LOW SELFESTEEM AND MENTAL HEALTH

Self esteem is a concept that is defined as having a positive view of oneself and heightened belief in own abilities.

Self esteem is one of the attributes that influences mental health. High self esteem is associated with emotional stability, consciousness, low risk taking and ability to express; which are all pinnacles that cushion against the risk factors of mental illness.

Low self-esteem is characterised by an individual questioning his/her value of self. Individuals with low self-esteem perceive themselves as unworthy and unlovable. There are things within our environment that leads to a low self-esteem. Some of those factors include body changes on account of illness, the individual’s perception of feedback from close associates, the number of failures one experienced and stressful situations.

A dented self-esteem can as well be a consequence of existing mental health and on the other hand, low self-esteem can facilitate the development of mental disorders.

Being emotionally healthy is when individuals see themselves as worthy beings and being content with their body image and appearance. There is often an external influence on how people view themselves, thus there is need to help individuals to be assisted to not extensively rely on external validation.

How can we promote self-esteem? Selfawareness is pivotal in promoting our mental health. We need to reflect and look at areas that we are good at and also acknowledge our short comings. We may as well explore situations and conditions that trigger low self-esteem in order to address them.

Negative thinking and self-talk can potentiate low self-esteem. It maybe worthwhile to deviate from the “all or nothing” mantra; not seeing the world as either bad or good by having an allowance for disappointment. We should convey self-love, be kind to self and be an encouragement to self for the sake of enhancing self-esteem. Affirm yourself for successes and good deeds and always view adverse situations as challenges that can be addressed on the backdrop of previous successes.

Email; dsmangwegape@gmail.com Facebook; David Sidney Mangwegape