Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume - 4, Issue - 5, 1 November 2019 | Page 6

Self-worth is believing that you’re fundamentally worthy, whereas self-esteem
is feeling good, or confident, about yourself.
Can you have self-esteem without self-worth? Yes. Just look at narcissists.
They exude self-esteem (or self-confidence) so much so that it’s toxic to other
people. But the issue here is that they don’t possess self-worth. Their
narcissism is a mask or defence mechanism against the tremendous feelings
of unworthiness that they carry inside. (In psychology, this is called reaction-
formation.)
So, you see, self-worth is something we need to learn and strengthen, for
without it, we become like doormats or narcissists.
As Dr. Christina Hibbert explains:
Self-esteem is what we think and feel and believe about ourselves. Self-worth
is recognizing ‘I am greater than all of those things.’ It is a deep knowing that I
am of value, that I am loveable, necessary to this life, and of
incomprehensible worth.
But how do you know if you’re suffering from low self-worth? We’ll explore
that next …
15 Signs You’re Experiencing Low Self-Worth
Look out for the following:
• You struggle to set strong personal boundaries
• You suffer from constant self-doubt
• You’re cynical about the value of what you do
• You struggle to believe that anyone could really love you
• You can’t accept compliments without feeling embarrassed/skeptical
• You always put other’s needs above your own (i.e., you have a martyr
complex.
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You settle for less in relationships and jobs thinking it’s ‘the best you
can do’
You value other people’s opinions above your own
You always feel a sense of anxiety and tension around others
You are scared of sharing your authentic self with the world
You let others walk over or mistreat you
Instead of feeling like the King or Queen of your life, you feel like a
beggar always needing help or victim always being hurt
You struggle to speak up and be assertive about your needs
You don’t know what your true needs are
You feel more depressed than happy