Common characteristics of low self-esteem

It's normal for people to go through times when they feel down about themselves. They lack confidence to do certain tasks and think negatively about their abilities, accomplishments or physical appearance. However, when you feel bad about yourself in many areas of life and these feelings become long-standing, then self-esteem can suffer — as well as can many areas of your life.

Low self-esteem can appear in the way you look, behave and interact with others. How do you know if you think too little of yourself? You may have some of these characteristics of low self-esteem:

1. Negatives thoughts towards yourself.
2. Self-Blame.
3. Constantly criticizing others.
4. Victimizing yourself/Feeling sorry for yourself.
5. Fear of change and judgment.
6. Regularly comparing yourself to others.
7. Reacting either over emotionally or with no emotion at all.
8. Frequent regrets.
9. Always taking things very personally.
10. Denying the reality of things.
11. Focusing on perceived flaws and weaknesses.
12.Frequently apologizing, making self-doubting statements, or making cruel comments about yourself that you wouldn't make about someone else.
13. Negative self-talk, such as, "I'm not worth other people's time, so I shouldn't ask for help," "I'm a failure," or "I'll never amount to anything."
14. Seeking constant reassurance from others and not feeling better even with positive feedback.
15. Refusing to accept compliments or denying positive comments you get.
16. Tending to be a perfectionist who's afraid of failure, which may impair work or school performance.


If some or all of the signs above are familiar to you and are practiced on a regular or almost regular basis, you are suffering from low self-esteem and should receive counseling.