How to overcome low self esteem

A very important aspect of an individual’s life, self esteem is a much talked about factor that can completely influence an individual’s outlook and approach towards his life and environment. What is this Self esteem?

Rosenberg defined self-esteem in terms of a stable sense of personal worth or worthiness. Nathaniel Branden says that “Self-esteem is the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and being worthy of happiness”.Simply put it is the confidence in our ability to think and to cope with the basic challenges of life. It is the package of beliefs that one carries around in his/her head, that one has accepted to be the truth about him or herself, whether it is or not. Self esteem is important as it has the power to influences our lives. It mainly influences ones achievement, accomplishments, beliefs, values, and ones commitment towards ones values.

How does low self esteem develop?

• Due to negative and bad environment.


• Put downs from significant others.


• Subjected to ridicule by others.


• Negative experiences.


• Failures and inability to see them in the right perspective.

Some people constantly view themselves negatively in every aspect of life. This is known as Low Self Esteem because you become what you think about most.

Characteristics of Low Self esteem:

• Undermining of one’s own abilities


• Feel devalued by others


• Feelings of helplessness


• Get influenced by others easily


• Avoidance of situations that provoke anxiety


• Become defensive and easily frustrated – Anger problems.


• Blame others for their own weaknesses

Alarm bells: Low self-esteem can have devastating consequences:

• Can create anxiety, stress, loneliness and increased likelihood for depression.


• It can lead to underachievement and increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse.


• Worst of all, these negative consequences themselves reinforce the negative self-image and can take a person into a downward spiral of lower and lower self-esteem and increasingly non-productive or even actively self-destructive behavior.

However there is hope and one can develop healthy self esteem by taking focused efforts and systematic measures for the same.

Some Self esteem boosters:

Develop realistic expectations from the self: Most of us end up expecting too much from ourselves.  Perfection is not possible but bettering our-self should be a lifetime goal.

Make balanced self evaluations: Recognize and focus on both your strengths and weaknesses. Accept your weaknesses. In fact, make a pact with yourself to work on them. Change what can be changed. But accept gracefully what you cannot.

Engage in useful and supportive behaviour: Drop avoidance and do not withdraw from life. In fact approach new situations with an open mind and engage in life doing pleasant activities.

Always speak well of yourself: Always have good things to say about yourself and if you have nothing good to say about yourself, keep your mouth shut.

Accept compliments: Accept and give compliments and recognize the beauty in yourself and others.

Treat yourself well: Let people know how you expect to be treated, in particular, set an example by the way you treat yourself and them.

Accept mistakes: Accept your own mistakes gracefully. There is nothing wrong in saying ‘Yes, I was wrong.”

Always, Always, Always… Think positively.

Have you ever tried boosting these above qualities in you? Know about yourself by taking an online personality test click here https://goo.gl/kL74Ik

Take a few moments to answer the questions given below to determine your level of self esteem. This questionnaire is purely a simple indicator of the level of self esteem that you may currently be experiencing as an individual.  It is not a substitute for seeking professional advice or diagnosis.

When will one know that self esteem has developed?

When you see these CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH SELF-ESTEEM in yourself …..know that you have achieved your goal:

• Act independently


• Assume responsibility


• Be proud of accomplishments


• Approach new challenges with enthusiasm


• Exhibit a broad range of emotions


• Tolerate frustration well


• Feel capable of influencing others

Keep in mind the Self Esteem Mantra:

“No one can Make you feel inferior Without your Consent.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

How to overcome low self esteem

Online Psychometric Tests

Online Psychometric assessments to evaluate your candidates’ personality and skills.



Know more about psychometric tests, visit our website www.psychometrica.in

Do You Have What It Takes For a Maritime Career

Pratik had always been keen in a maritime career. The lure of the sea, the glamour of a seafaring job, and the allure of earning big money all attracted him to a career in shipping. After completing his class 12, he enrolled for deck cadet training, and soon enough, was selected by a prestigious shipping company. 4 months on the ship, however, were an eye-opener for Pratik. While his comrades were fun and supportive, the sheer hard work, the long separation from parents and friends, the lack of a social life all got to him immensely. As he came home depressed and demotivated, he vowed never again to step on a ship.

