Do You Have Low Self-Esteem?

Low self-esteem can be devastating to an individual’s personal, work, and scholastic life. The constant feeling of inadequacy and unworthiness can undermine attempts to succeed at even the smallest things. If you find yourself plagued with such feelings, you may need to ask “Do I have low self-esteem?” Self-esteem is your own view of yourself, your capabilities, and your attributes. It is impossible to succeed in life if you are constantly second guessing and berating yourself over the tiniest detail. Many individuals suffer from low self-esteem, so you are certainly not alone. Some individuals have recently begun to question their self-esteem while others have been doing so their entire lives. Whatever your situation, honestly answering these questions will give you a great deal of insight into how you view yourself.

 

Are you nervous or awkward around other individuals? These people can be coworkers, friends, family members, or even strangers on the street. Do you ever look at anyone and think you are not on the same “level” as they are physically, mentally, or athletically? Do you see yourself as the least important member of your family, group of friends, or office? These persistent feelings can erode your self-esteem. Most likely, you are the only one who thinks these things. Ask your friends, coworkers, and family members about your performance, attitude, and personality. More than likely, you will be pleasantly surprised. Remember to rank your own needs up there with the needs of others. Quite often, individuals with low self-esteem strive to please everyone but themselves in order to make themselves feel more adequate. This act usually backfires since your focus is on those surrounding you instead of yourself. Dig deep and figure out your own needs. Focusing on yourself for a while will allow you to identify to root cause of your self-esteem issues so that you can go about conquering them.

 

Do you worry or obsess about your physical appearance? Are you constantly trying to change your appearance for what you think is the better? These feelings of inadequacy are quite common, especially among children and women. Often, individuals notice certain qualities about themselves as children due to comments by a friend, family member, or school mate. These feelings harbor themselves inside, making them stronger and deeper-rooted. Some individuals obsess about their weight, height, statue, bone structure, facial features, hair, and anything else under the sun. These issues can become the root of serious problems, including eating disorders. Even the most beautiful people in the world have some feelings of inadequacy about their outward appearance. The people society deems beautiful or perfect have secret issues about their own appearance or body, so you are definitely not alone. Instead of constantly worrying about those aspects you deem as negative, focus on the positive. If you find yourself slipping into a dangerous or deadly habit, seek professional help as soon as possible. The world has learned to live with you, now you must make the decision to live with yourself. Once you are comfortable in your own skin, your self-confidence will soar sky-high.

 

Do you publicly berate yourself for fun? Is your idea of a good conversation tearing yourself down at the expense of others? Would you rather talk about your failures and weaknesses over your successes and strengths? This is often the case with individuals with low self-esteem. Instead of accentuating the positive, they verbalize that constantly criticizing voice they hear in their own heads. Whatever the case, if you find yourself to be suffering from low self-esteem, there are ways to rebuild from within. Seek help from friends, family members, colleagues, self-help books, or professionals if necessary. Low self-esteem is a problem that should not be ignored.