Having healthy self-esteem helps you deal better with the ups and downs of life and how you deal with everybody in general. Your opinion on what you think about yourself should always come first before anyone else’s. But when you start seeing yourself and your life in a negative and more critical light, it might indicate signs of low self-esteem. The signs of low self-esteem can at times be mistaken for a character trait or humility, but there’s a clear difference.

Low self-esteem, if allowed to go on for a long period of time, can lead to harmful effects on your mental health. It’ll change your outlook on a lot of things – how you take on daily challenges, your association with people, and how much you want to try new things.

For the short term, low self-esteem can make you feel safe not taking on new challenges or difficult situations. When it drags long, however, it gives you a feeling of inferiority and keeps bringing your doubts and fears into everything you set your mind to do. This can lead into more serious issues like anxiety and depression. Low self-esteem can touch on different aspects, could be concerning your body, finances, job, and many other areas.

To overcome low-self esteem, you need to recognize the signs and then build self-confidence against your inner critic.

Signs Of Low Self-Esteem To Watch For
How often you ridicule yourself, point out your flaws, perceive yourself in the negative light dwindles your self-esteem to the minimum. These signs are what you should be aware of to help overcome low self-esteem.

1. Self-Negativity
When you see yourself only in the negative light – limiting your own capabilities and potentials at everything. This significantly tarnishes self-confidence and is the biggest downslide of self-esteem.

2. Internal Critical Dialogue
Also known as negative self-talk. This is when you talk harshly or never encourage yourself with your words. The sort of dialogue with one’s self that tarnishes your ability and confidence to make positive changes in your life.

3. Vulnerability
With you, there are no boundaries. Everyone can say anything and trample on your dignity and you’d still think them right. There are no limits to how you debase yourself and other people are also allowed to. This is another major sign of low self-esteem to look out for.

4. Inability to make choices
You never seem to make a choice or stand by one when you eventually do. This is as a result of self-doubt that accompanies low self-esteem.

5. Inability to prioritise one’s self, needs, and feelings
A person with low self-esteem has difficulty in speaking about his/her needs, feelings, and wants. There’s how people want to stand out and prove to others that they’re worth something and should be prioritized. With low self-esteem, this feat is impossible.

How to Overcome Low Self-Esteem
Overcoming low self-esteem has to do with building self-confidence and there are steps to take to achieve this.

1. Get Professional Help
Therapists are highly efficient and trained to help with things of the mind. Seeking therapy will help you identify the root of your low self-esteem and addressing it.

2. Know What You’re Good At
Before you can build self-confidence, you need to identify something you’re good at and use that to build your esteem. You can take one chore or ability you have, hone it and make stand out with it.

3. Talk Positively About Yourself
Change your negative self-talk into positive self-talk. Meditate, use positive affirmations and motivate yourself.

4. Challenge Yourself
Give yourself something new to try out. Don’t be afraid to take new challenges and discover new boundaries.

5. Prioritize Yourself
Make boundaries for yourself. Pick your circle carefully with people who will support you positively and not compare. This way you’d build control and be stronger mentally and emotionally towards anything.

Generally, professional help and advice from a therapist will help you better in capitalizing on your strengths and in building your way out of low self-esteem. So, seek professional help when you should and you could be avoiding serious mental health issues.

Source: https://andmeans.com/mind/signs-you-might-be-living-with-low-self-esteem/