Building Self-esteem: Self-esteem and all that it impacts!

Hi everyone! I hope you are well. Time for the first post in our building self-esteem series. Today is a bit of an introductory post to the topic, the intent is for you to better understand why working on your self-esteem is so important and how it can hold you back from a better life. 

Think of self-esteem as your internal GPS. It helps you navigate life with confidence, knowing you're worthy and capable. It's how you see yourself - your strengths, weaknesses, and everything in between. When your self-esteem is high, you're like a superhero, ready to take on challenges and embrace new experiences. But when it's low, things get rocky. You might feel insecure, doubt yourself, and struggle to reach your full potential. How far can we go with a GPS that is not working well?

What does this self-esteem impact? Pretty much everything

• Relationships: With strong self-esteem, you attract healthy connections based on mutual respect and appreciation. You also communicate better, set boundaries, and avoid unhealthy attachments.
• Mental health: Feeling good about yourself is your shield against negativity. You bounce back from setbacks easier, experience less stress and anxiety, and enjoy a more positive outlook on life.
• Motivation and achievement: When you believe in yourself, you tackle goals with gusto. You're less afraid of failure, take risks, and keep striving for success.
• Physical health: Self-esteem even influences your physical well-being. You're more likely to make healthy choices about food, exercise, and self-care when you value yourself. 

This is all well but how do you know you can benefit from building self-esteem? Some of us already have an idea of where we stand in terms of our self-esteem, others don’t and that is okay. We can look at the symptoms/signs of low self-esteem to check if we may benefit from working on this area of life. I can not put enough emphasis on the fact that we are not trying to label ourselves with low self-esteem as the label is of no use to us, we are here to work on ourselves! This list is here to help you decide if working on your self-esteem can improve the quality of your life. Beyond that, there is little benefit to knowing your level of self-esteem. 

Here are the signs of low self-esteem!

• Negative self-talk: Tendency to engage in negative self-talk, putting themselves down and focusing on their flaws. They might say things like "I'm not good enough," "I'll never succeed," or "I'm a failure." 
• Difficulty accepting compliments: have trouble accepting compliments, brushing them off, or deflecting them. They might believe the compliments are insincere or that they don't deserve them. This may not apply to you if you come from a culture where disregarding compliments is considered a part of humility/humbleness. 
• People-pleasing: go to great lengths to please others, even if it means sacrificing their own needs or wants. They might do this because they believe they need to be liked or approved of to be worthy. 
• Fear of failure: may be afraid to take risks or try new things because they're afraid of failing. They might avoid challenges or opportunities altogether, believing they're not capable of success. 
• Social isolation: may withdraw from social activities and relationships because they don't feel like they belong or that they're not good enough for others. 
• Poor self-care: may neglect their physical and emotional health. They might not eat healthy, exercise regularly, or get enough sleep. They may also engage in self-destructive behaviors, such as substance abuse or self-harm.

If the list resonates with you. If half or more of it applies to you then this series may be of benefit to you. You can still participate even if you do not relate to any of the above points. It is perfectly okay and even encouraged to participate regardless of your self-esteem level. 

Discussion Questions:

• Based on the information presented, what aspect of building self-esteem are you most curious about or interested in learning more about? 
• Think of someone you admire who is successful in their field (Can be a mentor, actor, influencer, etc) and reflect on how a lack of self-esteem could have impacted their career/success. 
• If you could choose one area of your life where you'd like to see the most positive impact from building self-esteem, what would it be and why?

You may answer a minimum of two questions or all of the above questions! (The instructions apply to everyone who is working towards the Braving Self badge and intends to partake in the whole series. If that is not you, you can participate however you like!)

This post is part of the Building Self-esteem series! You can find all the posts of the series linked here.