It is estimated that 85 percent of Americans suffer from low self-esteem (Dr. Joe Rubino research). 85%! I guess the only good thing about that number is that it means people are not alone.
Self-esteem and confidence appears to be a meaningful subject to each of the women in the Women Like Us interview series. Each women sounds more passionate and enthusiastic when they have the opportunity to give advice on confidence building. So given the theme, I thought it might be useful for our readers to have a deeper understanding of what may cause low self-esteem and confidence.
Let’s talk about the definitions.
Self-esteem is “how a person feels about themselves and what they do.” When one has high self-esteem, they view themselves in a positive light with good qualities and capable of a happy life. When one has low self-esteem, they have negative feelings about themselves and have a tendency to believe happiness and love or success are not something they deserve.
Often self-esteem’s partner is confidence. Confidence is how the person believes in themselves, their abilities and ideas. If one has confidence, they are likely to accept themselves.
With these definitions, one can understand how low self-esteem and low confidence can easily go together. Not always, but often. So, what causes low self-esteem and low confidence? Here’s an easy to read list.
Causes of low self-esteem and confidence
For a child:
- Pressure to perform
- Disapproving parents
- Childhood Trauma
- Fearbased teaching
- Bullying
- Society & media
For adults:
- Their childhood: Any of the reasons above that apply for a child
- Genetics and tempermant
- Perfectionism
- Anxiety and depression
The first step to improving ones self-esteem and confidence is understanding what may have caused the mindset. From there, one can accept their circumstances and increase their self-esteem and confidence over time.
Don’t worry, I’ll address how in another post! Simply subscribe for more meaningful content.
Additional Sources: PsychologyToday & NAMI
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