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Low Self Esteem

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by Wuvypooh

over 1 year ago

Viewed 1296 times

I have EXTREMELY low self esteem that is on and off. Sometimes I will feel confident, but that may only last for no longer than a day. I dont handle compliments well because I feel as though people are just trying to be nice. People tell me that I'm pretty and have a great body but I definitely dont feel that way. Even if I dress up, I still feel like I'm trying to hard. Does anyone have any suggest as to how I can graudally build up my self esteem? Should I seek professional help?
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    editorNadia replied over 1 year ago:
    Low self-esteem is tough because it holds us back from confidently going after so many of the things we want out of life. You mentioned that you have moments when you do feel confident, so really try to build on that. Try keeping a journal where you write down what's going on in your life when you do feel confident--what spurs that feeling? How would you describe the feeling? How do you behave differently when you feel confident? How are your perceptions of others different when you feel confident? What is going on in your mind or the world around you when the feeling of confidence fades? Once you start to notice those things, you might start to see the problem areas more clearly. You might also realize that the things you believe when your self-esteem is low don't seem true anymore when your self-esteem is high, so you can practice challenging those self-defeating thoughts when they come up by reminding yourself that sometimes they're not true. If you feel like your self-esteem is getting in the way of your health and happiness, then seeking professional help is a great option. A therapist can help you understand why your self-esteem is low so that you can find a solution that's tailored to you. However you decide to approach it, just keep in mind that boosting your self-esteem is a process and as long as you're trying to feel a little bit more confident every day, that intention is enough.
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    robinek replied over 1 year ago:
    Start by WRITING DOWN the things that you do like about yourself each time you feel them (even a little bit).
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    Marinda replied over 1 year ago:
    In junior high school, at about 13, my self-esteem was at a nadir. I had to DO something, but I didn't think counseling would help, because I'd done it, and had no words for what was really going on inside. I did a sort of meditative exercise(I guess you could call it) of writing down things about myself on the cover of one of my folders for school. At first, it was only the good stuff, and only things I had heard at least twice, and only about appearance(I was a toothpick- both little and skinny- till I was about 15). Gradually I felt bolder, went to inner qualites, then named the bad stuff, then named the stuff I wanted to have, on successive notebooks for school. It was a dig-deep kind of thing to write and to interesting to look at.
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    amandabie replied over 1 year ago:
    I completely agree about writing things down. also, if there is something you like about yourself, draw attention to it. if you have great hair, wear it down. eyes?smokify them. let them stand out. butt....tight jeans.haha. everybody has something great. and stand tall. it completely changes your whole image.if all above fails.....smile. a smile is your best accessory:)
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    erina85 replied about 1 year ago:
    I know exactly how you feel! I, too, struggle from the exact same issues you have described and it certainly is not easy to overcome. It's quite easy to tell ourselves that repeating good things about ourselves will help..but what if you honestly can't find something you like about yourself? I've tried doing this countless times,, but my self esteem always plummets. For me, I find that surrounding myself with people who are boosters of self-esteem helps. I have good friends and family who always lift me up and I trust that what they say is true. Also, it's also helped for me to start seeing a therapist. My self-esteem issues just didn't happen over night. They stem from a very tough childhood and I have to overcome that before I can start being good to myself. I would reccomend talking to a professional. I hope what I've said helps and I truly wish you all the happiness because you do deserve it! Good luck!!!
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    cfarmer2 replied about 1 year ago:
    I used to have really low self esteem as well. One thing that helped me was recognizing traits in myself that I felt self conscious and finding those same traits as beautiful in others. For example, I used to think my brown eyes were plain or that my skin was too pale. I realized and kept in mind that a lot of celebrities who are widely perceived as beautiful had those same traits like Natalie Portman. This helped me to look at myself in a different way and celebrate the things I used to dislike.
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    sassyliz replied about 1 year ago:
    happy that u figured it out but dont you think looking up to celebrities is just going to make u feel worse?

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