A person's identity and self-esteem
A person's identity is defined by a variety of things. Self-esteem is a vital factor that characterizes a person. Greaney et al. (2015) define self-esteem as an important characteristic that reveals how an individual views himself/herself. The concept of self-esteem impacts people's relationships with others to such an extent that it might affect the level of trust they have in the people with whom they engage. Self-esteem has the capacity to influence practically every aspect of daily living. When a person has positive self-esteem, he or she is given the essential power and flexibility to take responsibility for their lives while confronting their weaknesses and failures without showing the fear of being rejected.
Signs of positive and negative self-esteem
Various signs can show a positive self-esteem. For example, an individual with a positive self-esteem will always show high levels of confidence, optimism, and self-direction among others. The person in question will also find it easy to trust the person he interacts with and will find it easy to solve problems as well. When a person does not depict the signs of a positive self-esteem, he is considered to have a low level of self-esteem. Persons with low-levels of self-esteem find it hard to achieve their potential and in most cases will always feel incapable and unworthy of trust. The presented situation may worsen the condition even further, particularly if the factors which result in the low self-esteem are not addressed.
Purpose of the research
The main purpose of the presented research is to conduct an analysis on the topic of self-esteem. The primary focus includes outlining what published literature has revealed on the concept before blending that with an actual research involving in-depth interviews as the research methodology. The research seeks to establish the definition of self-esteem as well as the concept of low self-esteem. The research also seeks to reveal how to boost low levels of self-esteem.
Literature Review
Self-esteem communicates the level of value that an individual has attached to him/herself. Various researchers have provided a unique definition to the concept. Greaney et al. (2015) defines self-esteem as the amount of value that people attach to themselves. The concept refers to the value that people have to the world, including how they consider themselves to be valuable in comparison to the other members of the community. Various researchers have also communicated the fact that self-esteem is important in trust development. The presented derivative originates from the fact that a positive self-esteem provides an individual with strength and flexibility, which enables him/her to take charge of their lives and learn from their mistakes without the fear of being rejected. However, for an individual to maintain a positive self-esteem, he/she should refrain from pleasing people and focus on their personal opinion and goals.
Reference
Low self-esteem is a factor of concern for persons who are not aware of how to enhance their esteem levels. Various factors act as triggers of the feeling of low self-esteem. For example, the way an individual is triggered in the past may have a significant impact on their esteem levels. Despite the fact that low self-esteem is considered as a normal feeling for many people, it is highly advisable that the feeling should be addressed to avoid cases of anxiety and depression which are mainly associated with the presented condition. Every person has the right to feel good about themselves. However, when faced by stress or increased anxiety, an individual may find it difficult to manage hence worsening the presented condition and the general health of the person in question.
Various strategies can be taken into consideration for any individual who is focused on increasing their self esteem levels. For instance, the use of affirmations to stop negative talks about one-self is an effective strategy which has yielded positive results in the past especially for persons known to have low levels of self-esteem. Avoiding the use of manipulative praise can also aid in increasing self-esteem. As presented in Reference 1, affirmations as encouraging messages which people give to themselves on a daily basis until the messages become a part of their beliefs and feelings. Although affirmations have proven to be effective in the past, the presented strategies only work when an individual is relaxed. Evidently, when people are upset, chances are higher that they will give themselves negative messages other than the positive one which have the capacity to enhance their confidence levels hence self-esteem.
Methodology
The implemented research methodology in this case is qualitative research which includes the use of interviews. The identified sample was composed of three participants who were required to answer a set of three questions on self-esteem. The in-depth interviews implemented for the current research was focused on exploring the perspectives of the three participants on the concept of self-esteem. The main area of interview for the participants was on the definition of self-esteem, the factors which lowers self esteem, and the elements which results to an increased level of self-esteem. The fact that the current research will focus on pre-determined questions which all the participants must answer in the established form means that the interview is structured in nature. Greaney et al. (2015) indicates that data analysis implemented in the case of structured interviews have a tendency of being straightforward in comparison to the other available forms of interviews. The presented factor is so based on the fact that the researcher has the ability of comparing and contrasting the provided answers for the same questions.
