Recognising negative thoughts and the self-beliefs leading them would be best before correcting those negative ideas. The key to identifying low self-esteem lies in spotting behaviour that shows evidence of the 4 basic psychological fears.
Recognising Negative Self-beliefs
Sometimes, you think so little of yourself that it is easy to spot negative thoughts low self beliefs. However, a quick look at the fears and symptoms of a poor self-image shows that sometimes identifying LSE can be difficult. It could be clearer-cut. For example, a confident acting person may always exhibit a high self-image only because he is afraid that others will see what he believes is his truly inadequate self.
The following behaviours and actions are often present in people with low self-esteem:
- A person expresses an “always or never” belief system.
- Someone constantly interrupts, attempts to finish your sentences and thoughts for you, and is always jumping to conclusions.
- The word “should” is constantly used. For instance, “I shouldn’t have tried that” or “I should have accepted the job.”
- A person makes vast generalisations based on little information or a single occurrence.
- Irrational behaviour springs from emotional thinking that is not in line with factual information.
- A person often refers to himself as an “idiot”, “failure”, or “dummy”.
- Someone tends to make everything personal, often blaming herself irrationally.
- You see every possible outcome as a catastrophe.
- When you constantly seek approval.
- You focus on pain and pessimism.
The above behaviours and actions are familiar to people who have negative self-beliefs. Anxiety and depression, addiction and poor health are just a few of the symptoms of this type of mindset if allowed to exist over time, as we saw earlier. That is why it is crucial to recognise statements and actions that are symptomatic to a person suffering from LSE.
Read also: How Daily Activity Can Help Improve Low Self Esteem In Life
Challenging Negative Thoughts
Once identified, harmful self-beliefs need to be challenged. Psychologists call any incorrect self-belief a “cognitive distortion”. These are irrational and exaggerated ideas, beliefs and thoughts. If someone suffers from cognitive distortion, their nonfactual beliefs could lead to behaviours and actions that deliver many of the negative consequences of LSE we discussed earlier.
One way to challenge cognitive distortion. is to write a cheat sheet with LSE-challenging statements.
Keep this list and refer to it often, significantly if you recognise some of the symptoms of a poor self-image we just covered. Challenge your negative and incorrect thoughts and beliefs with the following list of statements:
- If you catch yourself saying, “I got lucky”, remind yourself instead that you were prepared and worked hard to reach the goal.
- If you need a big promotion but believe you will never advance in your career, think this instead. Recognise this speed bump as an adverse event, but not who you are. Tell yourself that you will get the next promotion and will work harder to make sure that happens.
- If you catch yourself constantly seeing negatives, focus on the positives. Challenge your “negative” beliefs by aggressively looking for positive, rewarding, uplifting and refreshing situations in your daily life. When you look for positive events and thoughts, fewer negative thoughts enter your mind.
- Are you constantly jumping to conclusions? A few minor failures happen in the morning, so you immediately think, “This will be the worst day ever!” It is a limiting belief that could create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, consider your justification or conclusion and consider whether it is rational.
- Remember, if you use words and phrases like “all of the time”, “always”, and “never”, you are practising what psychologists call all-or-nothing thinking. Perhaps you think that you never get lucky. Challenge that mindset by identifying times when you truly did experience good fortune.
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- If you personalise everything, assuming personal responsibility for things outside your control, you must challenge that belief. If you are honest with yourself and think logically, you will see that you cannot control certain things. Try to determine if you have accurate control over a particular outcome before you blame yourself for it.
Read also: 5 Easy Habits That Can Destroy Your Life & Best Way To Fix Them
Wrapping Up
Challenging negative thoughts is critical if you are going to enjoy a rational “real world” view of yourself and society. You are worthy of love, success, happiness and peace. You only need to continue recognising limiting thoughts. Then, challenge them with sensible ones to reap the alluring rewards of a healthy self-image.