One of the most common questions asked by adults who are concerned about their self-esteem is what affects self-esteem. The answer to this question is complicated. Most individuals tend to be uncertain and jump to conclusions, but usually that is not true. It has been found that adults with low self-esteem tend to make conclusions based on other adults and fail to consider the question from their own perspective. This means that they come to conclusions like these:
“Self-esteem depends on how I react to the world.” This is true but only up to a point. If an individual comes from a positive social environment and had positive childhood experiences, their self-esteem will usually be high. If they did not have such positive experiences and came from a negative social environment, their self-esteem will normally be low. This also applies to individuals who have low self-confidence because they did not learn to manage their negative self-talk in a positive way.
“What affects self-esteem refers to my ability to choose what happens to me.” Again, this is very true. If an individual chooses to see things from a positive perspective then they are more likely to create good self-esteem. However, if an individual does not learn how to manage their negative self-talk well then they are going to have a hard time developing good self-esteem. A person who is able to manage their negative self-talk well usually enjoys high self-esteem because they do not let those negative thoughts affect them.
“What affects self-esteem usually refers to the way I handle myself.” Adults often think that they are beautiful just because they look good in the mirror. However, if they do not take care of themselves physically then they may start to believe that they are unattractive. They need to start developing healthy habits for themselves such as eating the right foods and getting plenty of exercise. They need to take care of their appearance in order to feel good about themselves. Healthy habits also affect general self-esteem because they promote a feeling of well being.
“What affects self-esteem usually refers to having stable social roles during my teen years and young adulthood.” Mature adults have learned how to be successful at work and in their personal lives. In this regard it makes sense that they would continue to have stable and appropriate social roles into their late adult life. Stable social roles promote self-esteem, because people are more likely to get older and do well socially and in the work place. Those who have stable social roles are less likely to have difficulties with establishing healthy relationships.
“What affects self-esteem usually refers to having the ability to control certain aspects of one’s life in order to achieve desired ends.” When we use the word control, we are referring to the power to determine what goes on in our life and how we go about it. There is a new research study that addresses the issue of controlling behavior in a setting that does not allow for verbal or non-verbal cues to communicate needs. It refers to the power of general self-esteem to actually get people to express what they need through non-verbal communication.
“What affects self-esteem usually refers to having the ability to maintain appropriate physical appearance throughout one’s life.” Those who don’t have the ability to maintain appropriate physical appearance can have difficulty getting older and maintaining an overall self-image. However, people who have the ability to maintain appropriate physical appearance are more likely to develop healthy habits for their physical appearance and have the ability to maintain appropriate psychological self-image. This new research on the topic of the effects of self-esteem on physical appearance is significant because it offers a new way for individuals to gain self-confidence as they age.
The second major question that deals with what affects self-esteem deals with the effect of physical appearance on self-image. It has been well documented that physical appearance has a strong effect on the self-image of an individual. If a person wants to remain attractive, they often will work hard at improving their physical appearance. Unfortunately, most of these same individuals forget to address the psychological impact that their appearance has on their self-image. Those with poor self-image tend to make poor choices in clothing, make poor dietary choices and generally act in a manner that reflects their low self-image. Learning about how self-esteem and physical appearance relate can be a helpful lesson for individuals to learn about how their behavior relates to their self-image.