To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we want to talk about something that will affect most people at some point in their lives – low self-esteem. Long periods of low self-esteem can lead to mental health problems, so we have put together some tips on how you can improve your confidence.
What are the causes?
For most people, low self-esteem is triggered by a difficult experience or a series of negative life events. And worryingly, some people can only ever remember feeling a lack of self-esteem.
What are the symptoms?
- Hating or disliking yourself
- Feeling worthless or not good enough
- Unable to make decisions
- Feeling like no one likes you
- Feeling guilty for spending time or money on yourself
- Unable to recognise your strengths
- Feeling undeserving of happiness
What can low self-esteem lead to?
If low self-esteem continues for a long period of time, and isn’t tackled head-on, it can develop into serious mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.
So what can you do to improve your self-esteem?
- Recognise what you’re good at – everyone is good at something, so take the time to write down what you think you are good at and focus on it. Doing activities that you’re good at will boost your mood and confidence.
- Be kind to yourself – stop talking and thinking negatively about yourself! If you wouldn’t say it about a friend or a family member, then don’t say it about yourself.
- Take a break from Social Media – it’s easy to become wrapped up in the lives people portray online and start comparing yourself to them. Take a step back from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to spend time with people who love you. You will feel much better for it!
- Be assertive – you know the saying ‘fake it ‘til you make it’? Try applying it to your self-confidence. Take control of the decisions you make and learn to say no. You will feel liberated and, in turn, it will improve your confidence and self-esteem.
- Challenge yourself – learn something new, whether it is a new qualification to improve your confidence at work, or a new hobby like photography. The sense of achievement you will have when you receive your certificate will boost your confidence greatly.
To find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week, and how to look after your mental health, go to the Mental Health Foundation website.
If you want to improve your self-esteem by learning something new then visit our website, and discover your new found passion and confidence.
