Self-esteem refers to how we value and perceive ourselves. It’s about the overall opinion we have of ourselves and the value we place on ourselves as individuals.

Healthy self-esteem is feeling good about yourself while recognizing your strengths and weaknesses. It involves:

• Believing in your abilities
• Taking pride in what you accomplish
• Setting realistic expectations
• Not being overly critical of yourself
• Feeling worthy of happiness

Low self-esteem can manifest as:
• Negative self-talk
• Difficulty accepting compliments
• Fear of failure
• Focusing on shortcomings
• Trouble setting boundaries

Factors that influence self-esteem include childhood experiences, relationships, successes and failures, comparisons with others, and social media exposure.

Building healthy self-esteem typically involves practicing self-compassion, challenging negative thoughts, setting achievable goals, surrounding yourself with supportive people, and focusing on your strengths rather than weaknesses.

We all need to work on our self-esteem at some time in life because we face different challenges and need to discover our inner strengths. Feel free to contact Rachael Kunzler, LMSW, who specialized in self-esteem issues.