Keeley Ondrak-Green is an Employment Broker at Pentreath; an award-winning charity in Cornwall that supports the recovery from mental ill health, and develops opportunities for people to meet their potential.
In this video Keeley explains what we mean when we say Self Esteem, and how this is very different to what we mean by Self Confidence. She defines Self Esteem as ‘how someone values and perceives themselves based on their characteristics and morals’, where as Self Confidence is defined as ‘how you feel about doing something successfully, and how confident you are in that’.
Keeley explains the behavioural signs of someone with high self esteem; these include the ability to make decisions quickly, to be assertive when necessary, feeling like you deserve good opportunities, and having inner belief in the decisions you make. Whereas someone with low self esteem will use derogatory terms about themselves, have a lack of belief in their decisions, and take a long time to reach those decisions. This low self esteem leads to the over analysis of mistakes, and a very negative opinion about one’s morals and characteristics which can result in either a very timid, or aggressive nature.
She goes on to explore the ways that we can boost our own, or someone else’s self confidence. These include discussing achievements, highlighting successes and talking about how this makes you feel. After this you can set small and achievable goals, such as listing ten things you love about yourself, or ten achievements you’re proud of.
Keeley also explains the various techniques and support groups available to young people suffering with low self esteem; an important technique is to sit down and assess your friendship groups, both in person and on social media. This is key, as the people you surround yourself with will have an huge effect on your self esteem, and confidence in social situations.
