What is self esteem?

  • Self esteem does not mean seeing yourself as the greatest person in the world.
  • It's not the same as being conceited.
  • Healthy self esteem means liking yourself, for the most part, as you are.
  • You can have OK self esteem and still have occasional bouts of self doubt.
  • How you feel about yourself depends on who you compare yourself with.
  • Healthy self esteem means thinking as highly of yourself as you think of your peers.
  • Excessive self esteem = being over confident or complacent.
  • OK self esteem is compatible with humility.
  • Humility is not the same as self-effacement.
  • The right balance should place you mid-way between grandiosity and self-effacement.
  • To build and maintain healthy self esteem:
    • Forgive yourself for your mistakes.
    • Celebrate your strengths and achievements.
    • We are so used to negative feedback that we are more aware of our weaknesses.
    • Set achievable targets and get regular feedback.
    • Change the way you talk to yourself - stop putting yourself down.
    • Be sure that you are not judging yourself against unreasonable standards.
    • Beating yourself for your weaknesses is self-defeating

To help you improve your self esteem, read some of these other pages:

 

All pages written by Mitch McCrimmon, Ph.D. and copyright © Self Renewal Group 1996-2010

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