Physical Health Education, JSS 2,Week 6
Topic : Importance of Self esteem
Contents
- Meaning of Self Esteem
- Categories of Self Esteem
- Overcoming Low Self Esteem
Self Esteem
Self esteem means to pride in one’s self, a confidence and satisfaction in one’s self. Self-esteem allows creativity at the workplace, and is a specially critical condition for every profession. Self-esteem reflects a person’s overall subjective emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. It is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs (for example, “I am competent”, “I am worthy”) and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame.
Self-esteem may make people convinced they deserve happiness. Understanding this is fundamental, and universally beneficial, since the development of positive self-esteem increases the capacity to treat other people with respect, benevolence and goodwill, thus favoring rich interpersonal relationships and avoiding destructive ones. Possessing little self-regard can lead people to become depressed, to fall short of their potential, or to tolerate abusive situations and relationships. Too much self-love, on the other hand, results in an off-putting sense of entitlement and an inability to learn from failures.
Self-esteem is made up of the thoughts, feelings, and opinions we have about ourselves. That means self-esteem isn’t fixed. It can change, depending on the way we think. Over time, habits of negative thinking about ourselves can lower self-esteem.
Types of Self Esteem
- High Self Esteem
Benefits of high self esteem
- Children who have high self-esteem come to value themselves and think of themselves as worthy partners and capable problem solvers.
- They develop a healthy balance of liking who they are, but also recognizing that there are ways they can continue to grow and to develop.
- With a healthy self-esteem, children feel that they have positive characteristics and skills they can offer to other people.
- They feel they are worthy of being loved and accepted by others including family and friends.
- They feel fundamentally deserving of their fair share of resources like food, shelter, love, time, respect, and dignity.
- Children with healthy self-esteem are more likely to be happy, to make and keep positive friends, and to persevere in working through difficult situations that occur in relationships.
- They will see challenging situations as opportunities to try something new, even if they’re not completely successful.
2. Low esteem (or low self-esteem) is not feeling ready to handle life or not feeling worthy of happiness.
Causes of Low Self Esteem
The beliefs you have about yourself often appear to be statements of fact, although actually they’re really only opinions. They are based on the experiences you’ve had in life, and the messages that these experiences have given you about the kind of person you are. If your experiences have been negative, your beliefs about yourself are likely to be negative too.
- systematic punishment, neglect or abuse
- failing to meet parental standards
- failing to meet peer-group standards
- being on the receiving end of other people’s stress or distress.
- belonging to a family or social group that other people are prejudiced towards
- an absence of praise, warmth, affection or interest
- being the odd one out, at home or at school.
A person with low self-esteem may show some of the following characteristics
- Heavy self-criticism and dissatisfaction
- Envy, invidiousness, or general resentment.
- Hypersensitivity to criticism with resentment against critics and feelings of being attacked.
- Perfectionism, which can lead to frustration when perfection is not achieved
- Excessive will to please and unwillingness to displease any petitioner.
- Sees temporary setbacks as permanent, intolerable conditions.
- Neurotic guilt, dwelling on or exaggerating the magnitude of past mistakes
- Pessimism and a general negative outlook
- Chronic indecision and an exaggerated fear of mistakes.
- Floating hostility and general defensiveness and irritability without any proximate cause
People with a healthy level of self-esteem:
- Firmly believe in certain values and principles, and are ready to defend them even when finding opposition, feeling secure enough to modify them in light of experience.
- Resist manipulation, collaborate with others only if it seems appropriate and convenient.
- Are able to enjoy a great variety of activities.
- Admit and accept different internal feelings and drives, either positive or negative, revealing those drives to others only when they choose.
- Do not lose time worrying excessively about what happened in the past, nor about what could happen in the future. They learn from the past and plan for the future, but live in the present intensely.
- Consider themselves equal in dignity to others, rather than inferior or superior, while accepting differences in certain talents, personal prestige or financial standing.
- Understand how they are an interesting and valuable person for others, at least for those with whom they have a friendship.
- Are able to act according to what they think to be the best choice, trusting their own judgment, and not feeling guilty when others do not like their choice.
- Are sensitive to feelings and needs of others; respect generally accepted social rules, and claim no right or desire to prosper at others’ expense.
- Fully trust in their capacity to solve problems, not hesitating after failures and difficulties. They ask others for help when they need it.
- Can work toward finding solutions and voice discontent without belittling themselves or others when challenges arise.
Overcoming Low self Esteem
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an ideal approach for tackling low self-esteem, because it provides a clear framework for understanding how the problem developed and what keeps it going. CBT focuses on thoughts, beliefs and opinions, and also provides a practical approach for changing those beliefs by changing behaviour.
In this way you can learn to:
- notice self-critical thinking and nip it in the bud
- counter the bias against yourself by focusing on your skills
- change the Rules for Living that cause you to enter the vicious cycle
- tackle your Bottom Line.
Be optimistic: If you’re in the habit of thinking self-critically, re-train yourself by rewording these negative unkind thoughts into more helpful and positive feedback.
Focus on Good things: Are you so used to focusing on your problems that they’re all you see? Its time to start focusing on positive things and also think of creative solutions to the issues you have instead of dwelling so much on them.
Remove thoughts of inferiority from your mind: Don’t ever think negative of yourself or feel inferior. Don’t compare yourself with anybody. You’re unique the way you are. Always see yourself as the best.
See mistakes as an avenue to learn: Accept that you will make mistakes because Everyone does and No one is perfect. Mistakes are part of the learning process. Instead of thinking, “I always mess up” remind yourself that it’s not about always, just this specific situation. Think of What can you do differently next time?
Tell yourself Success happens at different times to different people: When others are successful, cheer them and celebrate with them. Also, focus on doing well so that you can also achieve your own success.
Embrace your opinions and ideas: Don’t be afraid to voice them. If someone disagrees with your idea, it’s not a reflection on your worth or your intelligence. That person just sees things differently from you. This shouldn’t make you think less of yourself.
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