| A common assumption
is that self esteem and self confidence are the same things.
Self-confident people may also suffer from
low self-esteem, and this can be seen by the vast number of
actors, celebrities and public figures who appear to be overflowing
with self confidence, yet totally lack self esteem when away
from the media or when they’re not performing.
Self esteem is commonly defined as how an
individual “estimates” themselves. Those who find
it hard to answer ‘yes’ to questions such as ‘do
I like myself’ or ‘do I deserve to be happy’
are often suffering from a lack of self esteem.
Most people do experience low self esteem
at some point in their life, if they lose their job for example,
but they also experience high self esteem at other points,
such as when they successfully complete a challenge.
Those who do not bounce back from low levels
of self esteem and constantly think negatively about themselves
may be suffering from chronic low self esteem.
Signs of low self esteem
* Feeling hopeless or depressed
* Feeling bored with life
* Having no motivation
* Thinking there’s nothing to look forward to
* Thinking negatively about yourself
* Feeling tired a lot of the time
* Feeling like a failure
* Wishing your life was better
Cause
There are a number of factors thought to influence
levels of self esteem:
* Our own natural personality can affect
our self esteem, as can the messages we receive from others
around us about how we should act and feel.
* Our family and our early years are strong influences on
how our self esteem developed.
* How an individual develops their self esteem through adolescence
often has an impact on their future levels.
* Altering levels of self esteem has to be actively sought
by the individual themselves and can’t be ‘given’
to them.
Treatment
Taking care of your physical health, reducing
stress levels and exercising can all help towards building
self esteem. Sometimes keeping a diary to explore negative
memories may help you to relate to how these are causing you
distress now. Dance, music, creative writing and painting
are also thought to increase our self esteem, helping us to
find a sense of empowerment.
Counselling and hypnotherapy are useful therapies
for those suffering from low self esteem. Hypnotherapy seeks
to discover the root cause of low self esteem and use the
power of suggestion to create more positive thought patterns.
Reprogramming your beliefs can lead to an increase in self
esteem and help you to overcome negative thinking patterns.
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