Just As You Are: A Teen’s Guide to Self-Acceptance and Lasting Self-Esteem

by Michelle Skeen, Kelly Skeen

Stop comparing yourself to others—you’re special just as you are! In this fun, practical guide, you’ll learn how to silence your nit-picky inner critic, cultivate self-compassion, and discover what really matters to you.

If you’re like many teens, you probably feel pressured to live up to the impossible standards set by our culture, the media, and even by your peers. After all, everyone wants perfect hair, a perfect body, cool friends, and good grades. But while it’s okay to strive to be your best, it’s also easy to get caught up in a never-ending comparison game that can feed your inner critic and rob you of your happiness. So, how can you break free from negative self-criticism and learn to appreciate your strengths?

In Just As You Are, psychologist Michelle Skeen and her daughter, Kelly Skeen, offer simple tips to help you overcome feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, stop comparing yourself to others, and be more open and accepting of all aspects of who you are. You’ll also learn how to be more aware of your thoughts and feelings in the moment using powerful mindfulness tools, and build a plan of action for the future based on your values.

Sometimes it’s hard to see yourself with clarity and kindness. With this important guide, you’ll learn to move past your faults, celebrate your true strengths, and discover what really matters in your life. What are you waiting for?

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Self Help, Childrens

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2018

About the author

Michelle Skeen, PsyD, has a doctorate in clinical psychology. She is author of seven books, all designed to enhance relationships by emphasizing the importance of identifying core values and valued intentions, limited thinking, mindfulness, self-compassion, empathy, and effective communication and conflict resolution skills. Her passion is coaching individuals in creating and maintaining healthy relationships by bringing awareness to obstacles (fears and beliefs), which often work unconsciously to limit connections with others. Michelle believes that an early introduction and education in core values and healthy communication are essential life skills for success. To that end, Michelle and her daughter, Kelly, coauthored Communication Skills for Teens and Just As You Are.

Skeen completed her postdoctoral work at the University of California, San Francisco. She codeveloped an empirically validated protocol for the treatment of interpersonal problems that resulted in two books: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Interpersonal Problems and The Interpersonal Problems Workbook. Michelle’s work has appeared in more than thirty publications around the world. She hosts a weekly radio show called Relationships 2.0 with Dr. Michelle Skeen that airs nationally. To find out more, visit her website at www.michelleskeen.com.

Source: https://www.newharbinger.com/author/m...

Reviews

[Natalia Heaney]

Being a teenager these days is both very different to when I was one – and also pretty much the same. Every generation goes through many of the same things, but these days there’s this thing called the internet, and this other thing called social media.

The internet has made some aspects of adolescence easier (try doing research for an assignment back when you had to catch a bus to the library and take photocopies out of books!), but it has also created a pretty hostile environment for a lot of people.

Just As You Are takes present-day obstacles into consideration and speaks directly to teenagers with the message: you’re not alone in this. It also offers activities of sorts for teens to work issues out for themselves.

There’s one page of the book I had a problem with: the example of a girl who regrets shutting down a political argument and not wanting to hear a boy’s opposite point of view.

In this current climate, that’s hugely problematic, because chances are that girl didn’t want to hear the misogyny being spewed by a boy on the Trump side of the spectrum. I see NO problem with what she did!

Otherwise, this is a thoughtful read for young people. I might not be in the target audience, but we’ve all been there at some point in time.


Review copy from NetGalley.

[Alja Katuin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As strange as it may sound.. Even us teens need some tips and pointers on how to get through everything. Sometimes it's not what we want to hear, sometimes we want to try it ourselves and sometimes.. Well.. This book just teaches us 'kids' how we could do better; how we'd be our perfect self and it shows us how things are percieved from an other point of view. I for one, am not really into these kind of books; they tell you what to do and I really don't like that. But I can see this being really helpful for a lot of people!
I kind of felt it was written in a magazine 'Q&A' kind of way.. I'm still not sure what to think of that, it has something.. I'm just not sure if it's a good or a bad thing.

[Elli · Rating 1 out of 5]

well that's an hour of my life I'll never get back.
at least it might boost my netgalley approval rating.

