National Self-Esteem Month

6 days ago3 min read

What is Self Esteem?

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, self esteem is defined as confidence and satisfaction in oneself, and having respect for oneself. Through this article, we will celebrate self esteem and give tips on how to improve yours.

What does Self Esteem affect?

According to “Mind” (an organization’s website from the UK), self esteem affects whether you like and value yourself, can make decisions and be assertive, recognise your strengths, be able to try new and difficult things, show kindness towards yourself, move past mistakes without blaming yourself, take time for yourself, believe you matter, believe you’re good enough, and most importantly, believe you deserve happiness.

This shows self esteem is a key factor in many of our lives, having an impact on your daily life, and likely, in my opinion, having a big impact on things like academics, your college, jobs, taking risks, etc. This is because depending on your self esteem, you may or may not feel able to take the risks needed to improve all of the above.

What are the biggest causes of low self esteem?

The causes of low self esteem will vary from person to person, but here are the main ones:

Having been bullied or abused
Going through prejudice or stigma
Problems at work or school
Physical or mental health problems
Relationship problems, such as a separation or divorce
Problems with money or housing
Thinking you’re not good looking enough; body image issues

To everyone suffering from any and all of the above, I want to tell you something: It isn’t your fault. It’s not your fault if you can’t afford something right now, it’s not your fault if someone else decides to dedicate their time on making you feel bad, it’s not your fault if you struggle with mental health, it’s not your fault if you have physical health problems, it’s not your fault if people are sexist, racist, homophobic, or believe in stigmas.

And for the people struggling with their body image, I want to tell you it’s not true. You’re not ugly just because you don’t look the same as a celebrity would, and you’re not fat for not weighing what a model does. In the same way, you aren’t ugly if you’re naturally underweight, it’s completely normal for everyone to look different.

Tips to feel more confident and love yourself

I know me saying all of the above might not make you feel better, since it comes from someone you haven’t and most likely will never meet, and because of that, here’s some ways you can improve your self esteem.

Practice Self Compassion - I know it can be hard to finally say something nice to yourself, especially if it has been a while since you last did. So think of this whenever you want to say something mean to yourself. You’re hurting your inner child, your younger self. You wouldn’t look at a picture of you when you were 5 and tell them they’re fat, or not beautiful enough, or weak. You wouldn’t tell them it’s their fault they’re being stigmatized. No. You’d say something nice.
Set and Achieve Small Goals - When we don’t complete the promises we make to ourselves, we tend to lose trust in ourselves. So as small as it may be, set goals everyday and try your hardest to complete them. So if you want to learn a new skill, instead of focusing on perfection, try to learn a move, or a word first.
Self Improvement - Self improvement goes beyond your body image. It’s also about your mind. Set goals that will allow you to grow and learn as a person, challenging your mind and abilities to learn.
Affirmations - Treat yourself kindly, next time you stand in front of the mirror, don’t say something mean. Tell yourself you’re strong, you’re beautiful/handsome, you’re worth it, you deserve to be happy.
Self Care - Self Care makes you feel better. It’s about caring for your body and mind. Eating healthy, sleeping well, exercising, journaling, reading, or any other hobbies could be great examples you might want to try out.

Final Thoughts

As an ending message, I just want to say I’m proud of you for trying, and though this journey won’t be easy, it will be worth it, and if you just keep pushing through, you’ll get there.

Please remember to be kind to yourself, and take care of your body and mind. You’re worth it.