Self-esteem refers to how you feel about yourself (inside and out), encompassing what you think about and value in yourself and how you relate to others.
Self-esteem can also be said to be the degree to which one’s self-concept, qualities, and characteristics are perceived. It is related to how you feel others view, treat, and value you; this is why those in abusive situations or who have experienced trauma are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem.
However, self-esteem is not dependent entirely on a particular thing or set of thoughts instead, a person’s self-esteem is made up of a view of all the things that define a person, including personality, accomplishments, talents, capabilities, background, experiences, relationships, and physical body, as well as how others perceive you.
Type of self esteem
High-Self Esteem
High self-esteem generally means holding yourself in positive regard; this doesn’t imply you love everything about yourself or think you are perfect. High self-esteem can fluctuate depending on the circumstances..
Low Self-Esteem
Those with low self-esteem are likely to take criticism or rejection personally and assume someone else’s problems are about you.
However, low self-esteem is not the same as depression, while the two concepts overlap, low self-esteem is considered a risk factor for depression. Depression is a mental health condition that impacts the mind and body while self-esteem describes the way you think and feel about yourself. Contributing Factors of Low Self-Esteem
Whether your self-esteem is high or low is influenced by the many factors. Some of these factors are in your control while some are not. These factors includes but not limited to the following:
- Lack of supportive upbringing
- Violence
- Racism
- Neglect
- Poverty
- Being bullied etc.
Ways to Improve Self-Esteem
Improving your self-esteem takes practice and intention but is well worth your efforts, as there is a link between high self-esteem and quality of life. The following are some of the ways you can use to improve your self-esteem:
- Give yourself a break
- Accept Compliments
- Love yourself
- Value the person you are
- Seek support
- Having high self-gratitude
Balanced self-esteem plays an important role in life satisfaction. Luckily, wherever you may be on the self-esteem spectrum, you can work on improving your vision, support, compassion, and love of yourself. After all, the relationship you have with yourself may ultimately be the one that matters most. It gives you the resilience, confidence, kindness, motivation, and love that informs the rest of your life and help you be the best person you can be.
