Psychosocial Health

Self-esteem and Self-confidence

What is self-esteem and self-confidence?

Self-esteem is the subjective evaluation of your own worth. Self-confidence means feeling sure of yourself and your abilities. People with self-esteem tend to feel positive about themselves and are more able to accept themselves. Confident people are more ready for everyday challenges.

Where does self-esteem come from?

Self-esteem can grow over time as we try things, do things and learn things. It can come from parents, teachers and others who can affect how we perceive ourselves. The things we say to ourselves also play an important part in how we feel about ourselves.

How is your self-esteem?

Ask yourself:

  1. Do you like yourself?
  2. Are you satisfied with yourself?
  3. Are you willing to improve your weakness?
  4. Do you think you are useless?
  5. Do you think you are unlikeable?
  6. Do you often feel inferior to others?
  7. Are you confident in achieving your goals?
  8. Do you avoid new challenges due to fear of failure?

Ways to build self-esteem

  1. Focus on your strengths
    Make a list of the things you are good at, e.g. you are honest and sincere, you are good at sports, etc. Use the list to remind yourself of your strengths and achievements.
  2. Positive self-talk
    Say helpful things to yourself. Try to replace negative evaluations of yourself with positive thoughts. Turn ‘I can’t’ or ‘It is too hard for me’ into ‘I can’ or ‘I will give it my best’.
  3. Take a safe risk
    Try new things and take on challenges. Challenge yourself to do something that is just beyond your normal comfort zone, e.g. signing up for a school committee or volunteer to help with a project.
  4. Accept what is not perfect
    Nobody is perfect. Accept your best and let yourself feel good about that. You can feel good about yourself when you give something a good try.
  5. Improve your weaknesses
    Work hard and take steps to improve your weaknesses.
  6. Stop comparing yourself to others
    Comparison to others is endless and it only hurts your self-esteem. .
  7. Set goals and work toward them
    Make a goal and then make a plan for how to do it. Track your progress and be proud of what you have done.
  8. Learn from your mistakes
    Stop criticizing yourself for making mistakes. Learn from your mistakes, evaluate your performance, make improvements, rise to new challenges and strive to get better results next time.
  9. Give and help
    Giving and doing kind things are the best ways to build self-esteem. Make it a habit to be kind and do things that make a difference, even a small one.
  10. Build positive relationships
    Try to build relationships with people who are positive and who appreciate you. Do things you enjoy with your family and friends. Spend time with the people who can lift you up by what they say or do.

(Revised in June 2022)

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