Self-esteem, self-confidence, self-belief

Self-esteem can sometimes seem like one of those words that, despite their importance, are repeated often and can eventually lose their meaning.

In fact, self-esteem is a very important thing (in dating - especially) that needs to be understood. High self-esteem translates outwardly that you have a healthy and balanced belief in yourself, that everything is fine with you, that you are cool. High self-esteem makes it easier to make new acquaintances.

That's about it - but it's especially important when you're thinking about starting to meet and bond with someone, because it's very important for our mental health and helps us build healthy relationships as a couple.

Of course, in this way it sounds simple. But maintaining high self-esteem can be tricky. It's all too easy to be hard on yourself - even on little things. How often do you mentally scold yourself after doing something wrong: talking to yourself in a way you wouldn't talk to anyone else?

Where does self-esteem come from?

Without going into too much detail, most of our attitudes about ourselves stem from how we were taught to treat ourselves as children.

If you grew up without much encouragement, or if you weren't praised when you were good at something, you may believe that there is something wrong with you and that you don't deserve or deserve to be treated well.

Figuring out if you have low self-esteem can be difficult - often this feeling has been around for so long that it seems you just perceive the world that way.

A life without self-respect

Such a life can be very difficult and emotionally painful. It can make you feel small, worthless and low. Additionally, it may result in you not being able to make decisions that could benefit you in the long run. It may mean that you don't apply, are afraid to make the first move when meeting and don't make the most of your opportunities. It could be that you think you won't be able to make new friends or meet someone special, so don't try.

It can also mean that you seek confirmation of your worth in other ways. While social media can be great, it can also be tempting when you're trying to project a certain image to the world and chasing that feeling you get when someone likes or someone shares what you've posted. If you're not careful, it can be addictive and prevent you from making real connections with other people.

Also, it can make you vulnerable to people putting pressure on you. If you have low self-esteem, you may feel less able to stand up for yourself or say no. What doesn't suit you? For example, a recent study found that 40% of young women were pressured to send nude photos of themselves, and two-thirds of them later regretted it.

Work on self-esteem

So how do you work on "developing high self-esteem"? Is this even possible? Can you?

short answer… Yes.

First: work on your relationships with other people. If there are people around you who care about you, you will feel supported. And if you feel other people want to support you, you're more likely to want to support yourself.

This might just mean spending more time with friends and making an effort to be social, but it could also mean trying to open up more to people you trust and let them know how you really feel. It's easier said than done, but letting people into your life can really help make relationships stronger and feel stronger.

When you open up to people, they are more likely to open up to you. You can often find that behind the ideal image they create, sometimes there is a lack of self-confidence. But make sure that the people you hang out with are radiators, not refrigerators: people who give heat and don't take it from you.

Next, try changing the way you talk to yourself. Instead of thinking "I'm such a loser" When you don't succeed, try to be nice to yourself: "Hey, I messed up, but nobody's perfect." It sounds simple and maybe even a little silly, but it can really make a difference.