Feeling depressed or unhappy can be a result of a low self-esteem.  Self-esteem is a measure of how people feel about themselves, and if people do not feel good about themselves, they are said to have a low self-esteem.  This can lead to negative health consequences because people are more likely to make bad health decisions, are less likely to follow through with their health goals, and overall become more sedentary and inactive.  On the other hand, boosting self-esteem can have health benefits just because these negative side effects are canceled: people are more able to pursue better health through exercise and diet choices, and they will naturally become more active and outgoing.

Self-esteem is the way we see ourselves, so it is to a large degree a matter of attitude.  One of the quickest ways to boost self-esteem is to work on adjusting your mental habits.  For example, many people with low self-esteem have what’s called an all-or-nothing way of thinking: that means they see things as being either all good or all bad.  To counteract this tendency, try to notice whenever you’re thinking like this and work at finding at least one good thing about the situation.  The more often you practice such ways of thinking, the more your mind will default to that mode, and you can break the habits of negative thinking.

Another pitfall is concentrating on negative things.  Though people may see both the good and the bad in a situation, sometimes people will forget the good things and concentrate exclusively on the negative.  Perceived consequences or expectations of small things might be overblown in a person’s mind because they’re concentrating too much on the negative.  For example, people might assume they will lose their job because of one small error, and the thought of losing their job sends them into a negative spiral of thinking.

  It’s important for people to realize that their feelings about themselves are not facts about themselves.  Just because a person feels like a failure does not mean they are in fact a failure.  It’s important to notice when you’re interpreting your feelings as if they were true and try to realize that just because you feel bad doesn’t mean your life is actually bad.  Work on using hopeful statements: encourage yourself if you decide you want to try to do better.  And if you fall short, forgive yourself.  It’s important to avoid statements with ‘should’ or ‘must’ such as “I should lose weight,” because it reinforces a sense of failure if you don’t reach that goal.  Instead, tell yourself, “I want to lose weight” and realize that there’s no such thing as instant success.

Low self-esteem and negative self-image can have many deleterious effects on a person’s health.  Even though it’s technically “all in the mind,” our attitudes affect our behaviors and choices, so that our emotional health can quickly affect our physical health.  Try to break out of any negative cycles you find yourself in, and if you want to consult a doctor for options and advice, be sure to use IPALC’s physician directory at www.ipalc.org/find to find someone near you.  Or one of our friendly staff can help your search if you email info@ipalc.org.