How to Raise Self Esteem
Megan Brand - T34 - 4/8/16
The Basics of Self Esteem
Today, I’m going to be talking about how to raise self esteem.
But before we talk about raising self esteem, let’s talk more about the basics.
What is self esteem?
Google definitions told me that self esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect, but self esteem is a lot more complex than a Google search. The way people act, the things they say, and the way they live can be affected by their self esteem level. It affects decision making and social skills.
Let’s take a look at the two different types of self esteem. The first type we will talk about is high self esteem.High Self Esteem
These are some signs of high self esteem:
Confidence
Self-direction
Non-blaming behavior
An awareness of personal strengths
An ability to make mistakes and learn from them
An ability to accept mistakes from others
Optimism
An ability to solve problems
An independent and cooperative attitude
Feeling comfortable with a wide range of emotions
An ability to trust others
A good sense of personal limitations
Good self-care
The ability to say no
While having high self esteem, you feel loved and accepted, you’re comfortable with your body, and you recognize your skills and can offer them to others. You feel deserving, happy, and like to reach out to your friends and community. You trust yourself and others, and you don’t fear what others think of you.
This is what someone looks/acts like who has high self esteem:
https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/fovXjs8fBeg/?mode=movie#/
Low Self Esteem
The other type of self esteem is low self esteem.
These are some signs of low self esteem:
Negative view of life
Perfectionist attitude
Mistrusting others – even those who show signs of affection
Blaming behavior
Fear of taking risks
Feelings of being unloved and unlovable
Dependence – letting others make decisions
Fear of being ridiculed
While having low self esteem, you feel down and tend to be pessimistic, you try and make sure everything is perfect because you fear and cannot accept failure. It is hard for you to trust others and take responsibility for your own actions. You are scared of taking risks and being judged, so you depend on others to make your decisions, aka being a “follower”.
This is what someone looks/acts like when they have low self esteem:https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/fovXjs8fBeg/?mode=movie#/
What Causes Low Self Esteem?
Now that we have gone over the two types of self esteem, we’ll talk about what causes low self esteem so we can better understand how to raise it.
A couple things that cause low self esteem are:
The absence of praise and affection.
Neglect or abuse from family or friends.
Being the odd one out.
Failing to meet parental standards.
Types of Bullying
Physical
Verbal
Cyber
Physical bullying tends to be more common with boys, while verbal and cyber are more common with girls.
Bullying causes anxiety, bad self image, depression, and fear of going to school. With all of the words and harassment, it makes the target feel worthless. This is why their self esteem completely vanishes.How to Raise Self Esteem:
Positive self talk is a good thing too. Instead of looking in the mirror and saying "I look so ugly today," say, "I really love this shirt on me," or "my makeup looks really good today!".
Don't compare yourself to others. You're a beautiful and unique individual.
Don't try and be perfect. Nobody is. Every body messes up once in a while and that's how we learn.
Do things that make you happy.
Celebrate your successes. If you get an A+ on a paper, be proud of yourself. If you get promotion at work, celebrate. Small things or large things, enjoy your triumph.
Importance of Good Self Esteem
Bibliography
"News in Brief." Overcoming. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.
"Bullying Definition." Bullying Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.
"How To Raise Your Self-Esteem." Psych Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.
"Symptoms of Low Self-Esteem." Fear & Anxiety, Self-esteem Attacks, Lack of Self-confidence, Workaholic Behavior, Poor Boundaries, Sorensen Interactive Self-Esteem Test. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.
"Why Self-Esteem Is Important and Its Dimensions - Self Esteem." Why Self-Esteem Is Important and Its Dimensions - Self Esteem. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.
"Signs of Bullying: Important Questions for Parents to Ask."HealthyChildren.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.
"Steps to Improve Self-esteem." ReachOut.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.