Recognising and tackling SELF-ESTEEM
Low self-esteem is known to be the ‘core’ of psychological problems. Here are ways to identify and tackle this menace.
Low self-esteem and lack of confidence can hold us back from achieving many things. It can also be detrimental to our physical and emotional well-being. The level of our self-esteem has profound consequences on every aspect of our existence – how we operate in our workplace, how we deal with people, how high we are likely to rise and how much we are likely to achieve.
The reasons of low self-esteem often begins during childhood. Even the most confident of adolescents can grow up to experience low self-esteem and start to feel unworthy. Adult life can be tough and it can sometimes feel like the ‘survival of the fittest’ and we’re all, at some point, going to bump into people who will try to belittle us.
Low self-esteem is best described as having a low opinion of oneself (either consciously or subconsciously), and feelings of being ‘worthless’. Yet the subject has not received the kind of attention that it deserves. Unless our self-esteem plummets to the extent that we can no longer handle our lives effectively.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW SELF-ESTEEM:
• General lack of participation
• Negative responses to questions
• Sluggish physical behaviour
• Excessive use of activities for escapism (TV, videos, internet, reading). Be careful of
over-analysing here as this alone is not an indicator
• Aggressive or argumentative behaviour
• Indecisiveness
• Unwillingness to try anything new (anything from new food through to goal setting)
• Inability to say no (need to be liked/loved by others by saying yes)
• Need to prove self-worth and ‘status’ by boasting, making public claims about capabilities
• Low self-esteem has been correlated with low life satisfaction, loneliness, anxiety,
resentment, irritability and depression.
