In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person’s overall subjective sense of personal worth or value. In other words, self-esteem may be defined as how much you appreciate and like yourself regardless of the circumstances.
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Having healthy self-esteem can influence your motivation, your mental well-being, and your overall quality of life. However, having self-esteem that is either too high or too low can be problematic. Better understanding what your unique level of self-esteem is can help you strike a balance that is just right for you.
Self-esteem is a very abstract form of human belief is oneself, but it is pretty crucial in everyone’s life compared to how rarely we focus on this side of ourselves.
- WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT
Self-esteem impacts your decision-making process, your relationships, your emotional health, and your overall well-being. It also influences motivation, as people with a healthy, positive view of themselves understand their potential and may feel inspired to take on new challenges. People with healthy self-esteem:
- Have a firm understanding of their skills
- Are able to maintain healthy relationships with others because they have a healthy relationship with themselves
- Have realistic and appropriate expectations of themselves and their abilities
- Understand their needs and are able to express them
THEY ARE BROADLY CLASSIFIED IN THREE WAYS
- CONFIDENT
Beliving in oneself and constantly not questioning one’s ability to do the things. Taking challenges head on, and not letting other’s opinion cloud our own, is the very key factor which proves our confidence/high self-esteem.
Having healthy self-esteem can help motivate you to reach your goals, because you are able to navigate life knowing that you are capable of accomplishing what you set your mind to. Additionally, when you have healthy self-esteem, you are able to set appropriate boundaries in relationships and maintain a healthy relationship with yourself and others.
- NOT SO CONFIDENT
Low self-esteem may identified in many ways such as,
- You may believe that others are better than you.
- You may focus on your weaknesses.
- You may have a negative outlook on life and feel a lack of control.
- You may have an intense fear of failure.
- You may have trouble accepting positive feedback.
- You may put other people’s needs before your own.
- You may struggle with confidence.
Low self-esteem has the potential to lead to a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. You may also find it difficult to pursue your goals and maintain healthy relationships. Having low self-esteem can seriously impact your quality of life and increases your risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts.
The worst part is you losing all your freedom and succumb to the fear and living inside a cage that you built for yourself. In simple terms making yourself a slave to your demons.
- OVER-CONFIDENT
“EVERYTHING IS GOOD BUT IN LIMITS, UNLIMITED OF ANYTHING NEVER BENEFITS ANYONE.”
Overly high self-esteem is often mislabeled as narcissism, however there are some distinct traits that differentiate these terms. Individuals with narcissistic traits may appear to have high self-esteem, but their self-esteem may be high or low and is unstable, constantly shifting depending on the given situation.
When self-esteem is too high, it can result in relationship problems, difficulty with social situations, and an inability to accept criticism.
Though some of the causes of low self-esteem can’t be changed, such as genetic factors, early childhood experiences, and personality traits, there are steps you can take to feel more secure and valued. Remember that no one person is less worthy than the next. Keeping this in mind may help you maintain a healthy sense of self-esteem.
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