Self-esteem and Behavior

When our self-esteem is poor, some behaviors we may exhibit include:

• Difficulty saying no or setting boundaries

• Low motivation and energy

• Difficulty accepting feedback

• Putting others needs before our own

• Experiencing social anxiety

When our self-esteem is positive and healthy, we find ourselves able to:

• Learn from mistakes without dwelling on the past

• Say no and establish healthy boundaries

• Express our needs

• Hit our goals

• Take initiative and get into activity

Considering this, it’s not hard to understand how those feelings and emotions impact our day to day behavior. This is especially relevant when it comes to alcohol use; if our self-esteem feels especially low, we may be less motivated to change and may continue drinking. This can yield a vicious cycle of poor self-esteem, drinking, frustration about our drinking, then even poorer self-esteem. And the cycle continues.

With time and attention, we can begin to build up our self-esteem and heal our self-image. Keep awareness of your self-esteem top of mind as we learn these different tools and techniques for boosting our confidence and inner self-talk.