Self Concept The term self concept is self explanatory; it is how we think about ourselves and evaluate ourselves

as individuals. This term is general and refers to how someone thinks of oneself and perceives oneself to be and is an important term in Social Psychology. According to
1WebMD

an online medical dictionary, self concept is described as an individual's sense of

self, including self-definition in the various social roles one enacts, including assessment of one's own status with respect to a single trait, or to many human dimensions, using societal or personal norms as criteria.
2Lewis

(1990) explains that development of self-concept has two stages which are

explained below: 1. The Existential Self This is the most basic part of self-scheme or self-concept; the sense of being separate and distinct from others and the awareness of the constancy of self (Bee 1992). It is realized by children that they exist as separate entity from those around them. According to Lewis awareness of the existential self begins as young as two to three months old and arises because of the relation the child has with the world. For example, the child smiles and someone smiles back, or the child touches something and sees it move. 2. The Categorical Self After realizing that he or she is a separate being the child also becomes aware of the fact that he or she is also an object in the world. The self can be put into categories such as age, gender, size or skill. Usually the first two categories that are applied by a child are age (I am 3) and gender (I am a girl). However, in early childhood the categories children apply to themselves are very concrete (e.g. hair color, height and favorite things). Followed later by selfLippincott, W.W. (2006). Steadmans Medical Dictionary. Retrieved 9 April 2012, from http://dictionary.webmd.com/terms/self-concept 2 McLeod, S. A. (2008). Simply Psychology; The Self Concept in Psychology. Retrieved 9 April 2012, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/self-concept.html
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description which begins to include reference to internal psychological traits, comparative evaluations and to how others see them.
3Self

concept includes: social character or abilities physical appearance and body image thinking

Self concept of a person can change because one sees and understands things differently depending on feelings, beliefs and attitude. Self awareness is a two-way process as feelings and beliefs affects one and the opposite is also true. 4The theories that identify self-concept as the core of personality with directive and integrative properties becomes solid when self-concept is defined as a "self-theory" that the person has constructed about himself as an experiencing, functioning individual.
5Self

concept is the understanding and knowledge that a person has of his existence and

how the person sees himself in relation to others and the surroundings. It is important for a person to possess a positive or healthy self-concept and for that the person needs to: Know Yourself The ability to be able to assess your strengths, weaknesses, talents and potential Love Yourself The ability to accept yourself as you are, knowing that you can improve and develop any aspect of yourself over time that you feel needs to be changed. Be True to Yourself The ability to be honest with yourself and with what you value.
3Schweiger,

I. (2011). Self-Esteem Secrets: Steps to Success. Retrieved April 21, 2012 from http://www.more-selfesteem.com/self_concept.htm 4 Epstein, S. (1973). American Psychologist, Vol 28(5), 404-416.
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Develop a healthy self concept. Retrieved from http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/self-concept.html on April 22, 2012.

Developing a strong and healthy self-concept takes planning and a lot of effort by the person. Moreover, it takes acknowledging and knowing ones intrinsic value as a person and a human being, and then working to acquire the skills needed to face the challenges and adversities that one encounters in life. With a healthy self-concept nothing can shake a person or take the person off his or her stride since the person is confident, poised and strong. How a person views himself, lays the foundation of how the experience of that persons life will be. If the person sees himself in a positive and healthy light, then the life experiences will be positive and healthy. However, this of course would not mean that life would be free of challenges and adversity, just that the person will have a healthier approach to dealing with them. If ones opinion of own self is shaky and fragile, the person will find life's challenges overwhelming and at times too hard to deal with.

Self Esteem

Every individual has an opinion about the type of person that he or she is. These opinions are the foundation of self-esteem and they affect how an individual feels about and values himself. Self-esteem is not static and fixed; the beliefs about oneself can change throughout life as a result of experiences and situations.
6If

the person has low self-esteem these beliefs will be negative and may focus on what the

person feels are his weaknesses, and mistakes. On the other hand, if the person has high self-esteem he will generally see himself in a positive light and might find that life events such as losing job, or ending a relationship gives confidence a huge boost. However, high self-esteem can act as an absorber to absorb these boosts and help the person bounce back. The beliefs of an individual make the difference between high and low self-esteem. It is important to realize that these beliefs are only opinions, and are not facts. They can be biased or inaccurate, and there are steps that can be taken to change them. Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame7. Self-esteem is similar to self-worth which is how much a person values him or herself. However, this can change over the years, but overall self-esteem tends to develop from infancy and keeps going until adulthood. Patterns of self-esteem start very early in life and once people reach adulthood, it's harder to make changes to how they see and define themselves. Self-esteem is defined as feeling capable while also feeling loved. A child who is happy with an achievement but does not feel loved may eventually experience low self-esteem.

Clouette, P. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/increase_your_self-esteem on April 21, 2012. 7 Hewitt, John P. (2009). Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford University Press. pp. 217-224.
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Similarly, a child who feels loved but is hesitant about his or her own abilities can also develop low self-esteem. Healthy self-esteem comes when a good balance is maintained. The concept of success following effort and persistence starts early. Once people reach adulthood, it's harder to make changes to how they see and define themselves. So, it's wise to think about developing and promoting self-esteem during childhood. As children try, fail, try again, fail again, and then finally succeed, they develop ideas about their own capabilities. At the same time, they're creating a self-concept based on interactions with other people. This is why parental involvement is key to helping children form accurate, healthy self-perceptions. Parents and caregivers can promote healthy self-esteem by showing encouragement and enjoyment in many areas. Avoid focusing on one specific area; for example, success on a spelling test, which can lead to children feeling that they're only as valuable as their test scores. Importance of Self Esteem The fact that self-esteem concerns to ones own self, the way one is and the sense of ones own personal value. Hence, self-esteem affects the way we are and act in the world and the way we are related to everybody else. Nothing in the way we think, feel, decide and act escapes the influence of self-esteem.8
9Abraham

Maslow in his theory of hierarchy describes the need for esteem which is divided

into two aspects: 1. The esteem for oneself (self-love, self-confidence) 2. Respect and esteem one receives from other people (recognition, success, etc.)

