Low Self Esteem
Self-esteem is the way we think about ourselves and the value we place on ourselves.
We all criticise ourselves from time to time, but if you often think badly about yourself or judge yourself negatively, you may have low self-esteem. You may not know the cause of your low self-esteem, but there are steps you can take to improve it.
Self-esteem is different to self-confidence. Confidence relates to a person’s ability in a particular area of their life. A person can be very confident about their particular abilities, but still have low self-esteem. Achieving confidence in a particular area of life won’t necessarily improve self-esteem.
Signs of low self-esteem include:
- Saying negative things and being critical about yourself
- Joking about yourself in a negative way
- Focusing on your negatives and ignoring your achievements
- Blaming yourself when things go wrong
- Thinking other people are better than you
- Thinking you don’t deserve to have fun
- Not accepting compliments
- Avoiding challenges for fear of failing
- Being overly upset by disapproval or criticism
- Feeling sad, depressed, anxious, ashamed, angry or worthless
Low self-esteem may stem from experiences in early childhood. If you didn’t fit in at school, had difficulty meeting your parents’ expectations or were neglected or abused, this can lead a person to have negative core beliefs about themselves. These are ingrained beliefs a person has about themselves.
Stressful life events, such as an unhappy relationship, a bereavement or serious illness, may also cause low self-esteem.
Letting go of the ingrained feelings and behaviours associated with low self-esteem is not an easy task. At Sehat Psychology we can help you to identify negative feelings and understand how they have developed. We can help you to establish a positive view of yourself and confidence in your capabilities, enabling you to move towards a happier, more fulfilling life.
Please contact Sehat Psychology on (08) 7079 9529 or via our Online Contact Form to take the first steps to overcoming your self-esteem issues.