How to overcome low self-esteem & Self-Confidence: People with low self-esteem issues feel that they are less valuable than other people. They are frequently ashamed of themselves, self-critical and lacking in self-confidence. These feelings often stem from childhood experiences, and are exacerbated by situations such as romantic breakups, losing a job or struggling at work.
While people with healthy self-regard can usually manage setbacks such as losing a job, for someone with low self-esteem, this can seem like a judgement on them as a person, and feed into a cycle of negative self-talk like ‘I’ll never be good enough’, ‘I’m a failure’ or ‘I don’t deserve success’.
Fear of judgement, failure, criticism or ridicule may lead you to withdraw from activities you enjoy, work that is challenging or social situations that feel vulnerable, and as well as being distressing. This can lead to persistent feelings of, anger, shame, guilt, sadness, depression and anxiety.
When low self-esteem becomes a long-term problem over time this can manifest and contribute to serious mental health issues and have a damaging effect on our day-to-day lives. One important thing people with low self-confidence and self-esteem issues need to remember is that ‘it is not your fault’. Once a limiting belief is triggered and activated, your outlook changes.
