How to Improve Self-esteem

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How to Improve Self-esteem

September 02, 2019

How to Improve Self-esteem; photo credit: Bart LaRue @bartlarueeppler @unsplash

How to Improve Self-esteem | Healthbiztips

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan | psychology blog

People with high self-esteem feels a sense of self-worth and respect. Having an affirmative self-image is undeniably a crucial part of a sound psychology.

It's this unconditional self-love many people want more.

While there are factors like upbringing and life events we can't control, there are still ways we can use to build self-esteem.


Accept your self

Self-esteem is an unconditional self-love. You can have all that you've ever wanted in life but still end up having a tiny sense of self-worth. Here's where the mindset of a person comes to play.

In order for you to love yourself, you have to first accept yourself. You have to reflect on certain traits such as your weakness and strengths and recognize them.

Only by accepting those characteristics can you know those characters which you can change and those which you can not.


It's about improvement, not failure

Failure is a normal consequence of trying. Failure, while might seem dire, is often unavoidable. You have to keep in mind that no one is perfect, including you.

It is understandable that there are many who are afraid of committing a mistake, because an error can be fatal.

In theory, mistake is unacceptable, but we live in a world where mistake is a part of reality that we  have to accept and rectify.


Stop comparing
There are a lot of people who tend to compare themselves with others, in which they judge their success base on how far off their achievements are than that of their peers. When a person uses his or her friends achievement as a scale they have to reach in order to gain self-acceptance, then there is no real self-love there.


Purpose

Finding your purpose in life is something that makes mortality worthwhile. What is it that you want to do in your life? Often, finding one's purpose can be tricky and hard.


Think positive

Having a positive outlook in life is an indispensable tool to achieve a good mental health. It's your way of thinking that can ultimately have the most profound impact on your self-esteem.

Directing your thoughts on the positive side of every situation can get you through tough times. On the other hand, if your focus on the negative aspect of events, you can get drained and stressed out.


Grow

Self-esteem is not an unshakeable state of mind. There are life events or traumatic situations that can rattle your self-esteem. Allow yourself time to heal and move on.

In whatever field you choose, it is important to never stop improving yourself despite setbacks.

Physical appearance Impacts Student's Self-esteem

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Physical appearance Impacts Student's Self-esteem

August 29, 2019

Physical appearance Impacts Student's Self-esteem. photo credit: Emma Matthews @unsplash

Physical appearance Impacts Student's Self-esteem | Healthbiztips

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan | psychology blog

A research reveals that student's physical appearance has a tremendous impact on their self-esteem. Looks matter so much that it out-weights academic performance in delivering happiness to the student.

Of course, schools are institutions designed to inculcate new skills and information. It's where you study hard, do school projects, cram on take-home assignments, and endure classes, to which in return, they pay you with metamorphic salary, in the form of intangible grades.

Of course, these "wages" students take home to their parents are important as it certainly does have tangible impact on their old folk's view of their child's present and future prospect.

Grades, in turn, especially when it's really good can build a child's positive self-esteem, but do you know that there is another thing that can give these young people true self-love?

In a school setting, there is a quality that can be far superior than grades in boosting a student's self-esteem--it's physical appearance. Looks matter. If you think about it, it's not that surprising that you value yourself based on how well you look. Heck, even just a single pimple can ruin self-confidence, especially when it's centerpiece.


What is self-esteem?

Each person has a degree to which they value their self, that is what we call self-esteem. A positive self-esteem can be the very thing which makes you love yourself when all the other's don't...well, apart from narcissism.

So, if we want to build a genuine self-confident person, self-esteem is the worst thing to neglect. Sure, focusing on your looks may seem like a superficial reason to love yourself more, but there's no doubt that it is indeed a very good reason.



In fact, a study reveals that a student's self concept of physical appearance has a greater impact than academic performance in having a positive self-esteem, especially among girls. Academic standing and interpersonal bonds still has huge bearing in a student's self-esteem, but this research shows how self-image surpass both.

So, now that we know how a student perceive his or her physical appearance strongly affects self-esteem, should we go about questioning the weird uniform, strict school-approved outfits, or the no-make up policy certain academic institutions have in place?

This is a complicated matter. School policies about grooming and proper attire may have reasonable justifications. For example, schools enforce certain rules to avoid certain kind of foreseeable problems. Often, when a child voices out concern about certain school policies, it is taken by the school as a sign of insubordination that challenges their institution's rules. But, in my experience, I find it helpful when the student council or parents intervene by talking to those encharge of the school.


For years, it has been told that school is a place of learning, but it does have a great influence on shaping one's attitude and perception.


Self-esteem that's reliant upon physical appearance can be the reason why a student persists in wearing lip gloss during class. It is the underlying cause of how a pimple can bring down one's confidence. It's why a nice uniform can make you feel good about yourself. It's why you feel ridiculous underneath that baggy uniform.


Resource:

Baudson, Tanja G et al. “More Than Only Skin Deep: Appearance Self-Concept Predicts Most of Secondary School Students' Self-Esteem.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 7 1568. 18 Oct. 2016, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01568