Overcome Discrimination

Discrimination can make you feel small, anxious, sad, or defeated. It’s important to feel empowered and able to make a difference for both yourself and other people. Learn to see yourself in a positive light. Seek support and know who and where you can turn to talk. Finally, find ways to take action on a larger scale to help raise awareness and bring change.

Steps

Embracing Yourself

1. Develop a positive self-image. Experiencing discrimination can make you feel low, unworthy, or less important than those around you. Don’t take these experiences to heart. If you’re struggling to feel positive about yourself, start by making a list of your positive qualities. This can help you see the great things about yourself and remind you of who you are.
   • Your list can include physical traits (such as, “My favorite part of my body is my hair”), characteristics (such as, “I am kind, generous, and compassionate”), and your social qualities (such as, “I enjoy making other people feel good and laugh”).
   • You can also practice ways to raise your self-esteem.
2. Challenge negative thinking. Negative thoughts can perpetuate feelings of anxiety, depression, and thoughts that things are bad and will never improve. Find ways to stay positive about making changes and feeling good about yourself. Create goals instead of dwelling on negatives, and put things in perspective.
   • For example, ask yourself how you’ve grown or matured as a result of your experiences, or if you’re able to relate to people better due to your own experiences. If you’ve experienced discrimination for being a minority, you might relate to other minorities differently.
   • If you feel like things will never change and you’ll always feel hopeless, think back to other difficult times when bad things improved for you.
3. Empower yourself. Part of being empowered is knowing that you can make a difference. Create some goals around issues of discrimination that matter to you. For example, if you want to make a difference on a personal level, respond to discriminatory comments. If you want to make a difference on a larger scale, organize a group to fight discrimination on your college campus. This can help you feel confident in yourself and your abilities by knowing that you’re making an impact.
   • Face your fears and overcome them. For example, stand up for someone and show that you’re on their side or talk about discrimination during class. .

Getting Support

1. Lean on other people. Know who you can go to for support around issues of discrimination. Find a friend who will listen to you and support you in your struggles. You don’t have to spend lots of time talking about discrimination, just knowing a friend is there and willing to listen is often enough.
   • Have people you know you can talk to and be with comfortably.
   • Meet in-person instead of texting or calling on the phone.
2. Seek therapy. If discrimination causes you to feel sad, anxious, invalidated, and affects your self-worth, a therapist can help. Your therapist can validate and support your experiences and feelings. You can learn coping skills to manage the effects of discrimination.
   • Therapy can help you learn assertiveness skills and help to increase feelings of empowerment.
3. Join a support group. A support group is a place you can meet with other people who also share similar struggles. You can safely share your thoughts and experiences in this group without worrying about judgment or ridicule. Most importantly, you will realize that you are not alone in your struggles. If you’re looking to meet like-minded people with similar experiences or desires for change, a support group can be a great place.
   • Give and receive advice, share resources, and talk about how to make changes.
   • Find a support group by calling your local mental health clinic, university counseling center, or by doing an internet search.

Seeking Change

1. Report at school. Schools and universities often have policies against discrimination and bullying. If something happens on your school or university campus, report it. If you’re in primary or secondary school, report the discrimination to a higher authority, such as a dean, principal, or disciplinary office. Educational programs and activities that receive federal funding prohibit discrimination.
   • For example, discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age are prohibited. Report a School for Discriminatory Discipline at http://www.ed.gov/ocr/complaintprocess.html
2. Handle discrimination at work. Laws within many countries prohibit discrimination in the workplace. For example, in the USA, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the laws and regulations. If you experience discrimination, report it to your manager, human resources department, or the regulating governmental authority.
   • Examples of discrimination in the workplace that are prohibited include age, disability, pregnancy, race/color, religion, sex, and national origin.
3. Make a police report. If you want to take legal action, your first step is to file a police report. When submitting a report, make sure it is in writing and not just talked about or discussed. Go to your local police department to file the report. Discuss as much as you can about the incident: when it happened, who perpetrated, what was said or done,and how it was handled. Be clear in expressing what was wrong and how it affected you.
   • Have a clear case and if possible, Prove Discrimination. If there’s any doubt, people may question your allegations, which can make any formal proceedings more difficult.
4. Speak up for yourself and others. If you feel like you’re being discriminated against, speak up. If you know someone else is experiencing discrimination or suspect it happening around you, say something. Let people know that you care and want to help them, and resolve to be a positive force in your community against discrimination.
   • Let people know that you will stand up for them if they’re experiencing discrimination.
5. Join an advocacy group. Advocacy groups exist to help raise awareness, safeguard rights, express concerns, and find solutions. You can propose changes in policy, ask for increased inclusion, and take steps to make all people involved feel comfortable. Find an advocacy group that will help you make a difference. For example, join a women’s center, LGBT safe space, or diversity group and advocate for what’s needed. It can be helpful to meet with other like-minded people who also want to make a difference.
   • Find ways to make a difference in the workplace, school or university, community, or local government. Do an internet search to find an advocacy group near you or join a national group.

Taking Care of Yourself

1. Express your feelings. If you’re struggling with issues around discrimination, don’t hold your feelings in or hope that they will go away. Find a healthy outlet for your emotions so that you feel safe to acknowledge and express your experiences and feelings around them. Try journaling, playing or listening to music, dancing, or painting. Focus on letting your feelings out and not bottling them up.
   • Find activities that help you clear your mind and feel better after you’ve completed them.
2. Deal with stress. Find some healthy outlets for stress, such as relaxation. Practice every day to keep your stress levels low and deal with accumulated stress. Find an activity that feels restful, relaxing, and calming and that you can realistically do every day. You might want to try daily yoga, qi gong, tai chi, and meditation.
   • Practicing relaxation for 30 minutes each day can help keep depression away and can help stabilize your moods.
3. Practice self-care. Even simple tasks like getting enough sleep and eating nutritious meals can ensure that you feel your best and help you feel good emotionally. Fuel your body and help yourself feel good. Do activities that you enjoy and pay attention to how you feel.
   • If you need a pick-me-up, go on a walk or do some exercise. You can also call a friend or listen to music that helps you feel good.

Sources and Citations

See also

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