The use of structured interview as the form of methodology implemented in the outlined case is associated with various benefits. For instance, it increases the chances of obtaining detailed information on the presented research questions. Furthermore, the utilization of in-depth interviews as a form of research methodology provides the researcher with an enhanced control over the flow of primary data collection process. Furthermore, the process is beneficial since it enables the researcher to clarify on various issues regarding the topic of research if the need arises. Besides the noted benefits of the process, it is worth noting that interviews are more costly in terms of the amount of time spent on data collection. Apparently, all the identified participants must provide their feedback on the presented research questions.
Results
After conducting the presented study on self-esteem, various findings were generated. All The three participants acknowledged the fact that self-esteem was associated with an increased self-value. The first interviewee defined self-esteem as the ability to show high confidence levels hence an enhanced self-value. The second interviewee defined self-esteem as how a person values himself based on the trust generated from the members of the public. The third respondent provided that when a person has a positive self-esteem, he will be able to show a great depth of value since he will be highly optimistic in achieving his goals in life.
The first and the second participant provided that being treated poorly in the past greatly affects a person’s level of self-esteem. The respondents argued that the people in the environment have a significant role to play when self-esteem is concerned. Apparently, when ill-treated, it is highly evident that a person’s self-esteem levels may decline drastically to a point that the individual in question ends up being depressed. The third participant provided a different perspective on the factor which could result to a significant decline in an individual’s self esteem level. Clearly, the respondent indicated that how a person judges him/herself can greatly affect the level of self-esteem. The interviewee went ahead and explained that when an individual is always negatively judging himself, he will fail to see any good in him therefore resulting in a significant decline in the levels of self-esteem and vice-versa.
The participants further outlined various strategies which could be considered to enhance the level of self-esteem. One of the strategies identified during the interview includes paying attention to individual needs and wants. When people listen to their body conversations, chances are higher that they will not think any less of themselves. As a result, they will learn how to increase their self-esteem levels without any worries. The second strategy identified by the participants includes maintaining a good hygiene. The participants argued that self-care makes people feel better about themselves hence an increased level of self-esteem.
Analysis
Self-esteem is an important concept which defines a person’s value in comparison to that of the other members available in the society. When an individual has a positive self esteem, his/her level of confidence and self-esteem will be significantly high therefore generating value for the person in question. Self-esteem is an important factor to hold in order to derive the trust of the public. When a person has a positive level of self-esteem, he/she will be confident in whatever that he does therefore deriving an increased amount of trust from the public.
Low level of self-esteem is not desirable for any person’s health. Research has revealed that a decreased self-esteem means an increase level of emotional related illnesses such as stress and anxiety. Depression may be an important factor which results to decline self-esteem levels. However, in other instances, depression may also be a factor suggesting other serious concerns. To maintain good health, various strategies ought to be taken into consideration to enhance the levels of self-esteem. Paying attention to a person’s body language by achieving individual needs and wants is an important strategy which can increase on the level of self-esteem. When people listen to what their body is telling them, it is highly evident that they will not settle for anything less than they deserve. Therefore, they will always have a positive way of thinking therefore an enhanced self-esteem level. Taking good care of oneself is also an important strategy which an individual can consider to enhance self-esteem levels. Maintaining a positive hygiene and eating healthy foods will improve on an individual’s general image. As a result, worrying about what others may think about a person’s image will not be a factor of concern hence improving on an individual’s general self-esteem.
References
Greaney, M. L., Sprunck-Harrild, K., Ruddy, K. J., Ligibel, J., Barry, W. T., Baker, E., & Partridge, A. H. (2015). Study protocol for young & strong: a cluster randomized design to increase attention to unique issues faced by young women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 204-224.
