Do you ever feel like you’re not good enough, attractive enough, or smart enough?
Low self-esteem, self-critical thoughts, and negative beliefs about yourself are often closely connected.
When your self-esteem is low, it can feel scary to show your true self. You might find yourself seeking others’ approval rather than trusting that you are good enough just as you are. Negative thoughts like “I’m not good enough” or “Nobody likes me” can easily take over and hold you back.
Low self-esteem makes you more self-conscious. You might worry about what others think, try too hard to be liked, or try to please everyone. It’s easy to put on a mask and be the way you think others expect you to be.
Self-esteem and self-confidence – what’s the difference?
Self-esteem and self-confidence are often connected, but not necessarily. Self-confidence refers more to trust in your own abilities and is linked to specific achievements.
Self-esteem is considered a more comprehensive concept and often refers to a sense of self-worth as a person, independent of achievements.
For instance, someone might feel confident in their day-to-day work because they’re familiar with the tasks, but still feel nervous or insecure about giving a wedding speech.
Struggling with negative self-talk and low self-esteem?
Mindfit Helps You Get Started. Download and Try for Free Today >
Build better self-esteem and challenge negative thoughts
It is possible to build better self-esteem and break free from the negative thoughts that hold you back.
Low self-esteem makes you less receptive to praise. You might struggle to feel happy when you do something good? Instead, you focus more on what didn’t work.
Negative thoughts make you interpret others’ reactions in the worst possible way. It’s easy to get hung up on a critical comment or what you perceive as a critical look from others. Low self-esteem is about the experiences you carry with you and how you’ve been met in life.
Good self-esteem is about accepting yourself and finding inner strength. It also means challenging the negative thoughts and the inner critic that affect your self-esteem.
Good self-esteem is about knowing you are valuable in yourself. It goes on a deeper level. It’s about your inner dialogue – what you think and say to yourself. You can work on changing the typical reaction patterns you’ve fallen into if you struggle with low self-esteem.
Example:
You make a mistake and feel embarrassed. Your inner critic tells you: “I’m so stupid. I always mess up. I’m a failure.” Instead of seeing it as a one-time mistake, you take it as proof of your shortcomings.
Over time, these thoughts shape your beliefs about yourself, turning into a narrative that feels like the truth.
5 Steps to Build Stronger Self-Esteem
You can train yourself to make space for more constructive thoughts and work on shifting your typical reaction patterns.
Here’s how:
Acknowledge that you have both strengths and weaknesses—and that’s okay.
Challenge Negative Beliefs
Ask yourself: “Do I really have a reason to think this way?” or “What would a friend say to me?”Take up more space and let people see the real you.
Don’t just do what you think others expect of you—trying to please everyone can lead to low self-esteem.Shift Your Perspective
Focus on situations where you’ve succeeded, helped someone, or received positive feedback. Reflecting on these moments can help you build a more positive view of yourself.Use Mindfit to Support Your Progress
Mindfit is designed to help you challenge self-critical thoughts and practice positive self-talk.
Download Mindfit and try it for free today >
