Self Esteem Articles
Shame is a word we attribute with many meanings. We say we ‘feel ashamed’ if we mess up at work, or disappoint a partner. Or ‘don’t shame me’ if someone is putting us down. The examples above really talk about guilt – – our awareness that our actions have upset others. Shame might be triggered...
What is projection anyway? You don’t want to go out for the evening, but convince yourself the other party actually doesn’t find you interesting and that’s why you’re cancelling. You are incredibly attracted to a colleague, but get angry at them for flirting with you. In a fight with your sister you stay very calm,...
It seems that in today’s modern world, confidence is a currency similar to money – we all want more of it, and it never seems enough. This is in part because of the self-help movement’s connection of confidence with success. (But this concept is actually a myth – more on that later.) It’s possible many...
by Andrea Blundell From a parent telling us we have been better behaved than a sibling, to a teacher who keeps a chart with students’ names and gold stars, we are taught the idea of comparing from very young. In psychology, the human drive to compare ourselves to others is called “social comparison theory”. Social...
It’s easy to blame many of our problems in life on low self-confidence. But is your confidence as low as you think? And if you do struggle to be confident, how worried should you be when it comes to your psychological health? What is self-confidence? Self-confidence is both a state of certainty and a positive...
Silently seething with resentment? Feel helpless, and like overcoming feeling bitter might happen for other people, but you are a hopeless case? Anger vs bitterness Anger involves outrage followed by action, as you decide how best to handle your situation. Bitterness can feel worse than anger because we are left feeling helpless. Referred to as ’embitterment’...
Once seen as just about taking care of your physical health, such as eating well and exercising, self care is now viewed in a much more holistic manner. Not only is there your physical health to take care of, but also your mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health. Really, you can practise self care...
Emotional abuse (also called psychological abuse or mental abuse) is any form of non-physical abuse designed to cause damage to another person’s mindset and erode their sense of wellbeing. It most often involves someone imposing their power over you in a way that attacks your sense of confidence and makes you depend on them, whether...
You spend years of your life thinking you are on track, and on paper it all seems a success. And then one day you stop and realise that you actually aren’t happy. What went wrong? There’s a good chance that you never learnt how to listen to yourself, but have mistaken the chatter in your...
Emotional wellbeing is unique to each individual, but there are general signs of psychological issues that many of us recognise by now. These can include a change in eating patterns, poor sleep, low self-care, reduced libido, and faltering energy levels. But some forms of psychological stress are less obvious or misunderstood. How do you measure...