Do You Have Low Self Esteem?

Do you have low self-esteem?

Low self-esteem is typically when someone lacks self-confidence about who they are and what they can do. One outcome of having low self-esteem is the development of imposter syndrome, which is when an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has an internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud.

Having low self esteem can feel like a constant, seemingly accurate voice in your head that is committed to telling you that you’re really not as good as you are- leading you on a continuous wild goose chase towards perfection.

Your self-esteem, whether it's high or low, is your overall sense of self value and depicts how you feel about yourself. When you're considering your self-esteem, it's more than just how you feel about yourself and the work you do. It also means that you believe that you deserve to be seen and heard. It plays a role in how you treat yourself and how you allow others to treat you.

It's important to note that having low self-esteem is extremely common, but it is not a mental illness. It does, however, affect your thoughts, emotions, and your patterns and behavior -as does most things.

Here are some common signs of having low self-esteem:

• Demonstrating poor confidence

• Negative social comparison

• Difficulty asking for help

• Trouble accepting positive feedback

• Difficulty accepting correction

• Self-doubt

• Negative self-talk

• Lack of boundaries

• Self-sabotage and pessimistic viewpoints

• People pleasing

Those who suffer from low self-esteem typically find it more difficult to form healthy relationships and achieve the goals that they may have set or want to set in their lives.

Low self esteem encourages negative self talk and ultimately hinders your mental, spiritual, physical and emotional growth!

To tell the truth, I decided to write this blog post because over the last month or two, I realized that I suffered immensely from low self-esteem. I found that when I discussed this with people, they were often surprised and didn't see why I would have low self-esteem or impostor syndrome. For me, low self-esteem comes up in the work that I do. Between this blog, my podcast, managing many social media accounts, my work outside of the internet, and so much more – for some reason, sometimes I feel that I don't have the right to speak on the things that I do. However, this is wrong. When I start to feel this way, I remind myself of the experience- both professional and personal- and of the education that I've obtained. This validates me, and reminds me that I belong.

Something that I’ve become committed to over the next few months is increasing my self esteem, self confidence and overall self assurance! There is no specific method that I’m choosing to do in order to increase these characteristics in myself. Rather, I’m focused on improving my self-talk, indecisive nature, and stopping the tendency to seek external validation.

High self esteem and self confidence is essential to overall well being because it helps us have a more positive outlook on life, ourselves, and potential negative situations!

Do you suffer from low self esteem? If so, what are some ways you are working to overcome it? Let me know in the comments!