What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem put simply, is how we feel about ourselves overall. It takes into account the self-love and positive regard you have for yourself. Hence, if you have healthy self-esteem, you would likely feel positively about yourself and about life itself too. Self-esteem develops over your lifetime, culminating from your various experiences and circumstances that eventually shape how you see yourself. Self-esteem comes from the opinions, value and beliefs you hold about yourself, which can be challenging to change.
What’s the difference between self-esteem and self-confidence?
Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Self-esteem, as described, is how we feel about ourselves, whereas self-confidence refers to how you feel about your abilities, which will vary between scenarios. Although they are different, they are related. To illustrate, if someone’s self-esteem improves, they are more likely to have increased self-confidence. On the other hand, it is also possible to have low self-esteem, but feel very confident about certain abilities you hold.
What is low self-esteem?
Low self-esteem is when, overall, you feel negatively about yourself and life in general.
What causes low self-esteem?
Everyone’s self-esteem is different, and factors that affect self-esteem will also differ too. The following are common factors that can precede low self-esteem:
- Being bullied
- Being abused
- Having mental health problems
- Stress
- Bereavement
- Work problems
- Body image issues
- Money problems
- Physical health issues
- Experiencing prejudice or discrimination
· Relationship problems (e.g. separation and divorce)
Low self-esteem can often begin during childhood where a child receives positive or negative messages from people such as their parents, siblings, teachers, friends, and other sources, such as social media . During childhood, it is often the negative messages that stick, which can be challenging to forget or let go of.
How can low self-esteem affect us?
Having low self-esteem will often make life challenges feel much more difficult to handle, whereas if your self-esteem is healthier, tackling the ups and downs of life can be more manageable. If you have low self-esteem, you might be more likely to avoid difficult situations or tasks. Having low self-esteem can also be harmful to our mental health, with problems such as depression and anxiety being related.
How can self-esteem issues be improved?
Self-esteem can be improved, and a good starting point can be to identify the negative beliefs you hold about yourself (e.g. thinking that you are not smart enough to apply for a new job). Equally, you should also identify things that you feel positively about yourself (e.g. that you are honest and reliable).
Other things that can help to improve self-esteem include:
· Build positive relationships and a support network
- Be kind to yourself
- Recognise your strengths
- Be more assertive
- Look after yourself physically
· Challenge yourself (e.g. don’t let your self-esteem stop you from something you want to achieve)
Bassa autostima
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem put simply, is how we feel about ourselves overall. It takes into account the self-love and positive regard you have for yourself. Hence, if you have healthy self-esteem, you would likely feel positively about yourself and about life itself too. Self-esteem develops over your lifetime, culminating from your various experiences and circumstances that eventually shape how you see yourself. Self-esteem comes from the opinions, value and beliefs you hold about yourself, which can be challenging to change.
What’s the difference between self-esteem and self-confidence?
Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Self-esteem, as described, is how we feel about ourselves, whereas self-confidence refers to how you feel about your abilities, which will vary between scenarios. Although they are different, they are related. To illustrate, if someone’s self-esteem improves, they are more likely to have increased self-confidence. On the other hand, it is also possible to have low self-esteem, but feel very confident about certain abilities you hold.
What is low self-esteem?
Low self-esteem is when, overall, you feel negatively about yourself and life in general.
What causes low self-esteem?
Everyone’s self-esteem is different, and factors that affect self-esteem will also differ too. The following are common factors that can precede low self-esteem:
- Being bullied
- Being abused
- Having mental health problems
- Stress
- Bereavement
- Work problems
- Body image issues
- Money problems
- Physical health issues
- Experiencing prejudice or discrimination
· Relationship problems (e.g. separation and divorce)
Low self-esteem can often begin during childhood where a child receives positive or negative messages from people such as their parents, siblings, teachers, friends, and other sources, such as social media . During childhood, it is often the negative messages that stick, which can be challenging to forget or let go of.
How can low self-esteem affect us?
Having low self-esteem will often make life challenges feel much more difficult to handle, whereas if your self-esteem is healthier, tackling the ups and downs of life can be more manageable. If you have low self-esteem, you might be more likely to avoid difficult situations or tasks. Having low self-esteem can also be harmful to our mental health, with problems such as depression and anxiety being related.
How can self-esteem issues be improved?
Self-esteem can be improved, and a good starting point can be to identify the negative beliefs you hold about yourself (e.g. thinking that you are not smart enough to apply for a new job). Equally, you should also identify things that you feel positively about yourself (e.g. that you are honest and reliable).
Other things that can help to improve self-esteem include:
· Build positive relationships and a support network
- Be kind to yourself
- Recognise your strengths
- Be more assertive
- Look after yourself physically
· Challenge yourself (e.g. don’t let your self-esteem stop you from something you want to achieve)
Building confidence: overcoming low self-esteem in teens
Dr Siyana Shaffi
2024-11-21
Being a teenager is tough – and also, unfortunately, completely unavoidable. During the turbulence of adolescence, teens go through a lot of confusing changes in their bodies and their hormones. This can cause changes in mood, habits, likes, and behaviour. However, your teen isn’t going through it alone; their peers and friends will also be going through this process, affecting their relationships and friendships. All of this can be difficult to adjust to, and their self-esteem may suffer as a result. In this article a leading GP with expertise in mental health shares insight on how to get your teen feeling confident and good about themselves. Mostrare di più
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Leading chartered clinical and occupational psychologist Dr Jeremy Slaughter explains how integrative psychotherapy can help in a variety of areas of personal development. Mostrare di più
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Low self-esteem is the feeling that there is a gap between how we see ourselves and how, or who, we feel we ought to be. Dr Edward Bloomfield explains the importance of overcoming low self-esteem how to do it. Mostrare di più
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Miss Kiki Iordanidou
2024-11-19
Self-esteem is a concept referring to how we perceive and value ourselves. It’s a fundamental aspect of our emotional and psychological well-being, influencing how we think, feel and act in everyday life. Self-esteem can range from high (positive self-view) to low (negative self-view), and it significantly affects multiple areas of life. Mostrare di più
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The Fern Psychology
The Fern Psychology
Harley Street
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The Fern Psychology
Harley Street, W1G Marylebone LondonEsperto in:
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