Everyone experiences times when we lack confidence and do not feel good about ourselves. When we have healthy self-esteem, we tend to feel positive about ourselves and about life in general. It makes us better able to deal with life's ups and downs.

When our self-esteem is low, we tend to see ourselves and our life in a more negative and critical light. We also feel less able to take on the challenges that life throws at us.

It is commonly believed by mental health experts that low self-esteem often begins in childhood. Our teachers, friends, siblings, parents, and even the media send us positive and negative messages about ourselves.Unfortunately, the message that you are not good enough is the one that stays with you.

If you have low self-esteem or confidence, you may hide yourself away from social situations, stop trying new things, and avoid things you find challenging.

To boost your self-esteem, you need to identify the negative beliefs you have about yourself, then challenge them.

Start by noting negative thoughts about yourself and write them on a piece of paper or in a diary. Ask yourself when you first started to think these thoughts.

Next, start to write some evidence that challenges these negative beliefs. Write a few good things that other people say about you. Aim to have at least 5 positive things on your list and add to it regularly. Then put your list somewhere you can see it. That way, you can keep reminding yourself that you're OK.

You might have low confidence now because of what happened when you were growing up, but we can grow and develop new ways of seeing ourselves at any age.

Know more: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/raise-low-self-esteem/

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• Emotional Health