According to Wikipedia, self-esteem is "a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs (for example, "I am competent", "I am worthy") and emotions, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. The self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the positive or negative evaluation of the self, is how we feel about it."
If you read my blog, you know I wrote a post on the emotional abuse my oldest daughter suffered at the hands of her father, and how, because of that abuse, she suffered from very low self-esteem, which led to her cutting, using drugs, and depression. I think a lot of parents make comments to their daughter(s), without realizing the effect that it has on her self-esteem and her overall self worth. And as Dr. Phil always says, she will replay those comments over and over, and those words cut to the core of a girl and changes who she is.
But girls, of all ages, also have to deal with the constant presence of what the "ideal" girl/woman looks like...thin, good looks, fabulous clothes...and the list goes on and on. Turn on the TV...look inside any magazine, including the cover...there is a lot of pressure for young girls to fit this unrealistic mold. Did you know, six out of ten girls stop doing what they love because they feel bad about their looks? Dove® research shows that it is still important for us to address girls' anxiety about looks, as there is a universal increase in beauty pressure and a decrease in girls' confidence as they grow older. Key findings from Dove's latest research include:
• Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (up from 2% in 2004)
• Only 11% of girls globally are comfortable using the word beautiful to describe themselves
• 72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful
• 80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that is beautiful but do not see their own beauty
• More than half (54%) of women globally agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic. ((SOURCE: Dove Research: The Real Truth About Beauty: Revisited))
Over the past few years, Dove has changed their advertising to include a variety of women...all shapes, sizes, and races...not just thin, white girls. Now, Dove is holding a national rally about beauty, confidence, and self-esteem. Dove is encouraging you to sit down with a girl in your life and talk. To help you start this conversation, you can download Dove's Toolkit or send a note of confidence to a special girl in your life, letting her know she is perfect just the way she is. You can also join Dove on Facebook and continue the conversation there.
Do you, or have you ever, suffered from low self-esteem, and if so, how did you overcome this issue?
Over the past few years, Dove has changed their advertising to include a variety of women...all shapes, sizes, and races...not just thin, white girls. Now, Dove is holding a national rally about beauty, confidence, and self-esteem. Dove is encouraging you to sit down with a girl in your life and talk. To help you start this conversation, you can download Dove's Toolkit or send a note of confidence to a special girl in your life, letting her know she is perfect just the way she is. You can also join Dove on Facebook and continue the conversation there.
Do you, or have you ever, suffered from low self-esteem, and if so, how did you overcome this issue?
This post is sponsored by Dove
3 comments:
I feel I constantly struggle with low self-esteem. When I think about it, there really is no reason for me to feel that way. I just have this habit of magnifying and over-thinking things. It is important for us women especially to embrace who we are, regardless of what others say.
I constantly struggle as well. I see every flaw when I look in the mirror, but I don't see my beauty so easily.
Our daughter is adopted and ethnically different from us, which is hard on her. We constantly point out her beauty --- inside and out --- in an effort to help offset some of the things she tells herself. I hope it helps her see herself the way God sees her -- perfect!
I think being a Tom boy helped me in this respect, plus having a very goal oriented upbringing. If you're focused on achieving the goals you set for yourself, you focus a lot less on the physical and material side of things. I think my parents always placed more on brain power than looks, and I always did that with my step-daughters as well. I also think that I am just lucky to have this built into my personality, but you can choose to like yourself no matter what.
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