Like Pratik, many youngsters are attracted to a maritime career due to its many promises: adventure, travel, glamour and money! Indeed, a seafaring career often is adventurous, fun and rewarding – for the right people! One needs to have a certain frame of mind, a few critical personality tests, and considerable emotional resilience to sustain and enjoy a seafaring career.

So What Does a Career in the Maritime Industry Call For?

Ability to Work in Teams: As a seafarer, one should be able to work in a cooperative and collaborative manner. Connecting easily to others, adapting to the needs and requirements of people around us, ability to trust people and share an easygoing relationship are all critical to be a happy and well-adjusted seafarer. On sea, the crew is your family, and being able to get along well and work harmoniously takes on a different shade in this context.

Strong Work Ethic: In simple words, if you like to laze around and shirk work, a seafaring career is not for you! As a seafarer, you need to be able to work independently as well as with a team, you need to be confident about your capabilities, methodical and meticulous in your work. Resourcefulness and the ability to take initiative are also necessary traits to be a successful seafarer.

Leadership Traits: While team work is important, having leadership qualities is equally important in this profession. No matter at what level of the hierarchy you are in, you need to show the ability to take charge in a crisis situation, to be able to handle any situation in a calm and focused manner. Setting high goals for yourself, and working confidently toward achieving those will go a long way to decide your long term sustenance in this profession.

If you are keen on a seafaring career, and you have these traits, go ahead and take the plunge! If you are unsure about whether you have these qualities, opt for the SeaPert, a unique psychometric assessment tool that profiles your suitability for a career in the maritime industry.

To know more about the Seapert, click here Seafarers Test

Ms. Samindara Hardikar – Sawant

Clinical Psychologist
Psychometrica | Disha | Career Pathways

samindara@psychometrica.in


Do You Have What It Takes For a Maritime Career

Centre to start recruitment for jobs online

An online recruitment plan in the works may soon relieve thousands of such aspirants of the need to queue up at offices multiple times, jostle to put in a word from somebody who seems to know somebody important and possibly offer a bribe to get their police verification fast tracked — all to join a coveted government job.

Read more in details on http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/jobs/Centre-to-start-recruitment-for-jobs-online/articleshow/52051898.cms




Centre to start recruitment for jobs online

Are you Emotionally Intelligent?

For a long time, employers have been talking about hiring intelligent people, people with a high IQ, or intelligence quotient. But in the past two decades, focus has shifted from IQ to EQ, or emotional quotient. Employers now seek people who are not only intelligent, but emotionally intelligent. EQ has now become the buzzword, not just in the corporate world, but in every profession: be it teaching, medicine, engineering, law! No matter how good you are at your job, you still need to be emotionally intelligent to be able to excel at what you do!

What is this emotional intelligence?

It refers to our ability to deal with emotions and feelings in others, and ourselves. It is the basis of all human relations, and psychologists today believe that EQ is a better predictor of success than IQ. After all, our feelings and emotions are amongst our most potent resources. It is through our emotions that we connect to others and to ourselves!

Following are some major components of EQ (emotional quotient) .

Self-Awareness: Knowing your emotions, recognizing feelings as they occur, and being able to discriminate between them

Mood Management: Handling feelings in a manner that is appropriate to the situation at hand.

Self-Motivation: Directing yourself and your emotions toward a specific goal, despite self-doubt, inertia, and impulsiveness.

Empathy: Recognizing feelings in others and tuning into their verbal and nonverbal cues

Managing Relationships: Handling interpersonal interaction, conflict resolution, and negotiations

It is thus vital to know what our EQ level is. Interestingly, unlike IQ, which cannot be “increased”, we can work on raising our EQ. We can learn to become more aware of our own feelings and emotions. We can learn to control and modulate our emotional reactions.

How Can One Become Emotionally Intelligent?

• The first step is identifying emotions.


• Second is using emotions. This refers to the ability to use emotions to get desired outcomes, resolve difficulties, and achieve goals.


