Low self-esteem

There are various reasons why self-esteem is formed inadequately and remains low throughout life, often even when a person himself achieves a lot. But the habit of devaluing oneself persists. Let's look at the main ones.

6 Key Factors of Low Self-Esteem:

1. The influence of family. If in childhood you were faced with constant criticism from relatives, comparison with peers, devaluation of your achievements and disregard for interests, then it is unlikely that you managed to grow up with adequate self-esteem. Perhaps, in adulthood, it seems to you that "something is wrong with you" and no one will love you just for what you are.

2. Education: teachers and peers. The school environment plays a significant role in the formation of self-esteem. Children who are bullied or isolated by their peers grow into adults who doubt their abilities. Teachers could also add to your complexes if they put an unpleasant label on you and often compared you to other children. Many people remember hurtful words they heard in childhood all their lives.

3. Social networks. With their appearance, the influence of the outside world on self-esteem has become even more significant. Constant comparisons with the ideal images of bloggers and acquaintances cause us to feel inadequate and unable to live the life of our dreams. The ability to live through frustration is also a skill of an adult mature person, which can be trained independently or with the help of a psychologist.

4. Cultural norms and stereotypes. Society has a significant impact on our self-esteem, making demands that we cannot meet. After all, they often even contradict each other. For example, society requires a young mother to be professionally fulfilled and to spend a lot of time with her child. Culturally, we may feel unsuccessful, unattractive, or incompetent. A person with an already low self-esteem tries to please the diverse demands until he drives himself into emotional burnout, apathy or depression, from which he cannot get out on his own.

5. Personal experiences and traumas. Traumatic events throughout life, such as the loss of loved ones, accidents, violence, divorce, or infidelity, often leave deep emotional scars. In the future, they form a negative self-image and a sense of hopelessness. And adults who have experienced such traumas in childhood may continue to suffer from low self-esteem throughout their lives if they do not consciously take steps to restore it and seek help.

6. Professional field. Feelings of dissatisfaction with their career growth, fear of failure, or constant failures in work and business have been suppressing self-confidence for many years.

Remember that you are not what others think of you. You can make mistakes and remain a good, valuable, capable person. Only understanding and working on yourself will help you overcome negative self-image and achieve healthy self-esteem.