what is low selfesteem

Low self-esteem is a negative opinion of oneself. People with low self-esteem often feel incompetent, unloved, or inadequate. They may have negative feelings such as sadness, depression, anxiety, anger, shame, or guilt. Low self-esteem can reduce the quality of a persons life in many different ways, including relationship problems, fear of trying, perfectionism, fear of judgment, low resilience, lack of self-care, and self-harming behaviors. Signs of low self-esteem include saying negative things and being critical about oneself, joking about oneself in a negative way, focusing on ones negatives and ignoring achievements, blaming oneself when things go wrong, thinking other people are better than oneself, thinking one does not deserve to have fun, not accepting compliments, avoiding challenges for fear of failing, and being overly upset by disapproval or criticism. Low self-esteem may stem from experiences in early childhood, stress, and difficult life events such as serious illness or bereavement. However, it can also come from ones own mental state, where negative thinking is linked to low self-worth and low self-esteem.