Did you know it’s estimated that roughly 85% of people worldwide (adults and adolescents) have low self-esteem.
Low self-esteem impacts nearly every area of an individuals life, and exposes them to a greater risk for depression.
What is self-esteem?
A common misconception is that self-esteem is simply how you feel about the way you look.
Self-esteem is actually your subjective sense of overall personal worth or value. Imagine self-esteem being a kind of umbrella, and underneath it you have things like self-worth, self-regard, self-respect, self-confidence, self-acceptance, and so on.
Self-esteem is your level of belief in your abilities and attributes, and your sense of worth as a person.
​
Having healthy self-esteem can influence your motivation, your mental well-being, and your overall quality of life. However, having self-esteem that is either too high or too low can be problematic. ​​​
How Does Low Self-Esteem Negatively Affect You?
Unfortunately, we live in a world where low-self esteem is extremely common, and it can affect almost every aspect of our lives, from how we think about ourselves to the way we think about or react to our real life situations.
​
When we experience negative influences and thoughts, either from that inner critic or other people, it adversely affects the way we feel about ourselves. It also affects the experiences we have in our lives moving forward.
​
Over time, low self-esteem can reduce the quality of a person’s life in many different ways. Unchecked, it may even lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, sometimes with tragic results.
What causes low self-esteem?
There are many different reasons an individual may suffer with low self-esteem, it could be one singular issue, or different ones combined. We will go into more detail throughout the workshop, however, some of the most common causes include:
​​
Experiencing ongoing harsh criticism from authority figures, such as parents or teachers
​
Negative Self-Image
​
Unhealthy Relationships
​
Being raised by emotionally distant, or having uninvolved parents or caregivers
​
Authority Figures in Conflict
​
​
Academic Challenges
​
​
having a physical or mental disability
​
Belief Systems
​
Society and the Media (feeling less attractive than the ideal image portrayed in social media)
​
Social and Cultural Factors
Fear of Failure and Perfectionism
​
Lack of Self-Compassion
​
Comparison to Others
Signs you may be struggling with low self-esteem
You’re a people-pleaser
​
You lack healthy boundaries
​
You feel needy or unworthy
​
You struggle to build healthy relationships
​
You have a poor self-image
​
You experience negative self-talk
​
You compare yourself to others
​
You experience self-doubt
​
You avoid self-expression​
How can this workshop help me improve my self-esteem?
Low self-esteem can lead us to avoid anything that might increase our likelihood of experiencing suffering or discomfort from self-rejection, including taking few social, relationship, or career risks.
We will introduce cognitive restructuring techniques, confront cognitive distortions, suggest ways to change maladaptive thinking patterns, emphasize strengths over weaknesses, and develop specific skills to handle criticism and mistakes.