Jos-Vicente Bonet. S amigo de ti mismo: manual de autoestima. 1997. Ed. Sal Terrae. Maliao (Cantabria, A.H. Maslow, A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review 50(4) (1943):370-96.

Espaa). ISBN 978-84-293-1133-4.

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According to Maslow the healthiest self-esteem, is the one which manifests in respect we deserve for others. Signs of Unhealthy and Healthy Self-Esteem As a child grows over the years self-esteem fluctuates. Similarly, as a child experiences different things and forms new perceptions self-esteem is frequently changed and molded. These experiences can help the child either have a healthy or unhealthy self-esteem.
10Those

children who have a low self-esteem may be hesitant to try new things and might

have a negative perception about themselves. For instance they might use the following phrases: "I'm unintelligent," or "Nobody cares about me." They usually give up easily or wait for somebody else to take over. They tend to be overly critical of and easily disappointed in themselves. A sense of pessimism prevails in children with low self-esteem who see temporary setbacks as permanent and intolerable. This kind of attitude and reaction can put children at risk for stress and mental health problems, as well as real difficulties solving different kinds of problems and challenges they encounter. Those children who have a healthy and positive self-esteem tend to enjoy interacting with others. Moreover, they're comfortable in social settings and enjoy activities in groups of children as well as independent pursuits. When challenges arise, they can work toward finding solutions and voice discontent without belittling themselves or others. For example, rather than saying, "I'm dumb," a child with healthy self-esteem says, "I don't understand this." They know their strengths and weaknesses, and accept them. A sense of optimism prevails.

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McLeod, S. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/self-concept.html on April 19, 2012.

11Characteristics

of Low Self-Esteem

Social withdrawal Anxiety and emotional turmoil Lack of social skills and self confidence. Depression and/or bouts of sadness Less social conformity Eating disorders Inability to accept compliments An Inability to see yourself 'squarely' - to be fair to yourself Accentuating the negative Exaggerated concern over what you imagine other people think Self neglect Treating yourself badly but NOT other people Worrying whether you have treated others badly Reluctance to take on challenges Reluctance to put yourself first or anywhere. Reluctance to trust your own opinion Expecting little out of life for yourself

Characteristics of Positive Self-Esteem Confidence Self-direction Non-blaming behavior An awareness of personal strengths An ability to make mistakes and learn from them An ability to accept mistakes from others Optimism An ability to solve problems

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Tyrell, M. (2002). The Giant Within- Maximise Your Self Esteem. Washington D.C. Axis Publishing.

An independent and cooperative attitude Feeling comfortable with a wide range of emotions An ability to trust others A good sense of personal limitations Good self-care The ability to say no

Raising Low Self-Esteem Low self-esteem often builds up over some time, and letting go of those feelings and behaviors that have such great impact is not an easy task. These may take time, work, and may require professional counseling. However,
12there

are some simple, positive thinking

techniques that can be used to help improve self-esteem. These are called affirmations. Affirmations as a way to stop negative self-talk is a simple, positive way to help increase self-esteem. These are encouraging messages that one can give to ones self every day until they become part of feelings and beliefs. Affirmations work best when a person is relaxed. Since people are often upset when they are giving themselves negative self-messages, they may need to counter negative messages with positive ones. For example, replace the message I made a silly mistake, and I am no good at this job, with Yes, I made a mistake but I have learned from it, and now I can a better job. Such individuals should start each day by looking in the mirror and giving themselves a positive message. The following affirmations can help to work towards a positive self-image:
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I respect myself and others I am lovable and likable I am confident, and it shows I care about myself

Elliott, R. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.self-confidence.co.uk/articles/top-ten-facts-about-low-self-

esteem/ on April 21, 2012.

I am creating loving, healthy relationships I am a good friend to myself and others

13If

an individual faces experiences a lot of anxiety, depression and stress because of low

self-esteem he can do the following to help boost it: Talking therapies Talking therapy, a form of counseling helps to identify connections between thoughts, feelings and behavior and helps to develop skills to manage them. These are effective in helping people manage and challenge negative opinion about themselves and build positive beliefs that help boost self-esteem. Self Help Groups & Online Help A good option to talk to people and learn from their experiences is through self help groups, online communities and forums. Online communities can be a source of great support, but the anonymity of the internet can make this risky. However, some sites that belong to organizations working on various issues can offer peer support and are monitored to make sure people are not abusive.

Self-esteem is recognized to play a huge role in the life of an individual. If the person is struggling to believe in his or herself, that person will stop living the life to its fullest. It is important to remember here that low-self esteem is based on opinions and not facts that are a solid truth. Therefore, a person suffering from low self-esteem has the power to change these opinions and raise self-esteem and lead a better quality of life.

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Clouette, P. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/increase_your_self-esteem on April 21, 2012.