What is self-esteem?

Self-esteem is the way we think about ourselves and the value we place on ourselves.  It’s based on our opinions and beliefs about ourselves, which can feel difficult to change.

From our childhood to adult our beliefs are created by our environment and the people we spend most our time with.  If we have a negative experience we can create negative beliefs about ourselves.

What is good Self Esteem?

• Are you able to assess yourself with basic Clarity and honesty?
• Do you feel superior to others?
• Do you feel a sense of entitlement?
• Do you feel inferior to others?

A person who has good self esteem has the right balance of how they see themselves.

People with low self-esteem tend to feel less sure of their abilities and may doubt their decision- making process.

They may not feel motivated to try novel things because they don’t believe they can reach their goals. Those with low self-esteem may have issues with relationships and expressing their needs. They may also experience low levels of confidence and feel unlovable and unworthy

People with overly high self-esteem may overestimate their skills and may feel entitled to succeed, even without the abilities to back up their belief in themselves.

They may struggle with relationships issues and block themselves from self-improvement because they are so fixated on seeing themselves as perfect.

If you experience low self esteem it may show up in a many ways:

• You may believe that others are better than you.
• You may find expressing your needs difficult.
• You may focus on your weaknesses.
• You may frequently experience fear, self-doubt, and worry.
• You may have negative outlook on life and feel a lack of control.
• You may have trouble accepting positive feedback.
• You may have trouble saying no and setting boundaries.
• You may put other peoples needs before your own.
• You may struggle with confidence.

Low self-esteem has the potential to lead to variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety disorder and depressive disorders. Having low self -esteem can seriously impact your quality of life and increase your risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts.

• Do you have Healthy self-esteem
• Are you able to avoid dwelling n past negative experiences ?
• D you believe you are equal to everyone else, no better or no worse?
• Are you able to express your needs?
• Do you feel confident?
• Do you have a positive outlook on life?
• Are you able to say no when you want to?
• Do you see your overall strengths and weaknesses and accept them?

How do you build your Self Esteem?

There are ways that you can address your problems with your perceptions of yourself and have faith in your abilities.

• Become more aware of negative thoughts. Learn to identify the distorted thoughts that are impacting your self-worth.
• Challenge your negative thinking patterns.
• Use positive self-talk
• Practise self-compassion.
• Practice forgiving yourself for past mistakes and over forward by accepting all parts of yourself.

Seek professional support.

Remember that no-one person is less worthy than the next. We are all individual with our own stories.