How to Build Your Self-Esteem and Love Yourself
The problem of low self-esteem is capable of impacting a person’s physical and mental well-being and, in some cases, even disrupting social coexistence. It is related to a lack of confidence in oneself, which can be caused by different types of external factors.
We need to talk about it so that everyone who suffers from low self-esteem can see the problem, accept it, and seek ways to overcome it. To understand more, in this article you will have access to the main information on the subject and, thus, you will be better prepared to identify when something is not going well with yourself or with people close to you.
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is a subjective assessment that a person makes of himself. It is the perception that she has about herself according to her behavior, qualities, skills, and ways of thinking. From this, feelings of self-criticism, narcissism, superiority, or inferiority are generated.
When self-esteem is doing well, it means that the individual is satisfied and confident about their identity and values themselves. On the other hand, if it is low, there are problems with self-acceptance, self-love, and self-confidence.
What are the symptoms of low self-esteem?
Low self-esteem shows signs. It is necessary to know the symptoms to identify when something is not going well, but always remember the importance of consulting a psychologist or psychiatrist for help when necessary.
The main symptoms are:
- Difficulty accepting one’s limitations;
- Lack of self-confidence;
- Fear of facing challenges;
- Mania for putting a defect in everything he does;
- Excessive shyness;
- Perfectionism;
- Not allow yourself to make mistakes;
- Excessive comparison with others;
- Difficulty accepting one’s achievements;
- Feels incapable and insufficient;
- Constant negative mental dialogues;
- Cancel appointments due to insecurity with something, such as appearance;
- Very intense bouts of jealousy in romantic relationships or friendships.
As a consequence, the tendency is for people with low self-esteem to isolate themselves in their comfort zone and create a vicious cycle of giving up in different areas of life.
So you give up applying for a job because you don’t think you’re good enough for the job, or you stop going on a date because you feel ugly. If the condition continues, it is possible to have even more serious issues, such as depression.
How to cultivate self-love and regain self-esteem?
There is no single formula, as each human being faces particular difficulties that need to be dealt with with a certain singularity. Next, check out some interesting strategies to regain self-esteem:
1. Do therapy
The follow-up of a psychologist is very important, as it contributes to the process of self-knowledge, as well as helps the patient to detect triggers and patterns in their ways of thinking and acting.
Psychotherapy is a medium to long-term process, so don’t expect overnight results. It is necessary to have consistency and not give up halfway. It can be painful to face your ghosts, but it’s important to rescue your self-love.
2. Celebrate your achievements
Those who suffer from low self-esteem often find it difficult to celebrate their achievements. To change that, how about starting to cultivate an achievement journal, in which you list every day or every week reasons for pride and celebration.
Don’t just get attached to the big things and allow yourself to celebrate small everyday achievements. This exercise is also very interesting to remember your qualities and skills.
3. Avoid comparisons
Always remember that everyone has a life context and a journey. It’s no use comparing yourself because you don’t know what people went through or are going through in their lives.
The current world has too many triggers that lead us to comparison, especially through social media. So, if you consider it necessary, set a daily time limit to browse Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
4. Don’t make generalizations
It is also very common for those who have self-esteem problems to believe that just because they made a mistake in the past, they will always make it.
You need to work on the idea that we are constantly evolving and that regret from years ago does not reflect who you are today. Accept mistakes, learn from them and move on.
5. Focus on the present
How easy it is to fall into the trap of focusing only on the past or the future and forgetting about the present. Living in the now is essential to not having serious self-esteem problems that can be caused by something that happened years ago or by the eagerness for what is yet to come.
Takeaway
Now that you have understood how low self-esteem manifests itself and some of its causes, you already have a lot of information at hand to detect when something is not going well with you or someone close to you.
Remember that negative and inferior thoughts are unhealthy and impact your mental health. Seek psychological support whenever you feel the need!
