Home » Ohio Mental Health – What is and How to Develop Better Self-Esteem

People often mention terms like the importance of having good self-esteem, but they rarely provide additional details. Identifying signs of low self-esteem and having ways to improve this attribute is a key component of good mental health.

Having low self-esteem reflects how people feel about themselves. It influences how people assess their individual skills and self-worth. Their internal belief about their ability to accomplish tasks is also heavily influenced by self-esteem. Questions like, “do you like yourself” or “do you deserve the respect of others” are aspects of assessing one’s self-esteem.

If individuals have lower self-esteem, they will likely put less value on their personal thoughts or opinions. Even though their ideas may be very sound, they will feel that their ideas are not good enough to share.

Self-esteem is not a consistent measurement. Like many things in the human body, it can rise and fall throughout a person’s life. There are times when people are feeling down and there are periods when they feel good about themselves. As a measurement, self-esteem tends to have a general range.

Healthy levels of self-esteem means that individuals believe in their own abilities but acknowledge their shortcomings. A good level of self-esteem is grounded and positive. Excessive boasting and bragging is not a sign of high self-esteem. In fact, this behavior is likely due to deeper insecurities and feelings of lower self-worthy.

Factors that can influence people’s self-esteem are usually start when they were young. A variety of experiences can influence people’s development of self-esteem. A few of these factors include:

  • Quality of family relationships.
  • Experiences at school or work.
  • Messages from pop culture and mass media.
  • Societal background and status.
  • Experiencing a physical illness or injury.

Self-esteem is gradually built up over time, as people age, from a variety of experiences and messages. If the majority of these experiences are negative or positive, they will likely produce a corresponding impact on a person’s self-esteem in the long run. However, a person’s self-esteem is not permanent. The human brain and emotions are flexible and can change.

Signs of Low Self-Esteem:

The stereotypical expression that is a sign of lower self-esteem are statements like; “I feel like I am not good enough.” These negative feelings can have a devastating effect on people’s personal life. Their relationships and work/school activities can suffer.

Ideally, individuals can recognize the negative internal dialogue that feelings of low self-confidence can produce. Once they identify these internal thoughts, it is easier to change their behavior. The goal is to develop positive self-esteem and spend time doing activities that promote more positive and healthy thoughts.

Indicators of low self-esteem may include:

  • Not speaking up during conversations, even though you want to.
  • Have a difficult time accepting positive feedback or praise.
  • Experiencing negative thoughts such, “I am not good enough” or “I will fail.”
  • Most of the feelings about yourself are negative in nature.

These are only a few of the signs of low self-esteem. However, the overall goal is for people to develop a better sense of internal confidence and self-worth.

Signs of Healthy Self-Esteem:

When people value themselves and feel secure, this is typically a sign of good self-esteem. This means individuals are confident in their personal abilities and generally feel positive about the relationships in their life. Some indicators of good self-esteem are:

  • A feeling that they can learn new skills.
  • More able to withstand setbacks and solve problems.
  • Tend to have an easier time making decisions.
  • Usually able to form more stable and lasting personal relationships.

The previous list is far from complete, but it does provide a general idea about what traits make up good self-esteem. In order for people to change their internal dialogue, they need to actively change their thinking patterns. Yet, this is not an easy task. A way to start is to list the positive skills and good abilities.

The goal is to reduce the prevalence of negative thoughts that randomly occur in a person’s mind. This is important since people’s personal view of themselves and their abilities impacts nearly every part of their life.

Here are four quick strategies that can promote better self-esteem and mental health:

  1. Limit the amount of Social Media viewed throughout the day.
  2. Count all of the positive things in your life, which can include people, relationships and items.
  3. Reframe problems in your life which helps with problem solving.
  4. Focus on practicing mindfulness and other meditation-based activities.

People should be patient with themselves and understand that change does not happen overnight. Also, individuals should not hesitate to seek out the advice of an experienced and licensed psychiatrists. Especially, if they are struggling with feelings of anxiety and/or depression.

Who We Are:

Emerald Psychiatry & TMS Center provides professional and compassionate mental health services in Dublin, Ohio. They treat a wide variety of conditions ranging from depression and anxiety disorders to addiction and PTSD. For more information about Emerald Psychiatry’s behavioral health services and treatment options, email or call them.

Their center’s main office number is (614) 580-6917.

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Contributor: ABCS RCM