Do You Have Low Self Esteem?

Low self esteem can be devastating to an individual's personal,
work, and scholastic life. The constant feeling of inadequacy
and unworthiness can undermine attempts to succeed at even the
smallest things. If you find yourself plagued with such
feelings, you may need to ask "do I have low self esteem?"

Self esteem is your own view of yourself, your capabilities,
and your attributes. It is impossible to succeed in life if
you are constantly second guessing and berating yourself over
the tiniest detail. Many individuals suffer from low self
esteem, so you are certainly not alone.

Some individuals have recently begun to question their self
esteem while others have been doing so their entire lives.
Whatever your situation, honestly answering these questions
will give you a great deal of insight into how you view
yourself.

Are you nervous or awkward around other individuals? These
people can be coworkers, friends, family members, or even
strangers on the street. Do you ever look at anyone and think
you are not on the same "level" as they are physically, mentally,
or athletically? Do you see yourself as the least important
member of your family, group of friends, or office?

These persistent feelings can erode your self esteem. Most
likely, you are the only one who thinks these things.
Ask your friends, coworkers, and family members about your
performance, attitude, and personality.

More than likely, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Remember to rank your own needs up there with the
needs of others. Quite often, individuals with low self esteem
strive to please everyone but themselves in order to make
themselves feel more adequate.

This act usually backfires since your focus is on those
surrounding you instead of yourself. Dig deep and figure
out your own needs.

Focusing on yourself for a while will allow you to identify to
root cause of your self esteem issues so that you can go
about conquering them.

Do you worry or obsess about your physical appearance? Are you
constantly trying to change your appearance for what you think is
the better? These feelings of inadequacy are quite common,
especially among children and women. Often, individuals notice
certain qualities about themselves as children due to comments by
a friend, family member, or school mate.

These feelings harbor themselves inside, making them stronger
and deeper-rooted. Some individuals obsess about their weight,
height, statue, bone structure, facial features, hair, and
any thing else under the sun.

These issues can become the root of serious problems,
including eating disorders. Even the most beautiful people in
the world have some feelings of inadequacy about their outward
appearance. The people society deems beautiful or perfect have
secret issues about their own appearance or body, so you are
definitely not alone.

Instead of constantly worrying about those
aspects you deem as negative, focus on the positive. If you find
yourself slipping into a dangerous or deadly habit, seek
professional help as soon as possible. The world has learned to
live with you, now you must make the decision to live with
yourself. Once you are comfortable in your own skin, your self
confidence will soar sky-high.

Do you publicly berate yourself for fun? Is your idea of a good
conversation tearing yourself down at the expense of others?
Would you rather talk about your failures and weaknesses over
your successes and strengths?

This is often the case with individuals with low self esteem.

Instead of accentuating the positive, they verbalize that
constantly criticizing voice they hear in their own heads.

Whatever the case, if you find yourself
to be suffering from low self esteem, there are ways to rebuild
from within. Seek help from friends, family members, colleagues,
self-help books, or professionals if necessary. Low self esteem
is a problem that should not be ignored.