How to Cope Impact of Low Self-Esteem
Self-esteem goes beyond simply loving yourself; it involves believing you deserve love and appreciating your own thoughts, feelings, ideas, interests, and goals. Having self-esteem influences not only how you feel about yourself, but also how you allow others to treat you.
It impacts your drive to pursue your desires in life and your capacity to form healthy, supportive relationships.
Signs of Low Self-Esteem Low self-esteem can influence a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. These signs can vary in intensity, sometimes being very obvious, while at other times they may be subtle.
Individuals with low self-esteem may criticize themselves harshly, while others might overly seek approval from those around them. This sense of unworthiness can significantly harm an individual's life and well-being. Below are some typical signs of low self-esteem.
Lack of Confidence Those with low self-esteem usually lack confidence. Trusting in your abilities helps you believe you can handle different situations.
This self-trust fosters comfort and assurance when facing life's challenges, which is essential for overall happiness. Low self-esteem can lead to a decline in confidence, and poor confidence can also worsen self-esteem.
Finding methods to boost your self-confidence can be helpful. Learning new skills is one way to increase both confidence and self-esteem.
Feeling Powerless Individuals with low self-esteem often feel they have little control over their own lives. This feeling may stem from a belief that they cannot create change for themselves or the environment around them. With an external locus of control, they may think they are unable to solve their problems.
Research shows that having a higher self-esteem can help lighten the negative effects of feeling powerless, which can improve mental health.
Damaging Comparisons Comparing yourself to others can sometimes be uplifting, but it can also harm self-esteem. Those with low self-esteem may frequently compare themselves to people they view as superior, which is known as upward social comparison.
Social media can intensify this issue. Negative comparisons with others on platforms like Facebook and Instagram can lower your self-esteem.
Anxiety and Self-Doubt Even after making a choice, people with low self-esteem often fret over whether they made the right decision. They may doubt their own views and prioritize what others think, leading to much second-guessing. This self-doubt can hinder their ability to make decisions in life.
Negative Self-Talk Low self-esteem leads individuals to focus on their weaknesses instead of their strengths. Rather than using positive self-talk, they often criticize themselves. They hold themselves responsible when things go awry and frequently find something to dislike about themselves, whether concerning their appearance, personality, or skills.
Fear of Failing Due to a lack of confidence in their abilities, people with low self-esteem often doubt their chances of success. Although they fear failing, they may either steer clear of challenges or give up quickly without truly trying.
This fear can manifest in behaviors like avoiding responsibility when things go wrong or looking for ways to conceal feelings of inadequacy. Individuals may make excuses, blame outside factors, or try to downplay their shortcomings.