Self-esteem (自尊) is the opinion we have of ourselves. When we have healthy self-esteem, we tend to feel positive about ourselves and life. If we have low self-esteem, we may feel anxious and look down on ourselves.

Low self-esteem often begins in childhood. Our teachers, friends and parents send us positive and negative messages about ourselves. 【小题1】. Besides, stress and difficult life events can have a negative effect on self-esteem. Personality can play a part, too. Some people are just more likely to have negative thinking.

【小题2】. If you have low self-esteem, you may hide yourself away from social situations, stop trying new things, and avoid things you find challenging. In the long term, this can backfire because it makes your doubts and fears stronger. You may also develop unhelpful habits, such as smoking and drinking too much.

To improve your self-esteem, you need to identify the negative beliefs you have about yourself, and then challenge them. 【小题3】. Note these thoughts. Next, start to write some evidence that challenges these negative beliefs, such as “I’m really good at crosswords” or “My sister calls for a chat every week”. You could also write down other positive things about yourself on the list and add them to the list regularly. Then put your list where you can see it.   【小题4】.

You can also learn to be assertive to improve your self-esteem. One trick is to look at other people who act assertively and copy what they do. 【小题5】. It’s picking up tips from people you admire and letting your true self come out.