Self-esteem can greatly affect our mental wellbeing and quality of life. Some of these effects can be our mood, relationship problems, low resilience, perfectionism tendency, fear of trying and judgments. Low self-esteem can be a significant risk factor for other mental health issues, thus, it is important for us to be aware and recognise some of the characteristics.
Signs of Low Self-Esteem
- Extremely critical of themselves
- Perceives themselves to be inferior to the people around them
- Engages in negative self-talk
- Often blames themselves when things go wrong, instead of considering other uncontrollable factors
- Downplays or ignores their positive qualities while attributing their achievements to luck
- Doubts when complimented
Coping with Self-Esteem Issues
There are various ways to build your self-esteem. In general, they require attention and daily practice. Some of those are related to general wellbeing, for instance, scheduling enjoyable activities regularly and surrounding yourself with people you enjoy being around. Others are more specific, for example, recognising the negative self-talk and challenging that criticism with objective evidence. This is a technique commonly used in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, a therapeutic approach that is effective for working on low-esteem. As there are multiple approaches to this, feel free to seek professional help to figure out what might work best for you.
