- Matthew O'Connor
- HCPC Registered
- Coaching Specialist
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Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem leads to a negative perception of oneself and it is manifested through lack of self-confidence or recurrent behaviours such as never expressing one’s opinion, needing constant approval from others or feeling constantly sad.
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is a set of perceptions and feelings about oneself, about our way of being. Although our identity and, consequently, our self-esteem, is not something 100% immovable, neither should it be something fluctuating depending on what we receive from the environment: the opinions of others, small defeats, etc. A strong identity is semi-permeable, it takes information from its environment, evaluates it, filters it and decides what it identifies with. If, on the other hand, you feel that your vision of yourself changes according to how others value you, or falters when you do not meet your demands, you are facing a weakened and more vulnerable self-esteem.
Good self-esteem is essential as it can be the basis for some psychological problems such as anxiety or depression. Having a negative opinion of us can lead to a worsening of a person’s level of well-being.
Symptoms of low self-esteem
- Mistrust of one’s own abilities to manage emotions, to take on challenges, to achieve success or to get by in life and with others.
- Judging oneself very negatively for any small mistakes and difficulty in recovering from failure.
- Insecurity slows down the undertaking of projects, delays them or eternalizes them by finding it difficult to make decisions or even needing to consult everything with others.
- To carry out a continuous comparison with others. Or to have such a high ideal image of how one should be that it is impossible to fulfil it, generating great dissatisfaction and guilt.
- Not being able to assess achievements and only take into account failures.
- To aim at objectives that are lower than what you could achieve if you were to evaluate yourself realistically and positively.
How to improve self-esteem?
Working with a professional seeks to give you back the reins and take control of your self image, which you have been losing through the sum of life experiences and what you have learned through relationships with others since childhood. The key is to learn to see yourself with greater objectivity, putting aside guilt and assuming responsibility, and knowing how to value your achievements and abilities, leaving aside the continuous comparison with others.
Creating a stable, healthy and positive self-esteem and regaining self-confidence has an impact on countless areas of life, producing improvements in relationships with others, in one’s fears, and even in one’s successes.
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is a set of perceptions and feelings about oneself, about our way of being. Although our identity and, consequently, our self-esteem, is not something 100% immovable, neither should it be something fluctuating depending on what we receive from the environment: the opinions of others, small defeats, etc. A strong identity is semi-permeable, it takes information from its environment, evaluates it, filters it and decides what it identifies with. If, on the other hand, you feel that your vision of yourself changes according to how others value you, or falters when you do not meet your demands, you are facing a weakened and more vulnerable self-esteem.
Good self-esteem is essential as it can be the basis for some psychological problems such as anxiety or depression. Having a negative opinion of us can lead to a worsening of a person’s level of well-being.
Symptoms of low self-esteem
- Mistrust of one’s own abilities to manage emotions, to take on challenges, to achieve success or to get by in life and with others.
- Judging oneself very negatively for any small mistakes and difficulty in recovering from failure.
- Insecurity slows down the undertaking of projects, delays them or eternalizes them by finding it difficult to make decisions or even needing to consult everything with others.
- To carry out a continuous comparison with others. Or to have such a high ideal image of how one should be that it is impossible to fulfil it, generating great dissatisfaction and guilt.
- Not being able to assess achievements and only take into account failures.
- To aim at objectives that are lower than what you could achieve if you were to evaluate yourself realistically and positively.
Self-esteem test
Do I value myself enough?
How to improve self-esteem?
Working with a professional seeks to give you back the reins and take control of your self image, which you have been losing through the sum of life experiences and what you have learned through relationships with others since childhood. The key is to learn to see yourself with greater objectivity, putting aside guilt and assuming responsibility, and knowing how to value your achievements and abilities, leaving aside the continuous comparison with others.
Creating a stable, healthy and positive self-esteem and regaining self-confidence has an impact on countless areas of life, producing improvements in relationships with others, in one’s fears, and even in one’s successes.
Self-esteem test
Do I value myself enough?
Some of our specialists
- Rebecca Willis
- BABCP Registered
- Low Self-Esteem Specialist
- Amanda Gardner
- ACAT Registered
- Emotional Intelligence Specialist