Why is self-esteem so crucial (Part 2 of 2)?
Written by a licensed therapist in Long Beach.
A positive mindset nurtures healthy self-esteem.
To evaluate yourselves without being unnecessarily harsh and to accept criticism without letting it define your true worth requires a positive, growth mindset. Research has shown that those with a growth mindset are more likely to have higher self-esteem than individuals with a stagnant mindset.
Those with a stagnant mindset often succumb to low self-esteem; they experience fear and self-doubt and become excessively insecure about themselves and their ability to learn and grow. Moreover, they also lack a sense of identity and a feeling of belonging.
How to boost your self-esteem?
Here are some ways you can work on maintaining healthy self-esteem:
- Self Reflection
Begin by identifying what specific pattern you follow when evaluating yourself; are you more likely to think more about your achievements or failures? While critically examining your strengths and weaknesses is one thing, excessively engaging with negative perceptions of yourself damages self-esteem.
- Reprogram your subconscious
Practice positive self-talk. Oftentimes, lower self-esteem can be traced back to certain repetitive events or a toxic environment. Repetitive events can sit in your subconscious, so you automatically doubt yourself at every step. It’s time to alter your subconscious. Affirmations are just the right way to do that. When you repeat positive messages to yourself, they go deep and rewire your subconscious mind. Engage with the positive inner voice that allows you to be more forgiving, compassionate, and understanding to/of yourself.
- Your Uniqueness Is Your Power
Never let others’ opinions define you or compare yourself to others. Every person has their own abilities, values, and weaknesses. Don’t try to match your splendid uniqueness with someone else. We are all needed in this world for our unique skills and attributes.
- Be Your Best Friend
When enduring self-loathing or hopelessness, imagine a close friend going through a similar crisis. How would you approach them? Would you further worsen their situation by telling them that they are a disgrace and should give up? Or would you help them reevaluate their perspective and focus on their positive side and things they have control over? Obviously, you’re likely to comfort them and tell them what an incredible soul they are to bear all of this. Why then this biased behavior towards yourself? Don’t you deserve the same approach or, in fact, a better one? Next time, when self-distrust hits you, talk with yourself like talking to a dear friend.
- Find a Therapist to Help You
People often have self-esteem issues due to messages they have heard about themselves through their lives. This could come from parents, siblings, relatives, friends or bullies at school. If you have tried the steps listed above and you aren’t finding that your self-esteem is getting better, it may be time to reach out to a therapist. Since we believe the best therapist for to help with self-esteem is the therapist who you feel safest with, we have options of different therapists so that you can get the one you feel the most safe/comfortable with to start your journey of self-healing. Because of this, we have several options of different therapists for you to choose from. To take the first step, call Long Beach Therapy to schedule an appointment.
- A Word From Long Beach Therapy:
If you live in California and are looking for a therapist to work on self-esteem, please give us a call at Long Beach Therapy: 562-310-9741.