Finding unsatisfying areas in one’s life and changing them for the better was advice given by an NIU counselor during a lunch time session Wednesday.

Denise Hatter, coordinator of developmental programs at NIU’s Counseling and Student Development Center, guided a discussion on “Self-esteem and Women of Color.”

“Self-esteem is based on how you see yourself and how you evaluate yourself,” Hatter said.

Five female participants were given the chance to express their thoughts on self-esteem and how it affects their lives.

The five participants were given specific suggestions to build their own self-esteem and Hatter gave general suggestions to help others who might be struggling with a low self-esteem.

“Self-esteem is ever-changing,” said Hatter. “You learn how to value or devalue yourself,” she said.

atter described two types of self-esteem. The first, situational, is how a person evaluates their situation in an area of their life. The second is character-based, in which a person evaluates herself.

When asked about the consequences of low self-esteem, participants discussed feeling stressed, not getting ahead in an area of their life and avoiding situations.

“There’s a difference between choosing not to act in a situation and being afraid to,” said Hatter. She said being afraid to act in a situation is an example of low self-esteem.

“People with low self-esteem tend to bind themselves in a situation which reinforces the negative force,” Hatter said.

The lunch-hour session is part of the University Resources for Women brown bag lunch program.