Self-esteem refers to a person’s total perception of their value or worth. It can be viewed as the identity marker that a person assigns to themselves. Self-esteem is crucial in every area of life, including relationships, education, performance, making decisions, and solving problems.
Self-esteem is how you think about yourself; having a positive sense of self-worth is a sign of confidence in your skills and abilities. The four most essential elements of life are food, water, shelter, and air. You require those to survive.
Your health is probably the next item on that list since living becomes difficult when one’s health is poor. Having a high sense of self-worth is one aspect of reasonable health. You can survive without having a high sense of self-worth, but those who do—those who believe in their abilities and worth—tend to be the accomplished ones. A high sense of self-worth enables you to face obstacles more easily.
However, it is a component of a bundle of desirable things in life. It’s not the only thing; food, water, and a safe and healthy place to live are just as important.in this article
What is Self-esteem?
Self-esteem is our sense of worth and self-perception. It is predicated on our perceptions of ourselves, which can be challenging to alter. This could also be viewed as self-confidence.
In other words, self-esteem is your overall feeling about yourself, including your thoughts, values, and interpersonal relationships. It also concerns how you think other people see, handle, and value you. For this reason, people who have been subjected to abuse or who have undergone trauma (especially as children) are more likely to experience low self-esteem both now and in the future.
Your sense of self-worth influences whether you
- Respect and love who you are as a person.
- able to decide and stand up for yourself
- Acknowledge your advantages.
- Feel free to attempt challenging or novel things
- Be kind to yourself.
- Get over your mistakes without placing unjust blame on yourself.
- Give yourself the time you require.
- Have faith that you matter and are sufficient
- Think you’re deserving of happiness
Why Is Having Self-Esteem Is important?
Your sense of self-worth impacts your relationships, emotional health, decision-making process, and general well-being. It also affects motivation because individuals with a healthy, positive self-image know their potential and may be motivated to take on new tasks.
Four essential elements of a strong sense of self-worth are:
- a thorough comprehension of one’s abilities
- the capacity to uphold positive interpersonal relationships as a result of having a positive relationship with oneself
- Appropriate and reasonable personal expectations
- Being aware of one’s needs and having the capacity to communicate them
Individuals with low self-esteem frequently feel less confident in their skills and may question their decision-making ability. They might not be inspired to try new things if they don’t think they can accomplish their objectives. People who lack self-worth may find it difficult to communicate their needs and build relationships. They might also feel unworthy and unlovable and have low confidence.
An excessive sense of self-worth can lead someone to overestimate their abilities and feel entitled to success even without the skills to support their self-belief. Because they are so focused on believing they are flawless, they could have relationship problems and prevent themselves from growing.
How To Improve Self-Esteem In 7 Steps
Recognized and Accept your negative thoughts:
Almost everyone has an “inner critic” to deal with occasionally. If you’ve been dealing with that inner critic lately, research shows that you should accept your thoughts instead of trying to ignore them (because ignoring them can make them stick around), see them for what they are, and then realize that they are messages from that inner critic. It might take some practice, but in the end, it can help you put some distance between your negative thoughts and what is true.
Have a growth mindset:
The psychologist Carol Dweck popularized the idea of a “growth mindset,” which can have life-changing effects on self-confidence. A growth mindset is the idea that you can improve your skills and intelligence by working hard, learning new things, and not giving up. This point of view tells you to take on challenges, see mistakes as chances to learn, and see hard work as the way to mastery.
As you make this way of thinking a part of your daily life, setbacks will no longer stop you. Instead, they make you want to get better and show you have the skills to overcome any problem.
Take care of yourself:
Learn more about yourself. Like what makes you happy and what’s important to you in life. Writing this down in a journal might help. Don’t be afraid to question mean thoughts about yourself. You might be hard on yourself all the time. You might find it helpful to ask yourself, “Would I talk to a friend this way?”
Remind yourself of good things. A few people like to do it in front of a mirror. At first, it might feel weird, but the more you do it, the more you get used to it. Learn how to say “no.” If you’re not used to it, being assertive can be hard. But agreeing to too many things to make other people happy can be hard. Just take a moment to think about how you feel before you say yes to something you don’t want to do.
Don’t compare yourself to other people. One thing that might help is limiting your time on sites like Facebook and Twitter. What other people share about their lives isn’t always the whole story. Take care of yourself. Like cooking your favourite meal or playing a b564 game you like.
Surround yourself with good things:
It would help if you changed your thoughts to gain and keep your self-confidence. You can change how you see yourself by focusing on good things, like self-care and things you’ve done in the past. Putting yourself around positive messages and people who support and encourage you is another important part of this change of perspective.
One example is a coworker who is always willing to give you advice or help you with tough projects. This positive attitude can make you feel like you’re not going through the hard times alone. Having someone in your life who can give you support and remind you of what you’ve already done can be enough to keep you going with confidence.
