Self-confidence and self-esteem – what is the difference between these terms?

For many people, it is common to think of self- confidence and self-esteem as two different words for the same thing. What many people do not know is that these words explain different parts of a person’s image and perception of themselves. Self-esteem and self-esteem do not necessarily have a connection , but they can largely influence each other. Therefore, for most people, it can be useful to find out how to get better self-confidence and self-esteem.

For example, you may have low self-esteem without feeling bad about yourself, or vice versa. Or maybe you find that you have both low self-esteem and a bad self-esteem. Whatever your endeavors, it will be possible to train both of these perceptions of yourself. Read on to learn more about self-esteem and confidence, as well as find answers on how to improve both of these aspects of yourself.

What does it mean to have low self-esteem?

Self-confidence is described as your own belief in your own achievements . It is therefore about having faith in one’s own abilities to carry out things. This could be, for example, giving a speech in a company, or when you have to carry out large and important tasks at work. It is possible to have both low self-esteem and too much self-esteem.

Self-confidence can be experienced differently from day to day, or even from morning to evening. As a rule, self-esteem is influenced by external factors. It is not possible to have control over these factors. But it can often be the case that one misinterprets signals from others or overthinks situations .

If you lack a sense of acceptance and validation from other people, you may develop low self-esteem. Your actions and achievements are not sufficiently recognized. This can affect how you perceive your abilities to perform something. In the event of similar situations in the future, you may then become insecure and perhaps afraid of again experiencing the lack of acceptance from others.

What is low self-esteem?

Self-esteem is about being able to see your own value in relation to others. With good self-esteem, you accept yourself as you are . It’s about being happy with yourself, and also seeing your faults and shortcomings without it destroying your sense of self.

In some cases, you may have a good sense of self-esteem, while your self-confidence becomes poor because you may place too much emphasis on your weaknesses. On the other side, some may experience that you have good self-confidence and a lot of faith in your own abilities, but low self-esteem because you think that you as a person are not good enough as you are.

If you do not recognize your own value on an equal footing with the value of others, this means that you have poor self-esteem . If you focus too much on your weaknesses and think that you are never good enough, you will not be able to be happy with yourself. You don’t accept yourself for who you are.

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How to get better self-confidence and self-esteem?

It is possible to work with both self-confidence and self-esteem . You can do this by training your thinking . This particularly applies to the various situations you are faced with that you experience as unpleasant. These will be situations where you either have low self-esteem or when your self-esteem is not good.

Finding a good balance between both self-awareness, belief in your own abilities and acceptance of who you are will lead to both good self-confidence and self-esteem. If, for example, you struggle to see your own value in relation to that of others, there are various techniques you can perform. This also applies if you experience a lot of stress in connection with situations where you are expected to perform.

In the given situation, it is important to notice the body’s symptoms. Try to feel what is really happening in your head and body. Are you blushing? Do you get dry mouth? Are the words you want to say not coming out? Feel for and try to reverse the thoughts you have about the symptoms. Try to think that these are not dangerous bodily reactions, but rather reactions that help you stay focused and be sharp.

It can also help to then direct the attention outside yourself . Try to immerse yourself in the topic being talked about. This will of course be easier if it is something you are interested in. But as a rule, you will always find something interesting either in the person you are talking to or the topic of conversation. We give all your attention to this and you will notice that you get what you want more easily because you are not thinking about what is going on inside your head.

Build a good relationship with yourself

When you get things done and notice that your self-confidence is good, you will experience a feeling of mastering something. This can also lead to you seeing your own value better. You are good at something, so you should also think that there is value in this. It is important to take all positive experiences and thoughts with you . Good self-talk can really help you build good self-confidence and self-esteem.

The same also applies the other way. When you are able to see your own value in relation to others , and think that you are good enough as you are, this can be transferred to you gaining better self-confidence and being able to think that “I can do this!”. Try to constantly focus on the positive, but at the same time take negative experiences with you in order to learn from them and gain self-insight.

If you feel that you need extra help and support on the way to better self-confidence and self-esteem, it is permissible to seek help. It’s all about improving your own life . At the same time, it is also about being the best version of yourself towards those you associate with. Unleash your full potential. Cognitive talk therapy has proven to be a good help for many. This will help you change your thinking pattern and train you for situations you find uncomfortable.