SELF ESTEEM

By Cecilia Gutiérrez A., Psychologist NSW SLASA.

psychologist@nswslasa.com.au   

The level of self esteem that we have (high, medium or low) has a profound consequence on our emotional and social life.  The fact that it effects us in so many ways makes self esteem an important issue of mental health, due to the fact that the level of self esteem that we have is related directly to our conduct in all areas of our lives, be it individual, in a relationship, at school, at work, socially or in general.  Therefore if we work to develop a good self esteem it benefits our mental health and our quality of life. A good self esteem is considered a key factor in the development of personality, in crucial aspects such as emotional, genuine social relationship, satisfaction, attention span, problem resolution and tolerance to frustration. So to live a healthy and satisfactory life, everyone, regardless age, sex, culture and religion, needs to have a healthy self esteem that allows us to develop our potentials to the highest possible level. Generally the people that have a good level of self-confidence, are more trusting, genuine, are often happy with life, capable of facing and resolving confidently problems and responsibilities that comes there way. Low self esteem on the other hand, deteriorates by a considerable amount the quality of life, because it goes hand in hand with insecurity and personal dissatisfaction that limits us significantly to set ourselves goals and to achieve.