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Self esteem is something we feel inside but is influenced by lots of things and lots of people. It is anongoing thing that is built over time.
It's really important you have a healthy self esteem because it affects everything about how you think feel and behave. Self esteem has a big impact on your mental health and your future.
What is self esteem?
Self esteem is about your self worth and how you feel about yourself. If you have low self esteem, it means you are probably low on confidence, more likely to see thingsin a negative light. If your self esteem is high then you're better at self love and more positive about life in general.
What influences self esteem
What influences self esteem?
Your self esteem can be influenced by your beliefs on the type of person you are, what you can do, your strengths, your weaknesses and your expectations of your future.
There may be particular people in your life whose messages about you can also contribute to your self esteem. If these messages come from people you value then you may place more importance on them. Your personality will affect how you interpret these messages, as will life experiences and the society you live in.
Low self esteem and how it affects you
If you have good self esteem, your feeling about yourself will generally be positive. You may have had difficult times in your life but you'll probably be able to cope with them. You won't internalise your thoughts and therefore these difficult times are less likely to have a long-term impact.
If you have low self esteem you might focus on your weaknesses or on mistakes that you have made. It becomes more difficult for you to recognise what you are good at or the positive parts of your personality. You may also blame yourself for any difficulties in life that arise.
It can be really tricky to tell if someone has healthy or low self esteem just from how they act or what they do. Some people may come across as happy and confident but inside think they're not good enough and worry about lots of small details about their day.
Just don’t giveup, keep fightingno matter what Just don’t giveup, keep fightingno matter what
How to improve self esteem
If you think you have low self esteem, here are some tips to help improve how you are feeling:
- Talk to someone: It's important to speak to someone you trust about how you are feeling. Bottling up your feelings can sometimes make things worse.
- Join an activity or society that you like: Sometimes being part of a group can build our sense of self and create a feeling of belonging. Always research the activity and group first, making sure a trusted adult has confirmed that it's safe before you attend.
- Self-appreciation breaks: Set a reminder every day to appreciate three things about yourself. This only takes two minutes but can have a powerful influence on self-esteem.
- Choose your heroes carefully: Don’t let the media tell you who your hero should be. Think about what you stand for and who really inspires you in life and why.
- Choose your relationships carefully: Are the people that you choose to spend time with good for your self-esteem? Are they honest, kind, compassionate and non-judgemental? If they are, they are likely to have a positive influence on how you think and feel.
- Talk to a professional: Sometimes it's easier to speak to someone who is not in your social circle as their advice can be impartial and unbiased, helping you to find a better solution.
- Map yourself: Some people find it helpful to map out how they see themselves. Try to make sure there are more positives than negatives on your map – this might include things such as being good at Minecraft or make-up, being there for your friends or liking your own name.
