The 8 effects of a lack of self-esteem

The opinion we have of ourselves is of great importance and gives us the confidence we need daily not only to have more chances of success in what we set out to do, but also to be happy in general.

This perception that we have of ourselves is never limited to being purely rational, since it is linked to a series of emotions and feelings that we experience on a daily basis; It is very difficult to make a totally objective analysis of how we are and how we behave. For this reason, self-esteem always has an intellectual part, which we can express in words, and an emotional part. And also for this reason, low self-esteem gives rise to many different problems, since it generates a "snowball" effect that leads us to constantly self-sabotage.

To give you an idea of ​​how important it is to take care of this aspect of mental health, in this article we will give a review of the main psychological effects of a lack of self-esteem.

• Related article: "Do you really know what self-esteem is?"

Psychological effects of low self-esteem

People with a good level of self-esteem are more likely to live the life they want; on the contrary, people with low self-esteem are more predisposed to developing alterations in their mental health and a lifestyle that harms them in the medium and long term.

Going into more detail, below you will find a summary of the main effects caused by a lack of self-esteem on a day-to-day basis.

1. feeling of insecurity

Generalized insecurity is one of the most characteristic effects in people who develop a low self-esteem, and in the long run it becomes a trait that affects the whole person as a whole, in any activity daily. It has to do with the feeling of always having to overcompensate for everything we could be doing wrong, dedicating a lot of effort to review what we do, not allowing ourselves to "disconnect" from work, and in general, feeling bad if we stop looking for signs that we have made a mistake in something.

Low self-esteem in a person ends up undermining her security every time to the point of convincing her that she is not capable of doing anything good in life and that she is useless.

The lack of security is also linked to a lack of self-confidence and both deficits generate a great discomfort and suffering in the affected person, to the point of preventing him from achieving any goal or objective that is propose.

• You may be interested in: "What are personal insecurities and how can you deal with them?"

2. Fear

Fear is also generalized to any sphere of life for people with low self-esteem, a constant that is becoming more and more part of their lives and their personality.

This fear can manifest itself in many ways, generally consisting of a fear of failure or a fear of accepting challenges that test the personal or intellectual abilities of the individual.

In conclusion, low self-esteem is characterized by an essential fear of leaving the comfort zone our own and to embark on new paths unknown to people, who do not know where they will lead us.

• Related article: "What is fear? Characteristics of this emotion"

3. overthink things

Recurring thoughts about past or future events are common in people with low levels of self-esteem, who analyze in detail whatever they do during the day with high levels of self-demand

This tendency to overthink all things is also due to the person's tendency to believe that you never do anything rightThat is why excessive perfectionism also ends up being generated.

This perfectionism also ends up developing in the person with low self-esteem an imperative need to demonstrate that they are good workers by staying up late at night at their workplace job.

4. Negative view of reality

A negative vision of life in general and a difficulty to see the positive side of all things is the daily bread of many people with low self-esteem, which makes it difficult for them on many occasions to find joy and happiness in whatever they do. It is, ultimately, a pessimistic bias that leads us to omit the good things that we do and that happen to us.

This negative vision causes them to see everything black and they are never happy about anything good that can happen in their daily life, which is also related to a high level of perfectionism.

In the same way, a negative attitude caused by a negative vision towards one is also common. himself too or because he considers that others have a negative perception of his own person.

• You may be interested in: "Binary bias: what it is and how it affects our way of thinking"

5. relationship difficulties

The inability to communicate well and to establish normal relationships with people in their own environment also characterize those who have low levels of self-esteem. Having low self-esteem we expect others to see us as a nuisance or as someone who cannot be counted on for the important

Communication requires in normal circumstances a determined self-confidence and a series of social and communication skills that people with low self-esteem lack.

6. demotivation

In the long term, low self-esteem can lead to states of demotivation regarding daily life, as well as exhaustion and apathy.

This phenomenon affects the person both in his personal life and in his working life and prevents you from getting the most out of it both at work and in interpersonal relationships.

7. Dependence

The lack of confidence in people with low self-esteem ends up causing them to end up depending on another person in their daily lives, considering that they are incapable of doing anything well and cannot function on a day-to-day basis without external support.

This psychological phenomenon is truly problematic, since in the long run it ends up further undermining the person's confidence and self-esteem and can promote relationships of emotional dependency.

8. unfair self-criticism

An extremely self-critical attitude and very severe with one's own abilities and one's own performance they are also classic effects of low self-esteem.

That is why people tend to generate obsessive relationships with their work or with the tasks they are carrying out, never being satisfied with the result of their work.

Are you looking for psychological assistance services?

If you are interested in having psychotherapeutic support, please contact me.

My name is Carolina Marin and I am a General Health Psychologist, as well as a psychotherapist federated by the FEAP. I attend cases in my office located in Seville and online by video call.