Self-esteem and stress have a complex relationship, with low self-esteem making people more vulnerable to stress and high stress levels eroding self-worth. High self-esteem can protect against stress, and a low-stress environment can benefit those with low self-esteem. Techniques for coping with stress can help minimize its impact on self-esteem.
The relationship between self-esteem and stress is complicated, as these two factors act and influence each other. Having low self-esteem can produce psychological effects that make a person more vulnerable to stressful situations. Consistently high stress levels can gradually erode even a healthy sense of self-worth over time. However, high self-esteem can offer protection from stressful episodes, and a low-stress environment can prove beneficial for people with low self-esteem.
Self-esteem is the level of consideration in which a person holds himself or herself. A person with healthy, high self-esteem has a generally positive but realistic self-image, including an understanding of both his own merits and her own shortcomings, with an acceptance of both. Self-esteem is typically built in childhood but can be enhanced or eroded later in life.
Stress refers to feelings of pressure and worry. The causes of stress vary widely, but these feelings often correlate with real-world responsibilities and worries and are typically more pronounced in people who carry greater burdens of responsibility. A person’s perception of their situation is just as important as the actual facts of that situation. One person may see a new job as a wonderful opportunity, while another sees it as a terrible burden.
One place where self-esteem and stress interact with each other is in this moment of perception. People with higher self-esteem are more likely to make positive assessments of their abilities and are therefore more likely to anticipate success in new endeavors. The anticipation of success, in turn, makes the thought of embarking on new projects less stressful.
This interaction between self-esteem and stress is more destructive in people with low self-esteem. Such individuals tend to feel helpless, powerless and incompetent. These feelings make any task seem more daunting and can make even ordinary challenges seem insurmountable.
Lack of assertiveness is one of the common effects of below average self-esteem. This can lead to a vicious cycle where low self-esteem leads a person to take on more work than they can handle. This, in turn, causes an increase in stress. Self-esteem and stress can form a harmful feedback loop in these cases. Training in appropriate assertiveness can help mitigate stress in such situations and thus aid in the recovery of self-esteem.
It’s not always possible to avoid stressful situations, but techniques for identifying and coping with the build-up of stress can help change the relationship between self-esteem and stress. High levels of stress can cause lower self-esteem, but this effect can be minimized if stress is caught early. Relaxation techniques, time management programs, and other stress coping tools can reduce the impact of stress on self-esteem.
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