What are the signs of low self-esteem?

Self-esteem refers to one’s perception of oneself. Different from self-love, self-esteem is the encapsulation of lack of ability in oneself, low confidence levels, and not liking or loving yourself.

There are many causes of low self-esteem. Your upbringing has a huge role to play, but social media and the subsequent pressures certainly have not helped.

As self-esteem has a profound impact on your quality of life, identifying it and remedying it is vital to improve your quality of life.

Signs of low self-esteem

Agency

Since people with low self-esteem do not believe themselves to be worthy, they also do not exercise their agency as well. They rely on others to formulate their opinions, do not voice their thoughts, and they thus do not take charge.

Low confidence levels

Naturally, when you are unsure of yourself and your abilities, your confidence levels will also run low. It is not just about being able to carry conversations and present things, but it is also about being confident in your decisions and ability to rely on yourself. Low self-esteem makes people always be on uncertain.

Jaded outlook

There is also a jaded outlook associated with poor self-esteem levels. It causes people to feel resigned to their lack of progress. It can make people not even try to make a change, as they have no talent or worth to back themselves up anyway.

Self-hate

Low self-esteem can also pave way for self-hate. As it causes one to focus on their flaws, and minimize their achievements, therefore, it then leads to self-loathing.

Sensitive to critique

Another sign of low self-esteem is being extremely sensitive to critique. Rather than taking it in stride, people with low self-esteem perceive it to be a reinforcement of their flaws.

Therefore, critique of any sort then perpetuates their low self-esteem problem and causes them to become anxious and stressed. It can make people aggressive and hostile as well.

Comparison to others

Rather than being self-sufficient, low self-esteem causes people to constantly compare themselves to others. They measure their worth through negative social comparison, which is a recipe for disaster.

The comparison is not healthy either; it makes them feel less. It can also lead to depressive thoughts and blues.

Unable to voice their needs

As people do not think they matter, therefore, low self-esteem can also cause people to not voice their needs. They do not ask others for help or any assistance, as they think they do not deserve any.

Moreover, their low perception of self also forces them to not ask others, as they think asking for help is something to be ashamed of.

Self-doubt

A hallmark of low self-esteem is self-doubt. As the low opinion of oneself is a salient theme, therefore, there is utter lack of faith in one’s abilities. Any talent is also then downplayed, on account of imposter syndrome.

Getting help

If you notice these low self-esteem signs, you need to work on improving your self-perception. It helps to challenge negative thoughts, practice gratitude, change your outlook, actively practice self-love, and get professional help.