It is okay to be frustrated with yourself here and there. Emotions can be messy, and you might feel angry with yourself, especially when you have done something uncharacteristic for you.
At times, the stress from the external environment can boil forth into your own self as well. However, these occasional moments of feeling low are understandable.
Trouble looms when you have perpetually low self-worth. You are constantly uncomfortable in your own skin. Your opinion of yourself is the lowest. These feelings can be harmful as one starts to hate themselves, themselves, but also allows people to become an easy pray.
If your feelings of low-esteem are also followed by hopelessness, bouts of sadness, crying, and has been going for on quite some time, it may be a sign of depression, and you must then visit a Psychiatrist for diagnosis and treatment.
Things to Do for Improved Self-Worth
You are not the first person to feel low, and most often, it’s not your fault that your self-worth is suffering. You might have childhood trauma that may be behind your feelings of low self-esteem.
Similarly, if you have had to face a lot of criticism in the past, especially during your formative years, then naturally, your self-worth is also damaged as a result.
At times, low self-esteem is also due to stress; relationship problems, financial loss, loss of a job etc. and the subsequent stress may also bring on the cycle of self-hate.
Alongside mitigating and dealing with the reason of the low self-worth, you can take steps to improve your feeling of self-worth. Some helpful steps include:
Be Kind to Yourself
Unless you realize that you yourself are being the hardest and you are killing your own spirit, your feelings will not change.
Therefore, it is vital that you be actively kind to yourself. That does not mean that you forget self-accountability, it just means that you cut yourself some slack. Give yourself the same room of error and dignity that you would to another person.
Be Grateful
At times, our low self-esteem is brought on by FOMO –fear of missing out—and comparison with other people’s lives, especially as shown on the social media. This can make people think they are not pretty enough, not loved enough etc. that then leads to feeling of low self-worth.
You need to snap out of these toxic thoughts. These not only lead to discontentment, but you also make you negligent on things and blessings that you have.
One helpful way to get out of this viscous cycle is by starting a gratitude journal. Every day, start to recount things that you are grateful for. Overtime, it will help you realize the number of blessings that you have, that will humble you, and make you cognizant of the favors on you. Consequently, your self-worth will improve.
It will also dispel the cycle of negative thoughts. Gratitude also helps in destressing; it encourages contentment and also helps in improving your mental health.
Don’t Indulge in Self-Pity
When you spiral into self-pity, you start to consider yourself a victim. This way, you stop considering yourself worthy of standing up for; your martyr complex makes it possible for you to become devoid of dignity, that then translates into low-self-esteem as well.
Moreover, self-pity also brings with itself plethora of negative emotions, that can also wreak havoc on your self-esteem. Therefore, pipe down on these negative thoughts. Stand up for yourself!
Pay Attention to the Triggers
Realize when the bouts of low self-esteem strike. When you know the triggers, you can avoid them to cope better.
Seek Help
Your low self-worth may be tied to complex psychological issues, that might not improve on their own. You might need help from a qualified Psychiatrist in Islamabad for dealing with the issue of low self-esteem and remedying it accordingly.