How to improve your self-esteem as a woman

Cowritten by Arasteh Gatchpazian and Tchiki Davis, Ph.D.

Self-esteem represents the foundation that supports the relationship you have with yourself.

It carries over into every aspect of life. Let’s start with a simple definition: Most psychological theories agree that self-esteem refers to your evaluation of yourself (Mruk, 1995). Self-esteem can also be thought of as how much you like, approve of, or value yourself.

Self-esteem can be applied to you globally (e.g., “On the whole, I am satisfied with myself”; Rosenberg et al., 1995) or to specific domains of your life (e.g., “I am good at my job and I’m proud of that”). Research shows that although self-esteem is relatively stable over one’s life, it is by no means fixed or unchangeable (Orth & Robins, 2014).

Signs of low self-esteem in a woman

What Is Low Self-Esteem?​

Having low self-esteem corresponds to negative evaluations of yourself. Put differently, if you have low self-esteem, you generally don’t hold yourself in a positive light.

You tend to be more critical of yourself.

You might get stuck in loops

how to build self confidence in adults

how to boost self esteem in adults