Having healthy self-esteem is one of the most important factors of success, satisfaction and happiness in life. Humans adopt their behaviors and decisions based on their self-image and the value they attach to themselves. Self-esteem helps a person to feel empowered and confident in facing challenges and difficulties. In fact, self-esteem acts as the psychological backbone of a person, which affects his mental health. What is self-esteem? Self-esteem means the value that a person places on himself and believes in his abilities, competences and inherent worth. Self-esteem is a psychological concept that is directly related to a person's sense of self-satisfaction and quality of life. People with strong self-esteem usually feel more satisfied with life and can face challenges more easily. Most people's thoughts and feelings about themselves fluctuate to some extent based on their daily experiences. The grade you get on an exam, the way your friends treat you, the ups and downs of a romantic relationship can all have a temporary effect on how you feel about yourself. However, your self-esteem is more fundamental than the normal ups and downs that accompany situational changes. For people with good self-esteem, normal ups and downs may lead to temporary fluctuations in how they feel about themselves, but only to a limited extent. Conversely, for people with low self-esteem, these ups and downs dramatically affect how they see themselves. Read more: What is speech therapy? **Meaning of healthy self-esteem** Healthy self-esteem is a state in which a person respects himself and is aware of his strengths and weaknesses. These people can accept themselves and strive for personal growth without feeling excessive perfectionism. Healthy self-esteem makes a person perform better in relationships, work and everyday life. Such a person is aware of his own values ​​and focuses on fulfilling his personal goals and aspirations instead of getting approval from others. **Ways to strengthen self-esteem** **Caring for physical and mental health**: Proper nutrition, exercise and enough sleep help to strengthen a good sense of self. These actions give a person more energy to face challenges. **Going for counseling**: Going to a psychologist can help a person identify the roots of their low self-esteem and learn the necessary skills to strengthen it. Counseling also helps a person change negative beliefs about themselves and develop a more positive attitude. **Knowledge of strengths and weaknesses**: Being aware of one's abilities and accepting one's shortcomings makes a person feel more real and positive about himself. This recognition can be strengthened through the practice of regular self-assessment and recording of achievements. **Practice of positive thinking**: Replacing negative thoughts with constructive thoughts has a great effect on strengthening self-esteem. For example, remembering past successes and appreciating yourself can help change a person's attitude. **Learning new skills**: Progress in a specific area increases the sense of worth. Learning a new language or artistic skill can be an example of this practice. Psychotherapy to increase self-esteem Working in a therapeutic setting with a therapist or counselor can help those who suffer from low self-esteem. Using psychotherapy or psychoanalysis, the patient and the professional can discover the sources of the patient's self-esteem struggles and begin the healing process. Treatment options include cognitive-behavioral therapy to instrument and assign patients to work at home through journaling. Because many who suffer from low self-esteem have an incomplete internal narrative, learning to trust a therapist and open up to that person can help a patient correct this negative thinking. A therapist's objectivity, acceptance, and neutrality provide a safe space in which the patient can learn to be accepted by others. In this way, occupational therapy as exposure therapy is similar to the approach used for patients with disorders such as agoraphobia. Psychologists specialize in helping people improve their self-esteem. In the clinical psychology of the best psychiatry clinic in Tehran, we integrate a variety of psychological approaches with scientific support to help you communicate with yourself in a kinder way. Mehrbad Clinic helps you to change your self-talk (thoughts). So that you can start building a fulfilling and rewarding life and feel more comfortable and secure in your own skin. Characteristics of people with high self-esteem Trust in your values - Ability to accept mistakes - Having a sense of responsibility - Having healthy and balanced relationships - Respect for yourself and others - These people are also able to set real goals and achieve them. **The effect of high self-esteem in life** People with high self-esteem usually have healthier social relationships, higher motivation to achieve goals, and stronger morale in the face of problems. High self-esteem helps a person to take responsibility for his life and follow his desired path instead of being influenced by the negative opinions of others. These people have more confidence in their judgment and are not afraid of making decisions in difficult situations. ### **Effect of high self-esteem in the work environment** In the work environment, high self-esteem makes a person have more confidence in his abilities, make better decisions and establish more effective relationships with his colleagues. These people usually welcome constructive criticism and respond to challenges with a positive attitude. Also, high self-esteem increases creativity, initiative and motivation in performing job duties. **The difference between self-esteem and self-confidence** Self-esteem refers to a person's overall sense of self-worth, while self-confidence refers to a person's belief in his or her ability to perform a specific task or skill. For example, a person may have high self-confidence in a particular skill but low self-worth overall. In fact, self-esteem is the foundation of self-confidence. **Factors that reduce self-esteem** **Repeated criticism and humiliation in childhood**: These types of experiences can lead to a feeling of weakness and worthlessness in a person. - **Constant comparison with others**: Unrealistic comparisons make a person feel less than others. - **Experience of repeated failures**: Failures can reduce self-confidence and fear of trying again. - **Unhealthy relationships or emotional abuse**: People who have experienced humiliation or neglect in their relationships usually have low self-esteem. - **Lack of attention to self and personal needs**: Lack of self-care and ignoring personal needs can create a sense of worthlessness. Consequences of low self-esteem Low self-esteem can have a destructive effect. including: - It causes anxiety, chronic stress, loneliness and increases the possibility of depression - It causes problems in friendly and romantic relationships - It seriously disrupts academic and professional performance - It leads to increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse Worse, these negative outcomes reinforce the negative self-image and can lead a person down a downward spiral of lower and lower self-esteem and unproductive or even actively self-destructive behaviors. **Is low self-esteem a mental health problem?** Low self-esteem is not a mental disorder in itself, but it can be the basis of many psychological problems, including anxiety, depression and personality disorders. Early treatment of low self-esteem can prevent these problems. In addition, identifying the causes of low self-esteem and trying to fix them has a great effect on preventing mental problems. **Conclusion** Self-esteem is one of the most basic psychological aspects to have a healthy and satisfying life. Efforts to strengthen self-esteem not only help to improve the quality of an individual's life, but also have a positive effect on a person's relationships and social and professional performance. Paying attention to this issue and, if necessary, seeking help from professional advisors is an important step towards personal growth and excellence.