![The first step towards achieving a goal is knowing that you can do it.](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/what-do-we-mean-by-self-esteem.jpg?output-quality=75)
The first step towards achieving a goal is knowing that you can do it. Self-esteem, also known as self-respect or self-worth, means being confident and satisfied with oneself. Healthy self-esteem is what makes a person feel good about themselves and live positively. Their self-belief helps them take various tasks with confidence and achieve success in life. People with healthy self-esteem are proud of what they do. They do not compare themselves negatively with others. However, low self-esteem or a lack of self-esteem makes a person doubt their worth. They tend to be under-achievers because they think they are not good enough for a particular task or person. They constantly feel bad about themselves and may even be unnecessarily strict or harsh towards themselves. Thus, it is crucial to inculcate healthy self-esteem in oneself for living happily and fully unfolding one’s capabilities. Often, self-esteem issues may stem from a troubled childhood and unhealthy coping mechanism that people develop as a response.
What are the different types of self-esteem?
There are mainly three types of self-esteem:
- High self-esteem: People with high self-esteem feel good about themselves and what they do. They know their worth and are happy about it. High self-esteem makes a person look after their health and wellbeing. They stay calm and do not indulge in unnecessary arguments or petty quarrels. They neither compare themselves with others nor do they look down on other people. They are not arrogant rather they are confident in their abilities.
- Low self-esteem: Low esteem means that the person does not trust their abilities. They have a feeling of self-doubt and worthlessness. They compare themselves with others and believe that they are of less value than others. They are often preoccupied with insecurities. They have a fear of failure preventing them from taking on challenging tasks. They are often easily influenced by other people’s opinions. They may have brief moments of heightened self-worth, but they return to a state of low self-esteem on facing challenges or difficulties.
- Inflated self-esteem: An inflated self-esteem means an exaggerated sense of confidence in oneself associated with the belief that others are inferior or unworthy. A person with inflated self-esteem underestimates other people. They think that their views and capabilities are far superior to anyone else. They tend to force their ideas on others and are difficult to work with. They do not listen to other people’s ideas and are difficult to convince. Their inflated self-esteem makes them lose friends and relations because they are overly critical of others.
![](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/quiz/human-body/human-body-s1.jpg)
QUESTION
What percentage of the human body is water? See AnswerHow can I raise my self-esteem?
If you think that you have low self-esteem, you can follow these tips to enhance it:
- Read motivating literature: You can rise above self-doubt by reading about people who achieved great things in life despite all the odds against them. Read a page or two of motivational books, poetry, or quotes every day. You may write a motivational quote in your diary every day and read it several times a day to remind yourself that you can do it.
- Keep good company: Be with people who build you up and encourage you. Be with people who let you be yourself.
- Accept yourself the way you are: Every person has flaws. Some flaws may be visible or tangible whereas others may be concealed. Accept your shortcomings and work on overcoming them without being harsh to yourself. Leave what cannot be changed and work hard to be an improved version of yourself each day.
- Do not compare yourself with others: You are unique and special just the way you are. Comparing yourself to others is a kind of insult to your versatility. In this age of social media and influencers, people showcase the best versions of themselves online. You do not know what hardships or failures they may be going through. You do not even know whether what they show is fake or real. Be content with yourself and strive to improve without making comparisons with others.
- Spend time on self-care: Time invested in oneself gives the best returns. Focus on staying fit by regular physical activity and a healthy diet. Maintain good personal hygiene. Follow your hobbies and passions.
- Assign goals to yourself: Make short-term and long-term goals. Know what you want to make yourself better or achieve in life. Be it learning a new skill or language or getting physically fit. Plan and manage your routine to achieve your goals.
- Be helpful: Helping others makes one feel good about themselves. Share your knowledge and skills with others. Be kind to people and yourself.
- Focus on the good things in life: No success is final, and no failure is fatal. Focus on the things that go well. You will always find something to be thankful for. No matter how bad a day goes, you will always get another chance. A bad day or incident does not mean a bad life.
Top What Do We Mean by Self-Esteem? Related Articles
Tips to Fast Stress Relief
Stop stress and stress-related problems like overeating, headaches, hives, and anxiety. Try simple interventions like chewing gum, getting outside, spending time with friends, smiling, listening to music, sniffing lavender, journaling, and listening to music to stop stress in its tracks.Anxiety, Stress, and Worry
What is the definition of anxiety, stress, and worry? Find treatments to relieve stress, eliminate worry, and combat anxiety as you discover how stress affects your body. Learn whether stress fights colds or encourages them, why some stress is bad and some is good, and why exercise and diet can be relaxing.Common Medical Abbreviations & Terms
Doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals use abbreviations, acronyms, and other terminology for instructions and information in regard to a patient's health condition, prescription drugs they are to take, or medical procedures that have been ordered. There is no approved this list of common medical abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology used by doctors and other health- care professionals. You can use this list of medical abbreviations and acronyms written by our doctors the next time you can't understand what is on your prescription package, blood test results, or medical procedure orders. Examples include:
- ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease.
- ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure
- cap: Capsule.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea.
- DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis.
- DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- HA: Headache
- IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- JT: Joint
- N/V: Nausea or vomiting.
- p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os.
- q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily.
- RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
- SOB: Shortness of breath.
- T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the "vital signs."
Job Stress and Your Health
Early warning signs of job stress include headache, sleep disturbance, difficulty in concentrating, short temper, upset stomach, job dissatisfaction, and low morale. Stress on the job can be damaging to your health in that job stress is the outcome when job demands cannot be met.Holiday Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
Though the holidays are a fun time for most, for others, they're a sad, lonely and anxiety-filled time. Get tips on how to avoid depression and stress during the holiday season.Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric condition, can develop after any catastrophic life event. Symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, sweating, rapid heart rate, detachment, amnesia, sleep problems, irritability, and exaggerated startle response. Treatment may involve psychotherapy, group support, and medication.PTSD Quiz
Can you have PTSD even if you've never been to war? Take the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Quiz to learn about PTSD, who gets it, and why.Stress
Stress is a normal part of life, but chronic or severe stress can be harmful to your health. Learn what happens in your body when you are stressed and how you can manage your response.Stress Fracture Picture
A fracture that occurs during the course of normal activity is called a minimal trauma fracture or stress fracture. See a picture of Stress Fracture and learn more about the health topic.Stress Quiz
Stress creeps into everyone's life at one time or another, while some people will suffer from poorly managed chronic stress. If you're suffering, there are things you can do. Take the Stress Quiz to learn what you can do to beat the long-term effects of chronic stress.