Self-esteem is a person’s sense of self-worth. A person with high self-esteem may believe that he or she is a good person who is worthy of respect. Researchers measure people’s self-esteem by asking them to what degree they agree with certain statements, such as “On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.”
Most psychologists believe that overall self-esteem, also known as global self-esteem, includes a number of more specific types of self-esteem. These types include academic self-esteem and appearance self-esteem. Academic self-esteem refers to the way people feel about their school-related abilities. Appearance self-esteem refers to the way people feel about their looks. However, self-esteem is only a perception, and it may not be accurate. For example, a student who does well in school may have low academic self-esteem.
Children develop a sense of overall self-esteem as early as age five. Self-esteem tends to stay relatively stable throughout one’s life. Any changes are usually small and gradual. However, self-esteem often decreases during adolescence, the period of development between childhood and adulthood. The decrease may occur because adolescence is a stressful period during which many young people become highly concerned over what their peers think of them.
People with low self-esteem are more likely to experience depression. People with high self-esteem may be happier. People with high self-esteem are also more likely to take initiative— that is, to start an action or to lead in action. They speak up when they have something to say, try new things, and keep trying even after they experience a failure. However, having extremely high self-esteem can sometimes cause people to exaggerate their abilities. If self-esteem is too high, it can cause people to feel entitled to better treatment than others receive in certain circumstances, or to focus on themselves excessively. Researchers have found that both bullies and the people who stand up to them tend to have high self-esteem, probably because self-esteem increases confidence and initiative.
Self-esteem is not a solution to all the problems people encounter in life. However, it feels good to have high self-esteem. For this reason, many people would like to increase their self-esteem. Social support is essential for self-esteem. Therefore, working to build strong, healthy relationships is a good way to protect self-esteem. Parents can help their children build self-esteem by giving them opportunities to solve problems on their own and supporting their choices.
Researchers have found that physical exercise also may increase self-esteem. It may be helpful to find a physical activity that one enjoys and engage in it regularly. Another way to increase self-esteem is to concentrate on acting in ways that reflect one’s values.
People who have low self-esteem tend to engage in negative thinking about their ability to handle challenges in daily life. For this reason, an approach called cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used to treat low self-esteem. This type of therapy can teach people to change negative patterns of thinking into healthier, more positive ones.
