TODAY'S
FEATURE ARTICLE
Beat Your Anxiety By Breaking the Chain of
Low Self Esteem
by Sylvia Dickens
Low self esteem is not often associated with anxiety
attacks, yet researchers have discovered a distinct connection between the
two.
There is a distinct link that causes a chain reaction - low
self esteem leads to self doubt; self doubt leads to anxiety.
Anxiety attacks trigger doubts. Sometimes, it’s unclear to
you that this is happening because it’s usually on a sub-conscious level.
If you already have low self-esteem any concerns about taking on a task
can trigger an anxiety attack. This is why it’s important that you focus
on breaking the chain of low self esteem to stop your anxiety attacks.
People who experience anxiety attacks might be worried
about their next school assignment, of going shopping, or of attending a
social gathering. In severe cases, they are afraid to leave the house.
Just getting to a medical appointment is a major trial for some people.
This is the stage where the chain of low self esteem and
anxiety is in full swing.
Regardless of the cause for the anxiety attacks, people who
suffer from them also experience low self-esteem and lack of confidence.
But exactly what is self-esteem?
Self esteem develops and evolves throughout our entire
lives, beginning in childhood. How we learn to view ourselves as children,
based on how we are treated by our parents, siblings, teachers, coaches
and religious leaders will contribute to our level of self-esteem.
Our self-esteem is also defined by our successes and
failures, and how we learn to handle them. We develop a view of ourselves,
our self image, based on how we feel about our abilities to live
effectively in the society around us. In childhood, this is a crucial
aspect of our growth.
Whether we develop high or low self-esteem, we can be sure
of one thing. Our level of confidence will change from one day to the next
as a normal part of life. Almost everyone’s feelings and thoughts about
themselves fluctuate occasionally in direct relation to the variety of
experiences in their daily lives. A recent school or medical exam, how
their peers treat them, job pressures and personal relationships all can
have a temporary impact on how they feel on a given day.
Low self esteem involves more than just the normal ebb and
flow of a person’s sense of well-being in response to everyday situations.
People who have a good, healthy sense of self will sail
through those fluctuations with ease and quickly bounce back. Those with
an existing low self esteem, on the other hand, can be dramatically
affected by those ups and downs. They can experience depression,
loneliness, anxiety attacks and panic that can be short lived or long
lasting.
In fact, low self esteem can create anxiety, stress,
relationship problems, impaired job performance, underachievement and can
lead to increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse.
As you can see, this chain of low self esteem and anxiety
can grow and expand. The resulting negative consequences reinforce the
existing negative self-image, leading the person into even lower
self-esteem and possibly to self-destructive behavior.
Take Baby Steps
One of the first goals for an anxiety sufferer then, must
be to aim at breaking the chain of low self esteem in order to experience
full, permanent recovery from their anxiety attacks.
While in a state of low self esteem and depression, and
dreading yet more anxiety attacks, it can be difficult to “stretch
yourself”, as some people have suggested. Much of the lack of productivity
and fear related to tackling otherwise simple tasks is directly linked to
the fear of failure.
Failure would present a devastating blow to an already low
self esteem. The natural instinct at that point is to do nothing or
experience anxiety attacks at the prospect of taking such action.
The key to overcoming this dilemma is to start small in
breaking the chain of low self esteem and anxiety, and building your
confidence.
One great way to begin this process is to take a close look
at your abilities, skills and interests. If you can’t think of any, go
back through your school reports if you still have them. Don’t worry if
you had poor marks. You’ll undoubtedly find a few subjects in which you
excelled. Everyone can do something extra well..
Go down the list and pick out the areas in which you did
well. How do you feel about those subjects? Are they things you would like
to do again?
It’s important to find something that you’ve already proven
you can do well. Most likely, when you recall your success, you will feel
at the very least a slight surge of confidence. It can be anything – art
class, economics, metal shop, computer work, leadership, sports, drama or
music.
Would you want to get involved in that subject again? How
would you proceed? Are there instructional manuals you can study? Is there
a local workshop you can attend? What about night courses? Does your area
have a club specifically for that interest that you can join?
Some abilities include: drawing, designing, playing an
instrument, accounting/bookkeeping, drafting, sense of humor, good memory,
good with your hands, mechanically inclined, electrical knowledge, working
with wood, interior painting, wallpapering, working with textiles… the
list is endless.
If you can find an activity that boosts your low
self-esteem, makes you feel productive and talented, and gives you
something positive to think about instead of focusing on your anxiety, you
are sure to start seeing a tremendous improvement in your condition. You
will be on the path to breaking the chain of low self esteem and curing
your anxiety attacks for good.
If you found this information helpful, here are some highly
effective proven programs to assist you in becoming the person you want to
be. http://www.book-titles.ca/mental_self_help.htm
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Sylvia
Dickens is an author, book reviewer and affiliate marketer. Visit her at
http://www.book-titles.ca for her
latest reviews and offers. Her travel magazine will give you ideas for
your next family vacation. Sylvia also operates two other online sites:
business opportunities at
http://www.make-money-online-central.com and a diamond site at
http://www.diamondhaven.com
where you can learn about diamonds and buy diamonds from one of her
recommended online jewelry stores..
