Self-Esteem Issues

There are some individuals who floor you even in the first meeting. Their personality and demeanor is just so pleasant, graceful and full of poise. They ooze with a distinct positivity and self-confidence, but no vanity. There is a certain modesty and humbleness with which they behave and conduct themselves, however high pedestal they are on the financial and social ladder. Only people with healthy self-esteem can conduct themselves in such a manner. But all of us are not the same, like the fingers of our hand and thus, we do not share the same level of self-esteem. Men, women, teenagers, individuals in all the age groups face self-esteem issues.

Self-Esteem Issues in Teenagers
Teenage years are difficult ones for the individual going through it and even for the parents. Teenagers are not completely grown up into adults and are not kids as well. Add to it there are the mental and physical upheavals happening which leads to a lot of issues. Some children are too skinny or fat in their teens, which can lead them to think that they are too thin or otherwise and they can lose self-confidence. Low self-esteem issues crop up when teenagers are not able to cope with their studies, and have not yet found the field they can excel in. Impressionable as the children in this age group are, and highly influenced by peer pressure, teenagers can indulge in smoking, drugs or the like. Further, there can be a dent in the self-esteem of a teenager if he or she cannot fulfill expectations from himself or herself. In some cases failing to live up to the expectations of their parents can affect the self-esteem in children.

Self-Esteem Issues in Women
Low self-esteem issues are even more prominent in grown up women. There are some societies where women are still held to be inferior to men. In societies where female fetuses are ruthlessly killed even before the baby is born, there can be no bigger block to the self-esteem of women. There is a whole cultural baggage of a society and the woman's family which shape the self-esteem of women. Sex related crimes again are a cause of low self-esteem in women. Other self-esteem issues in women stem from the idea of having a perfect physique. This has led to problems like anorexia and excessive dieting, starving themselves, etc. which further harms the health, thus, woman making her feel even more bad about herself. That leads to either unnecessarily high self-esteem or low self-esteem in women. These issues then start impacting their relationships as well. They feel they do not deserve their spouse, because they primarily do not believe in themselves and lack self worth. Of course all women do not fall in this category and show signs of low self-esteem.

Self-Esteem Issues in Men
Akin to women, men too, face self-esteem issues, mainly low self-esteem. Men who have been protected all their life till they grew up and are very much confined by traditional and the conventional role are most likely to be lacking self-esteem. It then trickles in every aspect of their life. In fact, there can even be an overkill of things once they get the freedom which are detrimental to their self-esteem. Then they start avoiding developing really close relationship with anyone and all they can be is superficial. If as kids these boys have been constantly hammered about how his or her sibling is good at everything and how useless he is, it can lead to self-esteem issues in men. Sex, physicality, addiction, unrealistic expectations etc., are the main causes of low self-esteem in men as well.

Dealing with Self-Esteem Issues
Dealing with low self-esteem and improving self-esteem is not an overnight process. Developing positive self-esteem is a continuous process. It entails a constant endeavor to improve one self and find his or her own true identity and self worth. Here are some things which can be done to improve self-esteem.

• Loving yourself is the cardinal rule for tackling low esteem issues. Once you accept yourself as you are, you are on the course to keeping these issues at bay.
• Explore all the things possible in life with an awareness of what is good and what is also useful.
• Always think of positive things about yourself. Avoid focusing on the negative aspects.
• Taking calculated risks and being realistic can give a good boost to your self-esteem.
• Pamper yourself and take care of your body well and get to know some self-esteem affirmations as well.
• In a few cases put yourselves first before others.
• Keep nosy, unduly critical and pompous people at bay and respect those who are genuinely interested in you

Last, but not the least, be mentally calm, meditate and relax. Hopefully, these things will help you build a positive self-esteem! After all, it is all in your mind and it has to come from within! No one can give you a pill for developing self-esteem! Good luck!