helps the reader reclaim a sense of self and is a strong reminded that who we are starts with how we see ourselves, rather than how others define us.

Reading self-help books is out of my realm of what I would usually read, but I saw the title of this book and knew I had to read it because I suffer from a poor self-esteem.

Before I dive into my review, I want to thank NetGalley, Yoon Hong Gyun and Ten Speed Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This book covers far more than self-esteem. It delves into socializing with others, regulating emotions, habit-breaking, and practices that can boost self-esteem.

Dr. Yoon uses metaphors and real life examples that encourage readers to understand what he is getting at. There were several times where he would talk about a concept, and I thought he was describing me (despite the fact that I've never been in South Korea or shared my recent questions with my own doctor). Additionally, the language used (it is translated from Korean) flows well, and I feel that a lot of the meanings don't get lost in translation.

I enjoyed how the book was set up because it would describe a concept before giving the reader an exercise related to help develop a skill related to recovering the self-esteem. These exercises were simple enough that it would take five minutes of your day to complete each one. But the goal of the exercises is that they are there to help you grow and recover your self-esteem from potential triggers. Essentially, I viewed them as tools to add to my toolbox of skills to help whenever my self-esteem is low or I need to remember who I am.

My favorite part of the whole book was the part on overcoming criticism. Even though I try to view criticism as constructive, to my brain, it didn't feel like it was there to help me grow. Dr. Yoon says that constructive criticism isn't real and to treat criticism as a virus. It's always going to be there from others, but overall it's just a fleeting emotion from the critic (and they have the potential to change their minds depending on their mood). These criticisms don't reflect the truth about you, so Dr. Yoon suggests to empathize with the critic and simply acknowledge their critique instead of letting it affect you. It is a skill that I am willing to try instead of making it out to be an attack against my character.

Overall, I started keeping a journal to try out the exercises since I find them helpful, so I highly recommend this book to someone who also struggles with managing their self-esteem. It is important to note: simply reading this book will not solve a low self-esteem, you must be willing to put in the work to changing your mindset. Additionally, these exercises aren't here for a one-time-fixes-all, instead try incorporating them into your daily life and you might notice a change.

I found this book to be helpful and the exercises easy to follow, so I'm giving it five out of five stars. If you're someone looking to change your outlook on life, I highly suggest this book.

Some of this book is quite good, with practical and actionable advice. Later chapters, however, felt repetitive (a common problem in self help books). The author writes from a South Korean perspective which translates to an American perspective (my market) well, although there are some interesting differences that left me much more curious about South Korea than I was before.

This is a guide that delves into the foundational role self-esteem plays in our lives. The author offers a step-by-step approach to help readers recover from low self-worth and build lasting confidence. The book emphasizes understanding one's unique value and developing an internal sense of validation, enabling individuals to define confidence and happiness on their own terms. The book is broken up into multiple passages which is useful both for navigating the book quickly, but also to enable the readers to go back and refer to specific sections in times of need. Ultimately, this book is great for self reflection and trying to learn how to appreciate yourself more. Building yourself back up is a lengthy process, and this book seems to be a good reminder along that process.