What Is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem is made up of the thoughts,
feelings, and opinions we have about ourselves. That means self-esteem isn't
fixed. It can change, depending on the way we think. Over time, habits of
negative thinking about ourselves can lower self-esteem.
Sometimes, people don't even realize
that they're thinking so negatively about themselves. But once you're aware of
it, and know that the way you think is up to you, you can begin to change the
way you think. And changing the way you think about yourself changes the way
you feel about yourself.
Why is Self-Esteem
Important?
Your
self-esteem, or how you value yourself as a person, affects your mind, body and
relationships. Although you might not be aware of it, your self-esteem
influences your life every day—the choices you make, the way you feel in new
situations, and how you appear to other people. Positive self-esteem is both a
cause and a result of healthy living. Just as you can learn to change unhealthy
habits, you can take steps to improve your self-esteem.
From a wellness perspective,
positive or healthy self-esteem is desirable. If you generally feel good about
yourself, your moods will be balanced, your energy will tend to be positive,
you will be open to communicating with others and empowered to take on
challenges.
If you have healthy self-esteem, you will be less likely to blame other people for your mistakes or misfortunes. You will be able to accept criticism—and therefore more likely to learn new skills. Generally speaking, if your self-esteem is healthy, you will be most comfortable and secure forming honest relationships. You will be able to deal competently with stressful situations. You will tend to make healthy choices, and to appreciate the things that are good about your life.
If you have healthy self-esteem, you will be less likely to blame other people for your mistakes or misfortunes. You will be able to accept criticism—and therefore more likely to learn new skills. Generally speaking, if your self-esteem is healthy, you will be most comfortable and secure forming honest relationships. You will be able to deal competently with stressful situations. You will tend to make healthy choices, and to appreciate the things that are good about your life.
Self-esteem is a way of thinking,
opinion and feeling about yourself.
Peoples with self-esteem:
·
feel good about themselves
·
feel proud of what they can do
·
believe in themselves, even when they don't succeed at first
·
see their own good qualities, such as being kind or capable
·
feel liked, loved, and respected
·
accept themselves, even when they make mistakes
Low self-esteem is another
way of thinking and feeling about yourself.
Peoples with low self-esteem:
·
don't feel good about themselves
·
don't think they are as good as others
·
think mostly bad things about themselves
·
think of the times they fail, rather than the times they do well
·
are hard on themselves and give up easily
·
don't feel liked, accepted, or respected
Self-Esteem Affects Almost Everything You Do
Your esteem is important because it has an impact on
your life and choices. Your self-value is the source of your mental health.
Self esteem is the idea that you have about yourself. It is how valuable and
important you think you are. How you respect yourself as a person. Self esteem
is important because:
1.
You believe
you are worthy of happiness, you feel worthy of respect.
2.
Is the
first step in believing in you, it builds self confidence. If you do not
respect yourself do you think that others will?.
3.
Your self
esteem has a profound effect on your thinking, emotions, happiness, desires,
values, and goals.
4.
You can
still feel respect and be proud even if you make a mistake.
5.
You never
compare to others and your Self confidence is strong.
6.
You have a
sense of control and direction and approach problems with a different
perspective. Allows you to make correct choices and take action and be proud.
7.
Allows to
act independently and to assume responsibility for your actions, goals and
desires.
8.
You can
take new challenges easily and handle criticism.
9.
You
consider yourself a valuable person and you live for a reason.
10.
Gives the
clarity to recognize your qualities. Strong faith in yourself and know that you
are lovable and capable.
11.
It is an integral
part of personal happiness, fulfilling relationships and achievement of your
desires.
12.
Allow you
to be in control of your own live and able to do what you want is the source of
your mental health that is why self esteem is so important.
Here
are others three things to remember about self-esteem:
1.
Having
self-esteem helps you. Self-esteem helps you have the courage to try new
things, like making new friends. With self-esteem, you believe in yourself. You
know that good things can happen when you try your best.
2.
Having
low self-esteem can hurt you. Low self-esteem makes kids feel unsure of
themselves. They doubt they can do things as well as others. They lack the
confidence to go after their goals.
3.
You
can grow your self-esteem. Self-esteem can begin with things parents
say when a kid is very young. For example, a parent might tell a baby,
"Look what you can do — you're walking all by yourself!" Hearing and
thinking good things makes the baby feel proud and feel good. As you get older,
you can keep self-esteem going by noticing when you've learned to do something
or achieve something new. Riding a bike, learning to play a song, or doing a
math problem are all things to notice in a happy way. You don't have to brag
out loud, but you can give yourself a quiet little high-five. Yay, you!
You
also can take note when things don't go your way. Everybody makes mistakes. If
you miss the soccer goal or lose a library book, try not to get to mad at
yourself. Instead, try again. That's self-esteem in action.
Watch and learn from our GTO Tasks videos
How to Boost Your Self-Esteem
So if you want to feel
better about yourself, try some of these things:
1)
Manage your inner critic. Notice the critical things you say to
yourself. Would you talk to a best friend like that? A harsh inner voice just
tears us down. If you're in the habit of thinking self-critically, re-train
yourself by rewording these negative unkind thoughts into more helpful
feedback.