Make physical activity a priority:
The neurologist and psychiatrist Julia Samton, M.D. says, “Exercise has been shown to improve self-esteem and life satisfaction.” She is also the co-founder of the Midtown Practice, a private mental health practice in New York City. “Working exercise into your daily routine can help you feel mentally and physically strong, giving you a sense of accomplishment and self-worth.”
A small study from 2016 found that physical activity and how fit someone thinks they are have a big effect on self-esteem.
The World Health Organization says that adults between 18 and 65 should try to do 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. For people who don’t have access to a gym, this suggestion can be met by walking for 30 minutes, Monday through Friday.
Practice Self-compassion:
Self-compassion is the gentle art of being kind to yourself with the same patience, understanding, and empathy you show your friends and family.
To start practising self-compassion, you must become aware of this inner dialogue and work to change it. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would give a friend when going through hard times.
Instead of criticizing yourself, you should encourage yourself. Don’t forget that everyone has problems and makes mistakes. Focus on the lessons you can learn and the growth you can achieve instead of dwelling on the bad things.
Set Smart goals:
Think about how good it feels to cross things off your list. Now, make that feeling stronger by setting and reaching small goals related to your bigger goals. Having these smaller goals and achieving them helps you move forward and boosts your confidence.
If you want a friend or coworker to help you stay on track, write down your goals and pick one at a time. Please give yourself a due date and treat it like a project. You’ll feel proud of yourself if you reach one of your goals, boosting your confidence.
There are some easy things you can do to boost your self-esteem and feel better about your abilities. But if you feel anxious or depressed all the time, you might feel better if you see a professional counsellor or make an appointment with your doctor. It would help if you looked into why you don’t feel like yourself, and a professional can give you more tips and ideas to improve your mood so you can move forward in life.
Additional Resources
Books:
Here are some self-esteem books that we think you might like, along with links to where you can learn more about them or buy them:
- The book “The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem” by Nathaniel Branden
- “Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem” by Matthew McKay and Patrick Fanning can be bought on Amazon at this link.
- The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are” from Brené Brown.
Podcast:
Here are some podcasts we think you’ll enjoy, along with links to their websites or other places you can listen to them:
- A book called “The Self-Esteem and Confidence Mindset” by Jonny Pardoe
- The Confidence Podcast” was written by Trish Blackwell.
- The Brendon Show” was written by Brendon Burchard.
- Affirmation Pod” by Josie Ong.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, relationships, decision-making, and general well-being are just areas of life where self-esteem is critical. To raise one’s self-esteem, it’s vital to acknowledge and accept negative thoughts, adopt a growth mindset, take care of oneself, surround oneself with positive influences, exercise, practise self-compassion, and set wise goals. It is possible to overcome low self-esteem and cultivate a positive sense of self-worth, even though it might take some time and patience.
FAQs
Can low self-esteem be fixed?
It is possible to get over low self-esteem. It means figuring out your bad thoughts about yourself and changing them. First, pay attention to the times you’re being too hard on yourself and try to change your thoughts to ones that are kinder and more positive. It can also make you feel better about yourself to set and reach small goals. Key steps also include being around people who will support you and do things that make you happy. Remember that boosting your self-esteem takes time and patience, but it is possible.
What makes someone feel bad about their self-worth?
A lot of the time, our low self-esteem comes from things that happened in the past. It can come from getting bad feedback like being criticized by family, friends, or teachers. It can happen when we don’t live up to our or other people’s expectations, fail, are bullied, or are treated unfairly. These things can make us feel like we’re not good enough, which changes how we see ourselves in a big way. Figuring out these underlying reasons is the first thing that needs to be done to heal and improve self-esteem.
How are self-esteem and confidence different?
Self-esteem is how much we like and respect ourselves, no matter what others think of us or what we’ve done. It’s about feeling like you deserve to be happy. On the other hand, confidence means that we believe we can do things, like speak in public or finish a task. How we feel about ourselves on the inside is called self-esteem. Confidence, on the other hand, is more about how we look and what we can do. Both are important, and they can affect each other.
Matt Santi is an inspiring personal growth and development leader. With over 15 years of experience in business management, HR, and operations, Matt’s career has shaped his passion for guiding individuals on their journey of self-improvement.
As an Eagle Scout, Matt’s dedication to service and community drives his commitment to helping others reach their full potential. He is a self-described personal development enthusiast, always eager to learn and grow from new experiences. Matt’s unique perspective and positive outlook on life influence his approach to writing and coaching others.
Matt’s writing on personal growth and development topics with a straightforward and actionable approach provides readers with practical tools and strategies to help them discover their strengths and abilities. His energy and expertise make him a valuable asset to anyone looking to cultivate a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