• The third step is understanding emotions. If we understand what causes certain emotions in us, we can use this knowledge to modulate our emotional reactions.


• Finally, we come to managing emotions: in ourselves as well as in others. How you manage emotions in yourself and others can have a profound impact on your job success and satisfaction.

Of course we have to realize that emotional intelligence is not the sole predictor of workplace success.  It is one of many important components.  It should never be thought of as a replacement or substitute for ability, knowledge or job skills.

Here are some ways in which we can use emotional intelligence at the work place.

• You can use your understanding of emotions to know what motivates people, understand other people’s points of view, and understand and handle team interactions


• You can stay aware of your emotions, which have valuable information, and use them to solve problems.


• You can try to understand your stressors, and effectively resolve them.


• Being empathetic to your team members results in better team morale and a healthier work environment.


• Resolving conflicts becomes easy if you have emotional intelligence.

Ms. Samindara Hardikar – Sawant

Clinical Psychologist

Psychometrica | Disha Counseling Center| Career Pathways

samindara@psychometrica.in

Are you Emotionally Intelligent?

Stress Management Tips at Your Rescue

Stress is the “wear and tear” our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment. In other words, it refers to the effect on a person when he does not have adequate resources to meet the challenges of life. It is the way your mind and body responds to the various demands made by life. Different people can tolerate different levels of stress.

Is stress always bad?

• The stress you experience is not necessarily harmful.

• Mild forms of stress can act as a motivator and energizer.

• However, if your stress level is too high, problems can result.

These sources of stress are called stressors. Knowing what factors are most stressful to you and how you respond to this stress is very important, because awareness is 90% of the solution.

The symptoms of stress largely fall under 4 categories:

• Feelings: Examples of the following are either feeling anxious, scared, irritable, or moody.


• Thoughts: Examples of the same are experiencing low self-esteem, fear of failure, inability to concentrate, worrying about the future, preoccupation with thoughts/tasks or forgetfulness.


• Behaviour: Examples of the following would be stuttering and other speech difficulties, crying for no apparent reason, acting impulsively, startling easily, grinding your teeth, increasing smoking / drugs / alcohol, losing your appetite or overeating.


• Physiology/Body Reactions: Examples would be having butterflies in stomach, headaches, pain in the neck and or lower back, susceptibility to illness and so forth.

Stress and Personality

While stressors are present in everyone’s life, not all of us get stressed by them, or to the same extent.

Some of us possess certain personality traits that can predispose us toward stress:

• Tension


• Guilt Proneness


• Sensitivity


• Excitability

Individuals who possess these or a combination of these traits are more likely to experience stress.

How can stress be combated ?

Many stresses can be changed, eliminated, or minimized. The right coping methods can help you. Stress Management is the ability to maintain control when situations, people, and events make excessive demands.

• Focus on task-oriented methods: Task oriented responses would include:
  • Behaviour directed primarily at dealing with the stressor.
  
  
  • Appraise situation objectively, work out alternative solutions, decide on strategy, take action and evaluate feedback.
  
  
  • Involves making changes in oneself, one’s surroundings or both.

• Confront the problem rather than brood about it!

• Seek support: from family, friends, and other important people in your life.

• Become aware of your own reactions to stress.

• Reinforce positive self-statements.

• Focus on your good qualities and accomplishments.

• Avoid unnecessary competition.

• Develop assertive behaviours.

• Recognize and accept your limits. Remember that everyone is unique and different.

• Get a hobby or two. Relax and have fun.

Benefits of managing stress effectively :

• Critical Life Skill: Good stress management will impact every sphere of your life:
  • Academic
  
  
  • Professional
  
  
  • Personal Relationships
  
  
  • Health
  
  
  • Life Satisfaction

• Enable you to deal with anxiety-provoking situations in a calm and controlled manner.

• Enable you to keep your perspective and not buckle under stress.

• Give every challenging situation your best and make full use of your resources in meeting that challenge head on.

• Learn stress buster techniques like yoga or meditation.

Ms. Shital Ravi.