2)
Focus on what goes well for you. Are you so used to focusing on your
problems that they're all you see? Next time you catch yourself dwelling on
problems or complaints about yourself or your day, find something positive to
counter it. Each day, write down three good things about yourself, and/or three
things that went well that day because of your action or effort.
3)
Aim for effort rather than
perfection. Some
people get held back by their own pressure to be perfect. They lose out because
they don't try. If you think, "I won't audition for the play because I
probably won't get the lead," it's guaranteed that role will go to someone
else.
4)
View mistakes as learning
opportunities.
Accept that you will make mistakes. Everyone does. They're part of learning.
Instead of thinking, "I always mess up" remind yourself that it's not
about always, just this specific situation. What can you do differently next
time?
5)
Edit thoughts that get you
feeling inferior.
Do you often compare yourself with others and come up feeling less accomplished
or less talented? Notice what you're thinking. Something like: "She's so
much better than I am. I'm no good at basketball. I should just stop
playing" leads to feeling inferior, not to feeling good about yourself.
6)
Remind yourself that everyone
excels at different things.
Focus on what you do well, and cheer on others for their success. Thinking more
like this: "She's a great basketball player — but the truth is, I'm a
better musician than athlete. Still, I'll keep playing because I enjoy
it." helps you accept yourself and make the best of the situation.
7)
Try new things, and give yourself
credit.
Experiment with different activities to help you get in touch with your
talents. Then take pride in your new skills. Think about the good results. For
example: I signed up for track and found out I'm pretty fast! These positive
thoughts become good opinions of yourself, and add up to self-esteem.
8)
Recognize what you can change and
what you can't.
If you realize that you're unhappy with something about yourself that you can
change (like getting to a healthy weight), start today. If it's something you
can't change (like your height), work on accepting it. Obsessing about our
"flaws" can really skew your opinion of yourself and bring down your
self-esteem. Most of the time, other people don't even notice these things!
9)
Set goals. Think about what you'd like to
accomplish. Then make a plan for how to do it. Stick with your plan, and keep
track of your progress. Train your inner voice to remind you of what you are
accomplishing. For example: "I've been following my plan to exercise every
day for 45 minutes. I feel good that I've kept my promise to myself. I know I
can keep it up."
10)
Take pride in your opinions and
ideas. Don't be
afraid to voice them. If someone disagrees, it's not a reflection on your worth
or your intelligence. That person just sees things differently from you.
11)
Accept compliments. When self-esteem is low, it's easy to
overlook the good things people say about us. We don't believe it when someone
says a nice thing. Instead, we think, "...yeah, but I'm not all that
great..." and we brush off the compliment. Instead, let yourself absorb a
compliment, appreciate it, and take it seriously. Give sincere compliments,
too.
12)
Make a contribution. Tutor a classmate who's having
trouble, help clean up your neighborhood, participate in a walkathon for a good
cause, or volunteer your time in some other way. When you
can see that what you do makes a difference, it builds your positive opinion of
yourself, and makes you feel good. That's self-esteem.
13)
Exercise! Being active and fit helps you feel good about yourself. You'll relieve stress,
and be healthier, too!
14)
Relax and have fun. Do you ever think stuff like
"I'd have more friends if I were more attractive"? Thoughts like
these can set you on a path to low self-esteem because they focus on what's not
perfect instead of making the best of what is. Spend time with the people you
care about, do the things you love, and focus on what's good. That helps you
feel good about yourself, just as you are.
In others
words:
1) Make a list of the
stuff you're good at. It can be anything from drawing, singing, or reading to playing
a sport or telling a good joke. If you're having trouble with your list, ask
your mom or dad to help you with it.
2) Practice the things
you do well. Think of ways you can practice some of the things you're good at
every day. Your mom or dad can help you plan a way to keep practicing your
skills and talents.
3) Turn "I
can't" into "I can!" Does the little voice in your head often
tell you "I'm no good at this" or "I can't do it — it's too hard
for me"? That's you thinking negative things about yourself. Decide to
change your mind. Decide to think "I can give it a try," "I can
handle this," "I'll give it my best," or "I'll ask someone
to help me do this."
4) Try your best. You
can feel good about yourself when you give something a good try. Do your best
at whatever you do, and your self-esteem will grow.
5) Spend time with
people who love you. Find time to do enjoyable or relaxing things with your
parent or family. It helps you know you belong.
6) Pitch in. Do nice
things for parents, such as helping with meals, cleaning up, or feeding the
pet. Pitching in by doing kind, helpful things helps you feel great about
yourself. It helps you realize that what you do makes a difference.
Peoples with good self-esteem are more likely to try again. They
expect to do better next time — and usually they do!
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Regards
Hosla
B.A, M.A - Psychology
Specialist of GTO Outdoor Tasks
(Having 11 Years Of Teaching Experience As A GTO Instructor In Chandigarh)
Mob: 95411 85701, 7015202663,
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