Outside influences such as work, school, family, and social media can play a significant role in tearing down or building up our self-esteem. It’s important to pay attention to who we surround ourselves with, the messages we receive from them, and the messages we receive from the media. Interactions with these factors can undermine our self-worth, as they provide the framework within which we form our self-concept. Limiting negative influences can help us focus on building our self-esteem and bolstering our self-worth!

Family Environment & Its Impacts on Our Self-Esteem:

Our family environment plays a foundational role in our self-esteem. If we receive negative criticism and no positive reinforcement, this can lead to lower self-esteem and self-worth. However, if we receive positive reinforcement and support from our family, we are more likely to develop a healthier and positive sense of self-worth. For instance, if our parents recognize our accomplishments, provide affection, and build us up positively, we learn to value ourselves. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that basic emotional needs must be fulfilled before we can build high self-esteem. With emotional needs in Maslow’s hierarchy, these include belonging, esteem, and love, and are essential for us to build positive self-esteem and establish a positive sense of self. Our family and home environment play a vital role in meeting these basic emotional needs. When the foundation of these emotional needs is met, we can develop positive self-esteem and positive self-image. When these emotional needs are not met, it can impact our ability to progress towards self-actualization and lead to low self-esteem, difficulties in achieving personal growth, and feelings of inadequacy.

Work Environments & the Impacts on Our Self-Esteem:

Having a demanding, negative job that doesn’t have a positive work environment has numerous impacts on our mental health and impacts our self-esteem. When we feel appreciated and valued at work, this contributes to not only greater job satisfaction but also high self-esteem. Working in a positive work environment and receiving positive feedback can also lead to a stronger sense of self-worth and self-confidence. However, when we lack work-life balance, this can negatively impact both our physical and mental health, impacting our self-esteem. Additionally, working in a highly negative and harsh work environment and experiencing prejudice or discrimination also erodes and damages our self-esteem, creating a sense of feeling undervalued and feelings of inadequacy.

School Environments & the Impacts on Our Self-Esteem: The academic environment we are in can influence our self-esteem and confidence. Our academic achievements can boost our self-esteem through recognition of our competence and success. If we have a school environment that encourages recognition and balance, it helps us juggle our workload, which can help us maintain a positive outlook. Encouraging autonomy in school environments can positively impact our self-esteem as we are allowed to take ownership and make decisions in our learning, therefore, developing a sense of competence. Setting and meeting educational goals reinforces our belief in our abilities. However, if our school pressures mount without any support, this can affect our work-life balance and lead to burnout. In all, this can then result in decreased self-esteem.

Media Representation & the Impacts on Our Self-Esteem: The media can influence our outlook on ourselves, as it can set unrealistic standards. It often portrays ideal behaviours, lifestyles, and behaviours. These depictions can create pressure on us, impacting our self-esteem as we conform to a narrow view of acceptance. It’s vital to recognize that the representation of media isn’t always a reflection of the reality and diversity of society. Having consistent exposure to negative media has a significant impact on our self-esteem, leading us to compare ourselves unfavourably to standards set by the media. This portrayal of media can lead to a negative body image, feelings of inadequacy, and lowering our self-esteem and self-worth. Promoting positive body image and body positivity can help combat the negative effects that the media portrays. Having a positive media representation can help us increase our self-esteem and self-worth.

So, how do we foster self-esteem and confidence-boosting environments?

 Surround ourselves with supportive people Surrounding ourselves with positive people and in positive environments has a large effect on our self-esteem. We have the right to build and have high self-esteem, and we also have the right to protect ourselves. If we are continuously surrounding ourselves with people who are negative or drag us down, choosing to spend less time with them will help us build and maintain our self-esteem.  Limit negative social media influence Paying close attention to what we listen to, watch, and read is important. Media influence can make us feel bad about ourselves and make us feel as though we are not good enough. These negative influences only damage our self-esteem. Spending more time on different and positive media sources, such as podcasts and blogs, can help affirm us and help us grow, allowing us to feel good about ourselves and build our self-esteem.  Ask for Support Sometimes when we struggle with our self-esteem, we don’t get the necessary support or guidance we need to overcome the negative behaviour and thought patterns. We can be fearful of trying something new, or even afraid of saying that we are struggling with our self-esteem. This can then cause us to feel trapped in a cycle of negative self-learning, leading us to feel stuck in our low level of self-esteem.

To help fortify our self-esteem, we can cultivate a surrounding that aligns with our values and reflects who we strive to be. We have the power to shape our environments and who we surround ourselves with, helping to reinforce a positive self-view and positive self-esteem.

If you feel as though you are struggling with your environment and the impacts they have on your self-esteem, I am here to support and help you take the next steps!

References

https://madeyousmileback.com/environmental-factors-that-affect-your-self-esteem/#:~:text=The %20four%20key%20factors%20that%20can%20significantly%20influence%20your%20self,you %20form%20your%20self%2Dconcept.

https://www.conovercompany.com/self-esteem-outside-influences/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs#summary

https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

https://www.ejp-blog.com/blog/2021/7/23/does-your-work-influence-your-self-esteem-and-vice- versa#:~:text=As%20most%20people%20spend%20a,conditions%20may%20shape%20self %2Desteem.

https://medium.com/@globalmediamogul/the-influence-of-media-on-body-image-and-self- esteem-11deac0b0d0e

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