Self esteem pertains to the way you look at yourself.

In short, it can also be referred to as “self concept.”

Self concept greatly affects one’s behavior and outlook in life.

How would you know that you have low self esteem?

A List of Low Self Esteem Symptoms:

1. Can’t express feelings.

Suppressing your feelings is the same as being numb. Being unable to express your feelings is like being unable to feel them.

An example: you feel angry and you don’t know how to express it.

A friend noticed your strange behavior and asked you “Are you angry?” you just smiled and said, “No, I am not.” Well, the truth is that you are just plain confused about your feelings.

Anger can be a healthy feeling if you know how to manage it. It should be expressed (not in a violent way) because if not, it will just destroy you. To prevail, forget about all your fears and start expressing your reactions. Be assertive.

2. Blaming Others.

Blaming others is stressing them as well. This happens when you are afraid to face the consequences of your actions.

Moreover, you are also afraid of what others might think of you after a mistake. In short, you fear responsibility. All of us are responsible of our own actions.

3. Denial.

If you lessen your problems by forgetting events, you are definitely in the state of denial. This is unhealthy, and is one of the low self esteem symptoms as well.

A person denies something because he/she doesn’t want to feel the pain. The tendency is that this person would insist that there is nothing wrong with things. For example, your pet dog died a few weeks ago. You found yourself crying while watching a movie because it has reminded you of your pet. Your friend will ask you “Why are you crying?” because you want to forget about the horrible truth that your dog is gone, you will just answer “Nothing. Something has just gotten in my eyes.”

Denial is definitely one of the low self esteem symptoms.

4. Depending on Others.

Some people try to depend on others for them for self-acceptance. Their thinking is, “If you accept me, I am okay.” However, this shouldn’t be the case. Yes, the person might like you, but, no one could ever help you change the fact that you do not like yourself.

Self-acceptance starts from within.

How to change this attitude?

Learn to accept that people have diverse insights. You can never please everybody. Don’t be hurt if a person doesn’t like you. Accept the truth as it is. At the same time, be contented. Life does not revolve around that person anyway.

5. Personal Boundaries.

Do not let other people become invasive. Each person deserves privacy.

Likewise, you deserve to learn how to decide for yourself. If you don’t want to do a certain thing, learn how to say no to them. At the same time, learn to be polite in saying it.

You need not to be too transparent to please people.

Additionally, you also need to limit yourself of asking too much personal questions. If you want to have privacy, respect other people’s privacy as well.

6. Frequent Apologies.

You are not in absolute control of everything. You need not to take the blame for the things that are not actually your fault. If you blame yourself of everything, it only goes to show that you are too conscious of your behavior. Trust yourself.

7. Rejecting Compliments.

If someone pays you a compliment, instead of responding to it negatively, learn to appreciate it.

8. Not Taking Risks.

Sometimes, you have to take risks. In short, you have to try. Avoiding risks lowers your self confidence. Again, trust yourself.

9. Dwelling Too Much on Your Flaws.

Do not dwell too much on your imperfections. Remember, nobody is perfect! If you notice something wrong with yourself, instead of putting yourself down, think of ways on how to improve it.

10. Pessimism.

Do not assume that bad things would happen to you. Like what has been mentioned earlier in the beginning of this article, your outlook in life has a great impact on how you see yourself as an individual. Give your best in everything that you do and trust God that everything will be alright.

If you manifest some of these symptoms, do not feel bad. Instead, take them as a challenge; a challenge to improve your being.

Author's Bio: 

Low self esteem inhibits you to a life of negativity, despair and failure. Illuminating these crippling thoughts and feelings will enable you to achieve so much more in life. Be the controller of your own destiny and start tackling these low self esteem symptoms today.