Self-esteem is our basic sense of self-worth , value, opinions, and beliefs about ourselves. A diminished or unhealthy sense of self-worth can make a profound impact on how we feel and function, affecting most areas of life including work, relationships, and identity.
Self-Esteem
Common signs of low self-esteem include:
- Thinking others are better than you
- Focusing on the negatives and ignoring achievements
- Being self-critical,
- Blaming yourself for things
- Feeling frequent self-doubt
- Self-critical social
- Anxiety, isolation, and loneliness
Low self-esteem can lead to other problems for example:
- Personal Relationship problems- a person may tolerate emotional or physical abuse because they may feel they deserve it or not worthy
- Reluctance to take risks – the person dismisses abilities and avoid challenging situation‘s
- Fear of judgment – they go out of their way to avoid social situations for the fear of underperforming or being negatively judged
- Low resilience – they find it difficult to cope because of the low self-belief
- Lack of self-care – the person may believe that they are not attractive or worth the effort and neglect themselves. Failing to exercise or groom themselves, unhealthy diet, and severe cases abusing alcohol and turning to drugs
Self-esteem can be improved and it’s important to consult with an appropriate therapist to avoid further associated mental health issues from developing as a result of low self-esteem.