[Ruksana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like the best friend you needed growing up. Telling you all the insecurities that you have inside you really as big as you think they are. It's a book I wish had whilst growing up. Although the insecurities never go away at least you know you're not alone in it and everyone is too busy with their own to notice yours. Recommend this book to young teens.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains some helpful information, but not exactly what I was looking for.

[Renov Rainbow · Rating 4 out of 5]

96-2024
196 hal

Di luar ekspektasi, buku ini ternyata daging banget.
Sempet skeptis karena buku ini ditujukan buat remaja bukan remaja kolot kaya saya, tapi ternyata isinya bisa diterapkan buat segala usia.

Buku ini cocok buat kamu yang ngerasa pengen berubah karena merasa ke trigger dengan sesuatu, baik itu perlakuan seseorang kepada kamu ataupun situasi. Kita juga jadi mengenal value dan menyadari kalau kita harus selalu merevaluasi value yang kita punya, apakah masih relevan dengan kondisi sekarang. Ini penting karena bisa membantu kita mengubah perilaku negatif.

Selain itu, juga ditekankan pentingnya buat mengenali emosi negatif, belajar dengan teknik mindfulness dengan cara memikirkan hal yang membuat kita merasakan emosi negatif atau kondisi yang men trigger kita, melabeli emosi itu, dan mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada emosi itu.

Well, latihan ini emang nggak semudah kedengarannya tapi dengan melepaskan emosi negatif, kita memberikan ruang untuk bisa netral dan menjadi orang yang nggak mudah ke trigger, yang dikit dikit dah emosi. Latihan ini juga bisa kamu gunakan buat kamu yang punya trauma, karena terapis aku juga mengajarkan buat latihan ini.

Di akhir bab, penulis juga memberikan summary apa aja yang penting, yang mungkin missed kita baca atau kita catat.

Notes: kalau baca buku ini, jangan skip latihan yang diberikan karena ini membantu banget buat kita “pulih”

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a guide for teenagers struggling with various feelings or issues surrounding themselves and their self worth and value.



The guide has steps chapter by chapter to improve on negative thoughts about any aspect of themselves at all with ways to improve and begin to change negative behaviour to positive growth and provide them with more strength of character which in turn will help them grow.



This book is a great addition to the market as a guide for people to provide teenagers with and could prove an helpful essential for any young teen suffering with the constant negativity they may be wallowing in day to day.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

[Angelyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

saya membaca buku terjemahan Bahasa Indonesianya yang ada di gramedia digital. Jujur saja saya tidak terlalu yakin dengan konteks dari buku originalnya, tetapi kata-kata di versi terjemahannya sangat bertele-tele dan susah untuk dimengerti. Isi dari buku ini memang ada benarnya dan sesuai dengan judul bukunya tetapi kurang didukung oleh fakta dan tidak ada poin spesifik yang bisa diambil. Intinya ya buku ini memang merupakan buku self-improvement tetapi bukan yang akan saya rekomendasikan ke orang-orang.

[Addie Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this self-help book for your self-worth and self-esteem. It gave a lot of great examples of some struggles that we go through all the time. It was a very positive book and had some great ideas and techniques. The only thing that seemed old were some the people's name's who gave their stories to this book. Some of the names seems a bit fake which lead me to think some of the stories weren't true.
But overall, this book was very helpful and I would recommend it to others.

[Kristina Greco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some helpful information for older teens and teens getting ready for college. Younger teens may have difficulty rationalizing through the exercises on their own, based purely on physiological brain developmental perspective.

[Nabilah S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Isi bukunya lebih ke panduan untuk menghilangkan emosi dan pikiran negatif

[George Meggali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vetted this for a middle schooler in my family, and it’s actually pretty good!

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise, very accessible guide to identifying and managing our maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. Teens and young people will find this very relatable...full of insight, tips and personal experiences. Without becoming trite or preachy, this book offers the readers practical ways to improve their feelings of self worth through exploring their own thought processes and behaviors. As a psychologist, I was impressed with this book. I plan on purchasing a copy for my own family.