Self Esteem

Are you not at your best because you lack strong self esteem? Don’t let this be a problem that stops you from being the great person you are. Call Dr. Rice today at (248) 760-2571 and begin the journey to a having more confidence and pride in yourself.

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale

SELF-ESTEEM

How is your Self-Esteem? Click HERE to find out. Self-esteem is your overall opinion of yourself –how you honestly feel about your abilities and limitations. When you have healthy self-esteem, you feel good about yourself and see yourself as deserving the respect of others. When you have low self-esteem, you put little value on your opinions and ideas. You might consistently worry that you aren’t “good enough.” Many adults could benefit from improving their self-esteem. Here’s how to tell if your self-esteem needs a boost and why it’s important to develop a healthy sense of your own worth.

FACTORS THAT SHAPE AND INFLUENCE SELF-ESTEEM

Self-esteem begins to form in early childhood. Factors that can influence self-esteem include:

• Your own thoughts and perceptions
• How other people react to you
• Experiences at school, work and in the community
• Illness, disability or injury
• Culture
• Religion
• Role and status in society

Relationships with those close to you – parents, siblings, peers, teachers and other important contacts are especially important to your self-esteem. Many beliefs you hold about yourself today reflect messages you’ve received from those people over time. If your close relationships are strong and you receive generally positive feedback, you’re more likely to see yourself as worthwhile and have healthier self-esteem. If you receive mostly negative feedback and are often criticized, teased or devalued by others, you’re more likely to struggle with poor self-esteem. Still, your own thoughts have perhaps the biggest impact on self-esteem – and these thoughts are within your control. If you tend to focus on your weaknesses or flaws, you can learn to reframe negative thoughts and focus instead on your positive qualities.

THE RANGES OF SELF-ESTEEM

Self-esteem tends to fluctuate over time, depending on your circumstances. It’s normal to go through times when you feel down – or especially good –about yourself. Generally, however, self-esteem stays in a range that reflects how you feel about yourself overall. Consider how to recognize the extremes, as well as a healthy balance somewhere in between:

Overly high self-esteem – If you regard yourself more highly than others do, you might have an unrealistically positive view of yourself. When you have an inflated sense of self-esteem, you often feel superior to those around you. Such feelings can lead you to become arrogant or self-indulgent and believe that you deserve special privileges.
Low self-esteem – When you have low or negative self-esteem, you put little value on your opinions and ideas. You focus on your perceived weaknesses and faults and give scant credit to your skills and assets. You believe that others are more capable or successful. You might have difficulty accepting positive feedback. You might fear failure, which can hold you back from succeeding at work or school.
Healthy self-esteem. When you have healthy self-esteem it means you have a balance, accurate view of yourself. For instance, you have a good opinion of your abilities but recognize your flaws.

When self-esteem is healthy and grounded in reality, it’s hard to have too much of it. Boasting and feeling superior to others around you isn’t a sign of too much self-esteem. It’s more likely evidence of insecurity and low self-esteem. Benefits of healthy self-esteem When you value yourself and have good self-esteem, you feel secure and worthwhile. You have generally positive relationships with others and feel confident about your abilities. You’re also open to learning and feedback, which can help you acquire and master new skills.
Image: Self Esteem, Dr. Ron Rice, Psychologist, Michigan

With healthy self-esteem you’re:

• Assertive in expressing your needs and opinions
• Confident in your ability to make decisions
• Able to form secure and honest relationships – and less likely to stay in unhealthy ones
• Realistic in your expectations and less likely to be overcritical of yourself and others
• More resilient and better able to weather stress and setbacks
• Less likely to experience feelings such as worthlessness, guilt and shame
• Less likely to develop eating disorders

Self-esteem affects virtually every facet of your life. Maintaining a healthy, realistic view of yourself isn’t about blowing your own horn. It’s about learning to like and respect you — faults and all. I cannot stress enough the importance of the following:

LOW SELF ESTEEM IS ESSENTIALLY TOTALLY SOCIALLY LEARNED. IT CAN BE CAUSED BY SOME OR ALL OF THE ITEMS LISTED EARLIER. HOWEVER THE CAUSE, NEGATIVE MESSAGES FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES CAN BE CHANGED. YOU CAN LEARN WITH THE HELP OF COUNSELING TO HAVE FANTASTIC SELF ESTEEM. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF. YOU ARE VALUABLE IN SPITE OF WHAT YOU NOW FEEL. BE PROACTIVE. TAKE THE NEXT STEP. GIVE ME A CALL ON MY PERSONAL CELL PHONE AT (248) 760-2571 TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT. IT WILL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION OF YOUR LIFE.