Anna Delany and Pat Fiducia
Self-esteem affects all areas of your life. What you do, how you do it, how you treat yourself and others, and how much you enjoy life are all affected by your level of self-esteem. If you have low esteem you’re unlikely to be as motivated to take care of yourself physically, or achieve your goals, as someone with higher self-esteem; and that means weight control will be more difficult for you.
The benefits of good self-esteem don’t stop at your waistline, though; improving your self-esteem affects your whole life, and the lives of those around you, for the better.
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Before we go any further, try this three-step evaluation to determine the state of your self-esteem.
1. What sort of person are you? The first thoughts that come to mind in response to this question will give you insight into whether you have high or low self-esteem.
If your first thoughts run along these lines: “I’m not really good at anything, I’m not very smart, I’m such a negative person, I’m unattractive…” you probably have low self-esteem.
If your first thoughts run along these lines: “I really like myself, I’m competent, I measure up reasonably well when it comes to most things in life” your self-esteem is fairly high.
2. Put this analysis to a further test by answering these questions:
The higher your self-esteem, the more likely you are to answer “Yes, I deserve to be happy, I feel competent in most situations, and I also have the guts and common sense to manage life’s basic challenges.” If you have low or iffy self-esteem you're more likely to respond to these questions in the negative.
3. Which of these traits would you expect to see on a “report card” of yourself? You’re likely to have a mixture of responses, but the balance will give some indication of the level of your self-esteem.
|
High self-esteem traits |
Low self-esteem traits |
|---|---|
|
I am... Self-respecting Tolerant Involved in healthy relationships Someone who exercises good judgment Responsible Willing to take risks Able to handle criticism well Confident Honest Someone who takes pride in accomplishments Caring of myself and others Motivated |
I am... Incompetent Fearful, especially of failure Unable to readily set or achieve goals Rarely able to look people in the eye Susceptible to eating disorders, drug abuse or violence Over-analytical of myself Discontent Disrespectful of myself and others A blame-shifter. I have trouble saying “sorry”. Lacking in confidence Doubtful of myself and others Easily intimidated Always trying to impress people |
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