Self-esteem: the key to personal and professional growth

Self-esteem: the key to personal and professional growth. Self-esteem is the ability a person has to value, love, and accept themselves. The development of self-esteem occurs in middle childhood. The individual compares their “real self” with an “ideal self” and with their peers.

Personal developments are the actions and changes that we implement to have new behaviors and attitudes that are better and more positive than those previously available.

Advantages of having a good level of self-esteem

Maintaining good self-esteem allows us to be happier and have more confidence in ourselves. This will allow us to help our environment feel the same way.

The signs that will show that our self-esteem is not at its best are lack of self-confidence, not expressing an opinion for fear of being rejected or thinking that opinions do not have the same value as those of others, feeling that we are not deserving of positive situations; lack of effort thinking that you will not get what you want; needing the approval of the rest; rarely feeling happy; demotivating quickly; nervous during the day; guilty; without initiative.

Causes of poor self-esteem

The causes of poor self-esteem can be stagnation in the type of life we lead, suffering from some type of emotional disorder such as depression, anxiety, some type of phobia, sleep problems that alter the usual rhythm of life, and many others.

Low self-esteem is a very common problem in the population. Still, it is curious that most of these people are not aware of the problem. In the consultation, we usually meet people who come for problems of depression and/or anxiety. The vast majority of these people underlie these pathologies in low self-esteem. We have told you they are not aware of it, so they are not aware of how it influences their mental health.

Throughout life, we shape our self-esteem, so the situations we go through influence it. Gaining levels of self-esteem is something gradual in which it is common for the person to build low self-esteem without being aware of it. When they are aware that something is wrong, it is very difficult for them to improve their self-esteem without professional help.

The first years of life are decisive in consolidating our self-esteem, and any experience can have a negative effect. Let us remember we do not have enough tools to manage complicated situations during childhood. Therefore, certain circumstances can cause great damage to our self-esteem. However, we must know we can also live negative experiences that affect our self-esteem in adulthood.

Where can low self-esteem come from?

Among the many causes of low self-esteem, we could highlight:

Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse (even more so if it occurred at a young age).

Suffering discrimination of any kind.

Suffering the loss of a loved one.

Feeling failure to meet parental expectations (also those of teachers and/or figures of reference).

Having seen their basic needs neglected in childhood.

Feeling like you don’t fit into the school/institute, the “weirdo.”

Facing situations of unemployment or precarious working conditions.

Being pushed by social pressure to follow certain rules.

Suffering from diseases that condition their daily activities or affect their quality of life.

Suffering from social exclusion.

Let us remember when a person goes through difficult times, they build negative beliefs about themselves almost without realizing it. Whether it’s about your looks, your brainpower, or your abilities to be successful in life. Likewise, the experiences we live are as important as the interpretation we make of them.

Can it be prevented?

To maintain good self-esteem, we must avoid negative thoughts above all. When they arise, convert them into positive ones. Another action is to be realistic with our strengths and weaknesses, without requiring us to be a perfect one hundred percent, but being self-critical and learning from what we do well.

Faced with a bad situation, we must face and accept it. Setting realistic goals will help our well-being, and if we fail, we must be prepared without blaming ourselves for mistakes. We should not compare ourselves with anyone. If we envy and idealize the lives of others, it will cause a feeling of failure.

What does the treatment consist of?

A psychological treatment to increase self-esteem is based on performing various exercises, such as those discussed above. All this training leads people to feel positive and recognize their own worth. Improving self-esteem has repercussions in our personal life (either with ourselves or in social relationships) and our professional life.

For all this, the study of self-esteem and the creation of behavior patterns to improve it are fundamental in psychology. Actions such as going to a psychologist, meditation, or reading certain manuals or self-help books can make it easier to be more active in creating positive ideas.

Impact of self-esteem on professional success

One of the most significant elements for the individual is self-esteem since this factor plays a transcendental role in the life of the human being. For this reason, self-esteem represents a fundamental element for the individual’s success since it is a source of internal motivation, reacts as an antidote to heal the past, helps to avoid health problems, and allows better performance in social relationships.

Healthy self-esteem reacts as an antidote to heal the past; if we have high confidence, we will turn pain into an enriching experience. Only in this way will we be able to transcend past failures and learn from them, not only overcoming negative experiences; but coming out of them strengthened.

Final words

In conclusion, it is necessary to acquire healthy self-esteem and not be confused with acquiring false or very high self-esteem to achieve personal success. In this way, we will motivate ourselves in difficult situations, becoming capable of building solid and stable relationships.

It will also make us fit to heal wounds from the past, helping us start over with a clean and positive mind. We will be happier because maintaining a healthy self-regard, any injury or illness that can cause the human body or mind is avoided.