Sr. Consulting Psychologist

Psychometrica

Stress Management Tips at Your Rescue

The gift of CREATIVITY

“Just as our eyes need light in order to see, our minds need ideas in order to conceive.” — Napoleon Hill

Some problems cannot be solved using the standard problem solving approaches. These problems require innovativeness or creativity in order to arrive at a solution. Thus, creativity involves finding a solution that is both unusual and useful. Creativity is about producing new ideas or combining old ideas in a unique way.

By default, we tend to think within boundaries, or limit our thinking to the obvious. However, problems often require us to think “out of the box”. Why is it that we are unable to think differently?

Road Blocks to creative thinking:

• Our education system, at times, forces us to think within boundaries.


• Natural tendency of the mind to look at the obvious rather than the covert.


• Habit: Many problems do have obvious solutions, so we are more habituated to thinking in that direction.


• We tend to use tried and tested solutions rather than struggle and stretch our thinking!

Worried you may not be creative or you may not be creative enough? This quiz will help you find out just how creative you are.

1. Do you ask questions that might seem stupid by others?
   
   a. Yes
   
   b. No


2. Do you
   
   a. delight in uncertainty and mystery?
   
   b. need a logical explanation for everything?


3. Do you
   
   a. need to put everything in its proper place?
   
   b. tolerate ambiguous situations well?


4. When someone suggests a new idea, do you
   
   a. immediately evaluate it, looking for its strengths & weaknesses?
   
   b. Play with the possibilities suggested by the idea?


5. In solving problems do you
   
   a. look for as many possibilities as you can think of?
   
   b. logically figure the situation out?


6. Do you believe that intuition is
   
   a. a reality worth relying on?
   
   b. the inability to be logical?


7. Do you
   
   a. like excitement and change?
   
   b. prefer peace and a reliable routine?


8. Do you most go by?
   
   a. a situation’s potential
   
   b. the practical consequences


9. Creativity
   
   a. is an all or none phenomena–you’re creative or you’re not?
   
   b. exists on a continuum?


10. Which is more important to originality?
    
    a. Asking the right question
    
    b. Finding the right answer

Scoring:

If you have marked your answer as ‘a’ to the following statements please give yourself ‘1’:

1, 2, 5, 6, 7,8.

If you have marked your answer as ‘b’ to the following statements please give yourself ‘1’:

3, 4, 9, 10.

Interpretation:

If your score is between 0-5: Your score falls in the low range. This indicates that you are a practical individual who likes to reach your goals in a logical and planful manner. This is beneficial in many situations. However this curbs your creative instincts as you do not let yourself think in innovative and original ways. You would need to cultivate the habit of thinking in imaginative and novel ways.

If your score is between 6-10: Your score falls in the high range. This indicates that you believe in being creative and original. You prefer to brainstorm different ways of solving a problem. You believe in your instincts and let your imagination work for you in problem solving situations.

Creativity is not a gift you have to be born with it.

Most creative people learn how to be creative. They do it logically. They look at one perspective and think of another. They appreciate metaphors. They make cross-connections easily. They trigger their thinking one way and then apply it to the problem at hand.

Cultivating Creativity: Some Guidelines

• Decide what you want to do. Without a good idea of what to create, you cannot be creative. It may be helpful to make a note of your objectives or to create a sketch of what you want to create.


• Be positive in your attitude. The solution will pop up in front of you if you work hard enough!


• Learn all you can about your subject. The more you know, the better equipped you are to find a solution.


• Think. Do not limit yourself to run-of-the-mill logical thinking. Look at your problem from new angles.


• Incubate. If the solution doesn’t come after your initial efforts, put the problem out of your mind and let your subconscious work on it. Go back to it in a few days and see where you are.


• Prune. Review your ideas and set aside the ones that have not worked. Make changes, additions, variations until you come up with your best.


• Put your ideas to work. That’s the best way of testing them!

“Embrace fully your capacity to create, to think in unlimited ways, and to pursue everything that you have been wanting.  …This can be the most joyous, prosperous, and creative time of your life.” — Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer

Shital Ravi

Sr. Consulting Psychologist
Psychometrica

The gift of CREATIVITY