What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is how we value and perceive ourselves. It’s based on our opinions and beliefs about ourselves, which can sometimes feel really difficult to change.
The pandemic and lockdown has left many with low self-confidence, poor self-esteem and struggling to find the self-motivation for work and other areas of their life. It has become a wellbeing issue for many people during the pandemic which is something for us to consider personally, and also for the organisations we work for to recognise, as many are looking for ways to build the confidence and resilience of their staff, not just during the pandemic, but for when we emerge from it too.
The loss of confidence and low self-esteem would seem to be a major concern for many who perhaps are living alone, or, have lost touch with friends and family, or even having been furloughed.
From last March to the present day, many individuals may have felt ill-prepared to manage the rapid changes at the beginning of the pandemic to the frequent changes to our lifestyle, income, family time, work and health often made at short notice that we may experience now.
In order to feel prepared and in control we need to know and understand what is happening to us.
We often haven’t known what would be happening next and many (if not all) of us will have experienced some sort of change to our Mental Health and Wellbeing throughout the pandemic.
Many individuals may be finding it challenging to cope with this current lockdown as previously for a wide range of issues, some of which may include –
Feeling angry and frustrated by the decision making of others
The rules, and restrictions
The behaviour of others
Even the weather (the winter lockdown is more difficult because of the darker evenings, the temperature, the rain etc.)
We hear that people have spoken about having lost confidence and that they almost “can’t be bothered with anything”. A wide range of Mental Health issues have been presented during the pandemic, not only for those already living with a diagnosis, but also for many across the age ranges who are now experiencing things such as; depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, low mood, lack of confidence, lack of self-worth and low self-esteem.
Your self-esteem can affect whether you:
- Like and value yourself as a person
- Are able to make decisions and assert yourself
- Recognise your strengths and positives
- Feel able to try new or difficult things
- Show kindness towards yourself
- Take the time you need for yourself
- Believe you matter and are good enough
So how can we boost self-esteem?
The organisation ‘Mind’ have come up with some helpful tips which include –
- Be kind to yourself
- Look after yourself
- Try to notice the good things around you
- Build a support network
- Consider “talking therapies”
It is often difficult to think about any of the above when we feel there is little point in anything, yet at some level; there is always a point and by learning to do some of the things above, we can not only re build self-esteem, but confidence and a belief that we can get through this.
Useful sources & Information:
Some of the information sourced for this article was originally published by ‘Mind’. If you would like to access this and further information in more detail please follow the link below –
If you are struggling then remember that Care first is there to support you 24/7. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.
If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Tips to boost your self-esteem in Lockdown’ this is being delivered live on Wednesday 10th February at 12pm, please use the following link to register for this session –
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8254155148601601804
If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.