Low self-esteem can have detrimental effects on your relationships, career and overall well-being. But it’s possible to boost your self-worth through mental health counseling.
Becoming self-aware and understanding the patterns that cause you to feel low can take dedication, but the effort will be worthwhile in the end.
1. You’re hypervigilant
Hypervigilance — feeling constantly alert and on guard — could be a symptom of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), having an adverse effect on your mental wellbeing.
Your low self-esteem could also be contributing to your hypervigilance and hypersensitive to danger. You could mistakenly interpret others’ behavior as a real threat, damaging your relationships in the process.
It is essential to speak to a doctor or mental health professional about this. They can teach you to pause and take a deep breath before reacting to things that aren’t real, helping you gain control over your emotions and stop the cycle of hypervigilance. You could also try practicing mindfulness meditation as another way to relax and prevent inciting your fight or flight response.
2. You’re overly critical
If you find yourself being overly critical, it could be indicative of low self-esteem. Feeling like you don’t deserve a fulfilling life and never have enough can lead to feelings like this:
Furthermore, it instills the notion that perfection is expected of you.
People who are overly critical often suffer from low self-esteem and use criticism to improve their own perception.
Criticism can be beneficial, but not always constructive.
Instead of being critical of someone, try to focus on their positive qualities.
Alternately, you can set some boundaries with the person who is being overly critical. Let them know how their words hurt you and that if they don’t stop criticizing you, you won’t have much time for them.
3. You’re overly sensitive
Your sensitive nature can be a strength, but it also lead to low self-esteem.
Sensitivity is an aspect of personality that can be shaped by how you were raised. If you weren’t nurtured or loved as a child, it could lead to negative feelings about yourself and increase sensitivity levels.
Sensitive individuals tend to have lower self-esteem because they become overly concerned with what goes wrong, whether it be their fault or someone else’s. They may worry that someone has taken advantage of them or treated them unfairly.
4. You’re overly competitive
If you feel like you’re always competing with others, chances are you’ve been feeling insecure. Whether it’s at work or in your relationships, you may think that to be happy you must be better than everyone else.
If this is the case for you, then it’s time to reframe your competitive behavior. Instead of focusing on rivalries, try to focus on all of your accomplishments and successes in life.
By improving your self-esteem and mindset, it will become easier to conquer any competitiveness that arises. Furthermore, this can boost productivity levels as well as foster stronger connections with coworkers.
5. You’re overly anxious
If your self-esteem is low, it’s normal to feel anxious. However, if this anxiety is interfering with daily activities or leaving you feeling out of control, then it could be time for you to seek professional assistance.
You might feel tempted to ignore or avoid situations that cause anxiety. For instance, declining invitations or cancelling plans at the last minute may be a common response.
You may struggle with asking for assistance or advice from friends, due to feeling embarrassed or believing you don’t deserve it. It could be that you simply don’t know how or when to ask.