{"id":354,"date":"2023-03-04T15:09:05","date_gmt":"2023-03-04T15:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sensa.health\/?p=354"},"modified":"2024-01-23T08:03:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T08:03:30","slug":"self-confidence-vs-self-esteem-the-differences-similarities-and-ideas-for-improvement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/self-confidence-vs-self-esteem-the-differences-similarities-and-ideas-for-improvement\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Confidence vs. Self-Esteem: the Differences, Similarities, and Ideas for Improvement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Could you say you\u2019re a confident person? Many wouldn\u2019t \u2013 it is estimated that roughly 85% of the world\u2019s population has low self-esteem! <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the feelings of not being good enough, shyness, talking negatively about yourself, and blaming yourself for everything that went wrong are too familiar, you might have low self-esteem. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your self-esteem also influences your confidence \u2013 your poor self-image can discourage you from trying things even if you feel confident. Studies have shown that low self-esteem can increase stress and amplify feelings of anxiety and depression. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why are we so keen on disregarding our own worth?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>The Causes of Low Self-Esteem<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In essence, self-esteem refers to how we perceive ourselves and our value. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To understand why your self-esteem is frail, we need to look for the root problem \u2013 what made you feel like you have no value in the first place?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiencing bullying, neglect, criticism, or judgment can cause your self-esteem to plunge \u2013 if others don\u2019t appreciate and value you or your work, why would you? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are various reasons why your self-esteem might be low, for example:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Disapproval or criticism from authority figures (parents, teachers, supervisors, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Emotionally distant parents or caregivers<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A quarrelsome divorce between parents<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Bullying<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Difficulties at school or work<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The guilt associated with religion<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Unrealistic beauty standards presented in media<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Unrealistic goals<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    We tend to internalize negative messages sent our way, which over time form negative core beliefs:<\/span> \u201cI am worthless,\u201d \u201cI am unlikeable,\u201d<\/span><\/i> or <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t belong.\u201d<\/span><\/i> No wonder you have low self-esteem if you suffered one or a few deprecations in the past or right now!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/span>What About Confidence?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Although overlapping with self-esteem, self-confidence implies that you have faith in yourself to achieve something. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Low self-confidence can result in shyness, communication problems, social anxiety, and lack of assertiveness. On the contrary, being self-confident shows that you <\/span>know <\/b>you\u2019re capable of something. Therefore, you pursue that goal or task.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Usually, we\u2019re more confident in some areas than others, which is perfectly fine \u2013 we have different skill sets where some skills are more developed than others.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Self-confidence allows us to meet and overcome the challenges in life. Healthy self-esteem helps us be more confident \u2013 we trust our abilities because we know we\u2019re capable.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, if a person struggles with low self-esteem, it\u2019s common that they don\u2019t have much self-confidence, too. But that\u2019s not always the case.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/span>What Does It Mean to Be Self-Confident and Have a Healthy Self-Esteem?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Imagine a situation: you\u2019ve been assigned a task at work. However, you received negative feedback after completing it \u2013 you didn\u2019t ace the assignment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even before starting the task, your low-self esteem might bring thoughts, such as, \u201cI won\u2019t be able to do it, or if I do, it won\u2019t be great.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you lack self-confidence after receiving criticism, you might start to think, \u201cOf course, I failed. I\u2019m not good enough, and this proves it.\u201d Low self-confidence discourages you from trying if the outcome is disappointing. This also negatively impacts your self-esteem.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In another scenario where you have decent self-esteem, this failure would bring thoughts such as, \u201cI wonder what went wrong? I should investigate and do better next time.\u201d In this case, you might feel disappointed, but it doesn\u2019t diminish your worth \u2013 you still feel confident in trying again.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/span>Ways to Improve Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Like any other skill, self-esteem and self-confidence can be improved or even built from zero! There are several ways to do it, most of which consist of getting to know yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The first step you have to take is to discover the reasons for your plummeting self-esteem and self-confidence. Was it bullying, neglect, abuse? You can use the list mentioned before to reflect on and understand the key factors that have a tremendous impact.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Practice self-acceptance<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019re all human, and that means that we all make mistakes \u2013 it\u2019s inevitable. But that doesn\u2019t mean you have to beat yourself up for making them sometimes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Acknowledge your mistakes, identify how to solve them, and be critical of your behavior not to repeat the same mistakes again. However, refrain from criticizing yourself \u2013 failing or making mistakes doesn\u2019t diminish your worth!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Get to know who you are as a person<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Usually, we are well aware of our flaws and weaknesses. But what about your strengths? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Take time to discover your abilities, skills, achievements, and things you\u2019re proud of. Be honest and reasonable \u2013 there are definitely some areas in which you excel.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can also reflect on your weaknesses and things you\u2019d like to improve. Again, be sensible and don\u2019t criticize yourself for lacking skills or having bad habits. Instead, focus on how you\u2019d like to change the things that bother you.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Be assertive<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    When we lack confidence or have low self-esteem, we tend to please others to receive praise or positive feedback. While being appreciated feels good, neither endorsements or disapproving comments should affect how you feel about yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t be afraid to set boundaries and say no to the things you don\u2019t feel comfortable doing. You shouldn\u2019t feel guilty for expressing what you want and don\u2019t want to do. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/span>Breaking the Self-Deprecating Pattern<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    By acknowledging and wanting to improve, you can build robust and healthy self-esteem \u2013 negative self-image can be overridden through practice.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Reflect on your past experiences and employ the tips for improvement to increase your confidence. You\u2019ll definitely notice a decrease in anxiety and stress.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, celebrate your achievements \u2013 there are plenty!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Could you say you\u2019re a confident person? Many wouldn\u2019t \u2013 it is estimated that roughly 85% of the world\u2019s population has low self-esteem!  If the feelings of not…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":355,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[7],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=354"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1146,"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354\/revisions\/1146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sensa.health\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}