Self-Esteem

Ever felt like you want to be someone else before? Ever had thoughts like these before?

If only I could have a face like Sade’s I would be more popular
If only I could have Anthony’s muscular build, then I would be able to approach more girls

Or have thoughts like these:

What would my clique of me if I decided to go to the village for Christmas?
I don’t want him to get angry, so let me keep my opinion to myself.

It goes on and on. Sure I am speaking someone’s mind here. Have you ever thought if the level of your self-esteem would come into play here? That brings us to the subject for this edition.

WHAT IS SELF-ESTEEM?

Self-esteem is essentially a feeling we have about ourselves. As young people, we need to know ourselves and generally feel good about ourselves.

Self-esteem is usually said to be self-worth (how much you value yourself), self-respect (how much you respect yourself), self-confidence (how much confidence you perceive in yourself) and self-love (how much you love yourself). It reflects on overall self-appraisal of your own worth. Did you notice a lot of ‘self’ there? It has to do with you, yourself and you! It is however an essential contribution to your life’s process. It indispensable to normal and healthy self-development.

Wow! Self-esteem is sure an essential element we all need to possess. Self-esteem is generally classified into two: High self-esteem and Low self-esteem. Now I know the question going on in your mind: Do I have a high self-esteem or a low self-esteem? Let’s take a look at what these two mean.

High Self-Esteem: This has to do with when you can identify your strengths and weaknesses. You respond confidently to challenges and problems. You have an optimistic approach to life and respond to situations positively. Having a high self-esteem has positive effects like; it increases your self-confidence, it promotes self-satisfaction and it enhances your ability to handle challenges.

Low Self-Esteem: This is the opposite of high self-esteem. You feel inadequate in the face of challenges. You do not believe in yourself. You think of yourself as worthless and inferior. A low self-esteem has the following effects; you lack confidence in yourself, you have a negative attitude towards life and feel disliked and unwanted. You are pessimistic in nature.

Let’s move ahead to look at the characteristics of each of these types of Self-Esteem:

CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH SELF-ESTEEM

Trusting in you.
Believing in you and having self-confidence.
Ability to make decisions based on what you feel is right and not a friend’s idea.
Respecting and liking yourself and others.
Accepting your weakness and your strengths.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW SELF-ESTEEM

Giving up easily.
Being easily influenced by others or their decisions.
Always wanting to please other people
Always wishing to be someone else.
Inability to express your opinions and feelings.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE AN INDIVIDUAL’S SELF-ESTEEM

Family
Societal norms and how we fit
Gender
Culture
Mass Media
Religious teachings
Economic background
Individual achievements
Tradition
Environment
Socio-economic background

EFFECTS OF LOW SELF ESTEEM

Lack of self-confidence
Negative attitude towards life
Inability to make decisions
Feeling disliked and unwanted
Inability to tackle new challenges and avoiding new experiences
Inability to follow one’s own path.

Having gone through all these, did you discover anything new about yourself? Did you see yourself as having a high or self-esteem, you can work maintaining it and if you have a low self-esteem, you can build it.

TIPS ON BUILDING YOUR SELF-ESTEEM