How to Help Someone with Low Self-Esteem
Written by: Dr Joseph Kekulawala (Psychiatrist)
Self-esteem is your view of yourself. People with high or healthy self-esteem see themselves in a positive light and value their achievements. This is in contrast to people with low self-esteem who feel chronically unsatisfied or unhappy with themselves. In this article, we will cover how to help someone with low self-esteem.
However, before let’s outline what low self-esteem means. A person with low self-esteem is likely to ignore or downplay their positive qualities. They are more likely to be critical of themselves. They tend to blame themselves when something wrong happens. However, if something good happens, they take little or no credit. Low self-esteem can cause sadness, reduce a person’s ability to enjoy life, lead to perfectionism, relationship breakdowns and lower life satisfaction. You are probably starting to appreciate just how hurtful having low self-esteem can be. So, how to help someone with low self-esteem?
Chapter 1:How to Help Someone with Low Self-Esteem
How to Help Someone with Low Self-Esteem
Talk with them
It can greatly help someone with low self-esteem to talk to someone their trust. If you have a good relationship, you believe that the person you are concerned about trusts you. It may help to enquire how they are feeling gently. If they are receptive, you can tactfully raise your concerns. Don’t be too pushy or abrasive. Take your time, it may take a couple of conversations before they open up to you.
Talk with someone else that they know
You might not be the only person concerned about the loss of his team. If there is someone else who is concerned, and you think they are supportive of the person you are worried about, talk with them. It might be a chance to share ideas, think of ways to help. Two minds trying to solve a problem are better than one.
Learn more about low self-esteem
It can help to inform yourself about low self-esteem better. After which, you can decide what’s best to do. If you are more aware, you can better understand what you need to do. What your role is and how best you can help.
Do a fun, relaxing activity
Take the person you are concerned about on a fun and relaxing outing. It will help take their mind off their worries. This may not directly address their issues. However, it is a simple and non-confrontational approach on how to help someone with low self-esteem.
Challenge the negative self-talk
As we have learnt, people with self-esteem are very critical of themselves. One approach on how to help someone with lower self-esteem is to challenge any negative opinions of theirs and help them notice the positive qualities.
Offer genuine praise and appreciation
If you notice they have done something particularly well, tell them. Point out their positive qualities without going overboard. They might brush you off. However, it does help, in the long run, to continue to offer genuine praise.
We hope you have learned something by reading the article on how to help someone with low self-esteem. Self-esteem is important. Sadly a lot of people struggle with how they view themselves. Fortunately, there are effective ways to help someone with self-esteem, and if they choose, therapy can be incredibly powerful. Please send us any comments and feedback that you have on this article.
