Self-esteem is how much one values oneself and consists of a variation of beliefs about oneself.
Self-esteem, at its most basic, is how much worth one places on themselves and how much they believe in their abilities. A healthy self-esteem falls in the middle between too low and too high.
This is because a low self esteem can lead to poor lifestyle choices, unhealthy relationships and an inability to live up to one’s potential. On the other hand, an over-inflated self-esteem may lead to an individual overestimating their abilities, acting in narcissistic ways and failing to achieve anything of true value.
A healthy self esteem is then when one is able to find a balance between the two. It is when one recognises and is proud of their strengths, but is still wary and works to improve on their weaknesses. This ability to accept one’s weaknesses is not akin to beating oneself up but rather accepting that you are simply human and that you have the ability to improve. This approach usually proves to be much more effective.
Signs of a low self-esteem include people-pleasing, anxiety, shame, depression, finding it a challenge to accept compliments, finding it hard to express your own needs as well as finding it difficult to say no.
On the other hand, signs of a high self-esteem include healthy relationship boundaries, positivity, being able to say no when needed as well as an ability to see and accept one’s own strengths as well as weaknesses.
