Low Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
Are you a woman who has low self-esteem or self-confidence? If you’re wondering if your self-esteem could benefit from improving, consider and answer the following questions:
- Do I think negatively about myself in any way?
- Are there things I don’t like about myself that I spend a lot of my time thinking about or stressing over?
- Do I worry that people don’t like aspects about me that I already don’t feel confident about?
- Do I often compare myself, my accomplishments, or how I look to other people?
- Do I feel worse about myself after being on social media?
- Do I put myself down or talk about myself poorly at any time?
- Do I struggle with accepting praise or compliments from others?
- It is hard for me to see in myself what others say they see in me?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, it’s likely your self-esteem and overall sense of confidence could improve in some way. If you answered “yes” to at least half or more of the above questions, it’s likely you are suffering from low self-esteem.
The beliefs we hold about ourselves can either help or hinder our self-esteem and feelings of confidence. Women specifically face significant struggles with self-esteem and confidence for a number of factors. When we have low self-esteem and/or confidence, we also see a direct link to negative self-talk, anxiety, depression, substance use/abuse, difficulty setting boundaries in relationships, body image struggles, and more.
There are many times throughout our lives where we may feel less confident or unsure about ourselves. It’s also very common to experience dips in confidence if we are experiencing any sort of life transition or stress. This could look like:
- Trying to get pregnant or becoming pregnant
- Postpartum changes related to responsibility, body image, and caring for a newborn
- Parenting stressors at any phase of motherhood
- Physical health changes and challenges due to illness, pregnancy, aging, or injury
- Stressful life events, work related stressors, changes in jobs/careers, going back to school, etc.
- Navigating new phases of life
- Perimenopause and menopause
- New relationships
- Separation, divorce, or being newly single
In order to effectively treatment any mental health symptom, we must be mindful and attentive to the impact our self-esteem and feelings of confidence have on our moods. To offer comprehensive holistic care, Psychotherapy for Women explores self-esteem and feelings of confidence with all clients to aid in creating a more positive relationship with yourself and decreasing negative self-talk.
Some common causes of poor self-esteem and lack of self-confidence include:
- Comparing oneself to the way others look, dress, or act
- Being talked down to by a spouse or partner
- Social media
- Negative beliefs you hold about yourself
- History of trauma and abuse
- Negative self-talk
- Other medical diagnoses and health problems
- Lack of positive support
- Changes in body or appearance
- Being undervalued or underappreciated in relationships
- Spending time trying to please others
If you are struggling with low self-esteem and/or lack of self-confidence, there is help. In fact, therapy can be a great place to work through low self-esteem and confidence. Psychotherapy for Women has helped many women improve self-confidence by:
- Exploring and identifying triggers of low-self esteem
- Educating on ways to reduce exposure to triggers that are harming self-confidence
- Identifying ways to challenge or reframe negative self-talk and thoughts of self
- Improving the way you view and describe your body
- Increasing the use of self-compassion
- Exploring and challenging negative and/or self-limiting beliefs hindering you from feeling more confidence in yourself
- Increasing time spent engaging in activities that positively impact your self-esteem
- Learning how to speak to and care for oneself with love
- Removing yourself from relationships and conversations that hurt your self-worth
- Creating relationships with individuals who increase your self-confidence
Minimal self-confidence and low self-esteem can become all consuming and take away joy from our lives. They can impact the way we socialize, take care of our needs, nourish our bodies, show up in relationships, take changes or risks, seek out opportunities, celebrate accomplishments, and feel connection to others. By seeking therapy to help improve these areas of your life, it is possible to feel more confident in yourself and improve your overall self-esteem.
If you are struggling with low self-esteem and/or lack of self-confidence, there is help
Psychotherapy for Women has helped many women improve self-confidence by identifying and challenging negative thoughts and beliefs about themselves, engaging in more self-esteem boosting daily activities, decreasing triggers of low self-esteem, and learning how to provide themselves with compassionate care.