What makes us feel good about ourselves and how can we improve self-worth?

We recently asked over 1,000 women all about feeling good about themselves and how self-worth can be determined. What we found was that women see these two things very differently and use different methods to achieve both.

Check out some of the key discoveries made through this survey -

Biggest Impacts on Self-Worth

• Family and upbringing was the number one factor on self-worth with 81% respondents choosing this option.
• Career and professional success is also a big force with 65% of women saying this impacts self-worth.
• Tying with career and professional success was “romantic relationships" at 65%.

The Struggle Is Real, What is Driving Low Self-Worth?

• On a scale of 1 - 10, with 10 being most confident and 1 being least confident about self-worth - 25% rate themselves a 1, 2 or 3. Only 20% would go with higher score of 8,9, or 10 and 55% are in the middle, between a 4 and 7.
• Number one of the list of ways women feel their self-worth is lowered is by “comparing myself to others” with 61% of respondents citing this as a struggle.
• More than half (54%) said either a “childhood experience” or “negative self-talk” contributed to low self-worth.
• And close to half (45%) felt that “relationship problems” was a factor in low self-worth.

How Can Women Achieve a Sense of Higher Self-Worth?

• According to our study, most women (77%) say that surrounding yourself with positive people will do the trick.
• Next would be setting and achieving goals at 72% and 71% say just being with loved ones can up your feelings of self-worth.
• More than half (64%) say that using positive affirmations helps.
• And 50% say getting professional help with a therapy or counseling can do wonders for self-worth.

   

• "Our environment and who we are surrounded with daily contribute a lot to how we act as a person.
• "Children are very much influenced by their family growing up, especially their parents. If they are belittled as a child their self worth is diminished."
• "I see this all the time in my friends I try to encourage them to feel more confident But It's hard after years of "you can't", or "don't do that", or "be careful", I try very hard not to fall into that trap!"
• "Females are groomed early on to be a certain way by their families and even by society. So many things they expect of females, while using other behaviors that are considered good in a male is considered unladylike. Societal norms/expectations for females are totally outdated and awful, and thankfully they are changing."

What Brings Women Down and Makes Them “Feel Badly” About Themselves?

• Not “being valued or respected by others” is the number one reason women report they feel badly about themselves, with a whopping 74% answering in this way.
• 67% say that “failing at something” can make them down about themselves.
• And 66% say that being criticized is enough to make them feel badly about themselves.

 Women Who Are Feeling Good About Themselves Say…

• Accomplishing goals (87%) is a great way to help feel good about yourself.
• A close second at 82% is “being kind to others”
• 78% of respondents say “taking care of yourself physically” is another way women are boosting the way they feel about themselves.
• And “being respected by others” also scores pretty high in this category at 74%.

Aliza Freud, SheSpeaks founder and CEO and noted women’s insights expert, found some of the results about negative impacts on self-worth as “concerning.” “A large percentage of women (85%) say that they have struggled with low self-worth. The fact that almost this identical percentage (84%) report that their self-worth has a strong effect on their happiness, we know that it is an important factor in mental health,” said Freud.

Do you relate to any of these findings?

Share your thoughts with us below!