Self-esteem

Self-esteem is about how you feel, and the thoughts you have, about yourself. If you were asked to write a list of all the ways you would describe yourself, what would you say?

People with healthy self-esteem:

  • generally feel good about themselves and their accomplishments
  • have pride in the things they do well
  • can put into perspective the areas that they are not so pleased with
  • feel more confident to try new things and challenge themselves
  • are not frightened of failure.

People with low or unhealthy self-esteem will:

  • focus more on their perceived faults, failures and lack of success in their lives
  • overlook their successes or minimise the areas of their lives where they have achieved great things
  • be more hesitant to try new things or meet new people, for example, starting a new job or beginning university, or going out socially.

Improving my self-esteem

Getting to know yourself and having a good look at all the things you like and don't like, are good at and not so good at, and accepting all of these, can help improve your self-esteem. This is a great start towards feeling happy with yourself and where you are right now.

Other things that can help include:

  • celebrating your successes
  • surrounding yourself with good friends
  • being a good friend yourself
  • doing what you love
  • trying new things
  • being able to walk away
  • enjoying special times
  • accepting yourself for who you are
  • working out what is really worth caring about.

Where to get help

Creating and maintaining healthy self-esteem is up to you, but there are people and resources who can help you along the way:

Find out more