Self esteem, self worth & self confidence- what's the difference?
Self worth, self esteem, and self confidence are three concepts that are often used interchangeably, but they are actually distinct and important aspects of our mental and emotional health. Understanding the difference between these three concepts can help you build a healthier, more fulfilling life and confident life.
When an individual exudes self confidence it is clear that they know their worth. In action they do what matters to them most and they leave those things that aren’t behind; they have time because they know where their effort is best spent and they no longer people please or entertain other’s vision for their life before their own. Self worth is the foundation of confidence. It is usually the area of awareness that is left last because self worth doesn’t sit well with the human psyche. Let me explain, self worth refers to the intrinsic value and dignity that we possess simply because we exist. It is the belief that we are worthy of love and respect, regardless of our achievements or external circumstances. For many of us, we expect that there are conditions we must fulfil in order to be worthy. We come to this knowledge through movies, music, magazine articles and ‘heatlh’ information passed down from generation to generation. As a result, knowing deep in our being that we are worthy because we are a human can feel wrong. In fact some people even suggest, if there are not conditions then do we really love ourselves, will we do the best for ourselves? The reality is being worthy is something we developed at birth. We were born and did what we did, we didn’t question if we were good enough, we were experts at being. As adults this concept takes regular practice and lots of self compassion, but the importance of making the time to do this is essential. In our coaching programs at Magnetic Confidence this is where we encourage people to make time to revive themselves- think about why they are worthy just as they are right now. Doing this as a regular practice enables it to become a habit that will instil a positive sense of self over a lifetime.
From self worth we can build our self esteem deeply. Self esteem is how you value and perceive yourself in terms of your abilities, qualities, and personal characteristics. High self esteem means that you have a positive view of ourselves, while low self esteem means that we have a negative view of ourselves. Self esteem is directly impacted by awareness. Many individuals in the coaching space will tell you that you should only focus on the positive abilities, qualities and personal characteristics but the superpower is in knowing, accepting and loving your whole self. This means identifying what qualities you don’t have, what abilities you lack and what personal characteristics that may make you less proud of yourself from time to time. Like anything once you are aware of what these sometimes termed ‘negative’ traits and abilities are, you can be aware of the kinds of people that are great for you to be around, those you need in your corner to be a better person and how you can regulate your emotions when you feel stressed, frustrated or angry. This knowledge will vastly improve your life. The sooner you accept that you are worthy as you are and you have a great awareness of who you really are self confidence will flourish.
Self confidence is a combination of a few things- your self worth, self esteem, your ability to accomplish tasks or goals and your ability to trust that you can overcome challenges that come your way. It's important to understand that self worth is the foundation of both self esteem and self confidence. If we have a strong sense of self worth, we are more likely to have positive self esteem and self confidence. However, if we struggle with self worth, it can affect our self esteem and self confidence.
In order to build and maintain healthy self esteem, self confidence, and self worth, it's important to practice self care, challenge negative self talk, focus on our strengths and accomplishments, and surround ourselves with supportive people who encourage us and help us become better humans.
In conclusion, self worth, self esteem, and self confidence are interconnected aspects of our mental and emotional health that play a critical role in our overall well-being. By focusing on building and maintaining a positive view of ourselves, we can create a more fulfilling, joyful, confident life.
