How can I better focus and become more motivated? How can I build self-esteem?

Hi Kara! Thank you so much for taking the time to ask this important question on the BetterHelp "Ask a Licensed Therapist" forum! It sounds like you have been having some issues with concentration, focus and time management. You mentioned that you are currently working three jobs. I can imagine how challenging it must be for you to manage your time and stay focused with just the three jobs alone!
In addition, you mentioned that you have been learning some new language skills. It is very impressive that you have been able to stay focused enough to learn some new languages. What languages have you been learning? Are you able to incorporate the languages that you have been studying into your work? Based on this information, it appears that you are naturally and intrinsically motivated! That sounds like a wonderful strength of yours! What are some of your other strengths?

Regarding your goal to improve your overall focus and concentration, you mentioned that you would like to build up your self esteem. Self concept is essentially the lens in which you view yourself. Exploring more about factors that motivate you may be helpful in the process of discerning your current level of self esteem. Here are some preliminary questions that you may choose to ask yourself: How have you motivated yourself to achieve your goals in the past? What are some of your talents, skills, hobbies and interests? In what ways would you like to make improvements for your self esteem to rise? How would you rate your overall self confidence?

I would advise utilizing the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale as a means to assess your current level of self esteem. This ten question self report questionnaire can be a helpful tool to utilize over the course of time in order to accurately rate your self esteem. The Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale is a reliable and validated research tool that can be found for free online!

As an art therapist in the making, I always recommend building self esteem through art making. Do you enjoy arts and crafts or drawing activities? Drawing a person is a standardized drawing assessment that you can try as a means to assist you in assessing your self esteem. Another idea is to create simple scribble drawings as a means to note your energy level each day. If you want to try to schedule some time for a creative project, such as making a bird house or a self love themed collage or poster, that is another way you can build self confidence!

I appreciate you taking the time to provide me with more information about your medical condition. How long have you known that issue? Do you notice a trend or a pattern regarding the mood swings that you have been experiencing? Is the fluctuation in your energy level the only challenging aspect? I would be interested in hearing more about this. In the mental health field, it is always important to rule out and consider all medical conditions, as some symptoms can overlap with a mental health diagnosis.

In addition to time management, I wonder what you think about trying to work on energy management. For example, it may be useful for you to keep track of your energy level in relation to your time. One idea is that you could create a mood chart that organizes your mood and energy level and document the tasks that you are able to complete. It is completely up to you but you may want to consider scaling your energy back a bit by working on and completing one task at a time from start to finish. Maybe that way you can focus on the task at hand and be able conserve your energy level.

Perhaps you may benefit from creating a white board or bulletin board in which you can organize your tasks in a visual way. Starting with a simple to do list and check off the tasks which you have completed might be beneficial for you, as well! Do what you can to complete simple tasks at first and then systematically move on to the bigger tasks.

Lastly, I would advise you to practice mindfulness techniques. Have you utilized mindfulness meditation in the past? Mindfulness is akin to self awareness and consciously recognizing the space in which you are in. You may want to practice various sensory grounding exercises before and in between the tasks that you need to complete. An example of this could be noticing five things you see, four things you feel, three things you hear, two things you smell and one thing you taste. It is completely up to you how you choose to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine!

Do you consider yourself to be generally optimistic? If you can, try to remain optimistic. You can utilize positive quotes as a means to incorporate optimism into your daily life. One self affirming quote that might fit your situation is: "I can stay focused on the tasks at hand. Today will be a productive and fulfilling day!" Essentially, optimism can be a vital tool in conquering loss of focus and concentration, sustaining intrinsic motivation, and building self esteem!

Thank you again, Kara, for taking the time to reach out for support on the BetterHelp platform! I truly appreciate you opening up on the forum. I hope that my response is helpful for you and I wish you all the best in your therapeutic journey!