You’re not good enough! You are not worth it! You’re so unlovable! Would you like to say these lines to someone else? Of course not! These words are harsh and can destroy anyone’s self-esteem. Being a human, it is our responsibility to be kind to one another. While trying to be kind to others, don’t forget to treat yourself well too. Imagine being positive about everyone but yourself. Well, this is the case with most people having low self-esteem.
People who suffer from a lack of self-esteem perceive themselves and the world around them negatively. They focus more on their weaknesses and flaws than strengths. The lack of self-confidence causes such people to miss out on the beauty and positive aspects of life. Besides inflicting emotional pain and damaging self-image, low self-esteem also causes physical problems related to posture.
The good news is, Self-Esteem can be built with the help of Therapists / Psychologists / Counselors. Seeking help from trained professionals allows you to identify the agents causing low self-esteem and manage them accordingly.
What is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem is a sum of your beliefs about yourself. If you feel good about yourself through the journey of your life, your self-esteem is high. Doubting yourself and your abilities means you lack it. In other words, self-esteem is what the person thinks about their worth.
Overcoming low self-esteem can be a difficult journey. There are ways to do so on your own. However, a mental health Therapist can assist you through it better. They can help you identify the negative thought patterns and help you change them for better.
Signs of low Self-Esteem
People with low self-esteem tend to downgrade themselves with negative self-talk. The signs of low self-worth usually involve negative thinking patterns that include the following:
- Recalling or reliving painful past experiences
- Repeatedly punishing yourself for making mistakes.
- Overthinking about the future.
- Finding compliments hard to believe.
- Seeing all events in black and white – either all good or all bad
- Worrying about the past.
- Self-sabotage.
- Assuming that others are talking about you or laughing at you when it is not related to you.
- Overthinking the consequences of one event excessively.
- Holding yourself accountable for things that are not in your control.
How to Build Self-Esteem?
Lacking confidence and self-worth can be dangerous for your mental health in the long run. Therefore, understanding ways to cope with self-esteem is crucial. You can improve your esteem issues with the help of the following steps:
- Be kind to yourself.
- Have realistic goals for yourself
- Understand that no one is perfect.
- Focus on things you like about your personality.
- Communicate your feeling with your family or close friends.
- Do not let negative thoughts and emotions control you. Understand that you are in charge of them.
- Stop comparing yourself to others.
- Try eliminating expectations.
- Do things for yourself that make you feel good.
- Treat yourself with rewards.
- Try daily positive affirmations in the mirror.
How does therapy help with Low Self-Esteem?
Sometimes low self-esteem is short-lived. You had a bad day at the office, and your boss yelled, pointing out your flaws. It made you stay down a few days, but later you did some fantastic work, and your confidence levels rose back to normal. However, a long-term lack of positive self-image can have detrimental effects. It can lead to mental health problems or worsen pre-existing psychological issues. Therefore, getting help from trained Therapists / Psychologists is extremely important.
Therapy can help with self-esteem issues. Here’s how:
Therapy allows you to identify the actual cause of your problem
Low self-esteem usually has roots lying in present or past experiences, events, relationships, and interactions. Sometimes, you may not understand the cause of your insecurities and self-doubts. Therapy sessions involve a step-by-step and in-depth analysis of your life and help you know the actual source of all the negativity.
Once you’ve identified the actual cause, your Therapist / Psychologist helps you overcome painful experiences and negative emotions. Without identifying the reason, the solution is a difficult possibility.
You can communicate your negative experiences in a safe, nurturing space
Sometimes, a lack of self-esteem can be a result of bullying, trauma, physical abuse, or emotional abuse. Therapy allows you to communicate your experiences in a safe and judgment-free environment. People are often hesitant to talk about painful past experiences with their family members or friends.
Therapy provides a safe, positive, and supportive environment for clients to discuss their problems with the Therapist and helps to devise ways to move on from them in a healthy and productive manner. Self-acceptance and self-love are the primary outcomes of therapy.
Therapy allows you to recognize critical voices that are not your own
If people lack self-esteem, they are more likely to speak critically about themselves. However, these voices that make them feel bad about their personality do not often start as their own. Mostly, such criticism starts from peers, family members, or partners. Therapy helps you identify “whose voice is that?”
Therapists help you realize that other people’s perceptions don’t affect your life. As a result, you separate yourself from such thoughts and replace them with kinder and self-compassionate voices.
It helps you fight “all or nothing” thinking patterns
The all or nothing thinking patterns can be extremely harmful. Fearing or expecting extreme outcomes can stop people from speaking up for themselves, setting healthy boundaries, and protecting their wants and needs.
Life isn’t perfect, and everything doesn’t turn out exactly the way you want. Therefore, therapy helps you set realistic goals and expectations.
Gain back Self-Esteem with MindShift Psychological Services
If you’re facing self-esteem issues and looking for professional help, choose MindShift Psychological Services. The professionals at MindShift Psychological Services carefully analyze your psychological problems and help you manage your goals accordingly. Advanced therapy sessions help you gain perspective and get a positive outlook on life.
The following therapies can be helpful for people with low self-esteem:
Individual therapy
Individual Therapy focuses on individual behaviors and problems. It is an in-depth therapy session that helps people communicate with their Therapist about any trauma, depression, and negative experiences in privacy.
Trauma Therapy
People suffering from low self-esteem due to trauma and painful experiences in the past or present can benefit from Trauma Therapy as it helps with the healing process and allows you to move forward with new coping skills.
Teen therapy
Self-esteem issues are common among teenagers. Teen Therapy can help them communicate their problems openly and find ways to manage problems healthily.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Self-esteem is your perception of yourself. People having low self-esteem have negative thinking patterns that affect their self-worth. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy allows you to identify negative thinking patterns and change them into positive ones. With the help of CBT, you learn self-help and practical strategies to overcome your psychological problems.
