Teen focus: raising self-esteem

Self-esteem is an enormously significant issue during teenage years. Author Debi K Moore offers advice for children and parents alike on how to approach this often sensitive subject.

Self-esteem is how you see yourself. In essence, the value or worth you give to yourself as a person in society. If you think you are wonderful and have your life path worked out, then well done, you have high self-esteem.

However, if you feel you are useless and actually expect other people to criticise you then you are lacking in self-esteem! Many of us experience times of low self-esteem. We start doubting ourselves and have inner conversations in our head - telling us we are stupid, and useless.

Sometimes things just don't go our way despite our effort and this is where high self-esteem can help us get through challenges.

If you have low self-esteem, you may find it:

Difficult to accept compliments, believe you are not worthy of being loved, always think everybody else is right, have no confidence in making the simplest decisions Don't worry you are not alone; even the late Princess of Wales lacked self-esteem.

The word 'esteem' is Latin, which means to 'estimate'. Self-esteem therefore is how you estimate or value yourself. It's about your own view of yourself and has nothing to do with how other people see you. Even if your self-esteem has been a bit battered and bruised that doesn't mean you are stuck with it! The good thing is you CAN change low self-esteem. Everyone is very important in this world - this means you have rights as much as the next person does.