The Edinburgh Reporter’s Mike Smith is a qualified hypnotherapist. In the latest of a series of articles, Mike looks at feelings of low self-esteem and how hypnotherapy can help.
‘I don’t feel comfortable in company’; ‘I’m not interesting enough to join in a conversation so I just keep quiet’; ‘I’d rather not say anything in case I come across as foolish’; ‘I just feel out of place’.
Do you say these words or experience emotions similar to those feelings expressed above? If so, you could be experiencing low self-esteem. Self-esteem is what is described as our opinion of ourselves. It is how we think about who we are, what we are, what we think our abilities are and what we think will happen in the future.
When our feelings of self-esteem are high, we feel good about ourselves and our outlook on life in positive. We have the strength and courage to deal with most of what life throws at us without things having a long-term effect on our life, health and general well-being.
‘How are you doing? I’m fine, thanks, life is good.’
However, when our feelings of self-esteem are low, our thoughts and feelings about ourselves can be quite negative. Instead of focussing on the positive things in life, we tend to focus on our weaknesses and can be overly-critical of the mistakes we make. Everyone makes mistakes – it’s part of life. But someone with feelings of low self-esteem can dwell on these mistakes. For example, you can have a good day at work and be quite productive. However, it takes one error, however minor, to change your perspective on the day. Instead of thinking about the positive things that happened that day you dwell on the mistake. This makes you less able to cope with everyday challenges and can influence your thoughts on the following day i.e. ‘I wonder what will go wrong today’
Low self-esteem can affect your entire life, your relationships with others and, ultimately, your health. Low self-esteem affects people in different ways. There are, however, common signs to look out for. If a person feels like they are inadequate or unworthy, their behaviour may reflect this.
Some of the types of behaviours and feelings someone with low self-esteem may experience are:
- feeling bored with life
- having no motivation
- feeling constantly anxious or fearful of making a mistake
- lack of assertiveness
- feeling overly sensitive to criticism
- thinking there’s nothing to look forward to
- thinking negatively about yourself
- feeling tired a lot of the time
- feeling like a failure
- wishing your life was better
If you are living with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt your mental health may be at risk. Although low self-esteem is not recognised as a mental health problem, the two are closely related. This is because long-term negative thinking can lead to depression and anxiety. Self-doubt and feeling hopeless can also make it hard for you to try new things or complete everyday tasks. This can stop you from living life in a fulfilling and healthy way.
Hypnotherapy can help with issues of self-esteem and self-confidence. Hypnosis is an altered and heightened state of awareness that is sometimes referred to as a trance state. Most of us slip in and out of trance states throughout the day in everyday life. Has anyone ever said to you ‘Hey – you’re away in a dream!’ in an attempt to get your attention? When you day-dream you are at your most relaxed and comfortable. This is often when the best ideas ‘pop’ into your mind – they certainly do in my case!
You may be aware there are two parts to the mind, the conscious and the subconscious. Many therapists use the term ‘unconscious’ instead of ‘subconscious’, and many describe the workings of the mind in great detail. My explanation is very simple:
The Conscious
You are aware and in the present with your conscious mind. It’s the part of your mind that reasons and makes decisions and choices. It acts as a filter to thoughts and suggestions, deciding whether to keep them in the forefront of your mind, or put them ‘on hold’, or to dismiss them altogether. When a thought or suggestion is put ‘on hold’, it goes straight to the subconscious where it is filed away.
The Subconscious
The subconscious is a container for your thoughts. Amongst other things, it houses all the information your conscious gives it to store, like memories and things it can’t deal with immediately. If you are experiencing low self-esteem, this may be driven by your subconscious. As a fully qualified hypnotherapist, I will work with you to change your thought process and, therefore, increase your self-esteem.
If you feel you are someone who is lacking in self-esteem, help is available. Contact me today to arrange an appointment. The process begins with an initial consultation meeting. This will last about an hour and establish your needs and what you want to achieve. This consultation is free and you are under no obligation to proceed. After this, if you decide to proceed, sessions will probably be on a weekly basis.
If you want to make positive changes to your life, whether it be any of the issues above or anything else – please contact me to arrange your free consultation and we can discuss what hypnotherapy can do for you.
Mind Generating Success is based at 14-18 Hill Street, Edinburgh – between North Castle Street and Frederick Street, so handily placed if you’re in the city centre.
Phone or text me on 07521353787 (24 hours) to arrange a date and time for an initial free consultation or email me at:
mike.smith@mgs-hypnotherapy-services.co.uk
Home visits are available by arrangement.
We have but one life – so why not try and change your life for the better?
Article ref: www.HypnotherapyDirectory.org.uk
Author of The Team for Me - 50 Years of Following Hearts. Runs Mind Generating Success, a successful therapy practice in Edinburgh. Contact me if you want rid of any unwanted habits. Twitter @Mike1874
