Self Esteem

Pop star Jessie J, smiling without teeth at the camera. She has long dark hair in a high ponytail, briwn eyes, thin eyebrows and bright red lipstick. She's wearing a top which has a black and white paisley pattern.

Self-esteem when you feel your body is failing you

Pop star Jessie J, has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s informed her fans she’s going to ‘disappear’ for a while, to begin her recovery. To be human is to have a body that sometimes lets us down. We are all fallible. From the relatively minor disappointment of being unable to breastfeed, to the … Read more

Self-esteem and neurodiversity

Self-esteem and neurodiversity is a hot topic at the moment. After many years of barely being mentioned, it now dominates social media, demands column inches and frequently features on the news agenda. Most of us know the deflating feeling of struggling with a subject at school, or of desperately trying to manage a difficult social … Read more

Forgiveness and self-esteem

Forgiveness and self-esteem may seem to be only loosely linked. But dig deeper, or examine your own experiences, and you’ll know that holding a grudge brings up some hard feelings. There’s anger (a lot of it), righteous indignation, bitterness. And, beneath all that, there can be a stagnant sense of guilt or shame. Because, despite … Read more

Woman with long brown hair on an urban balcony smiles at the camera. She is wearing a white long sleeved, polo neck sweater under a black pinafore dress.

3 surprising signs of low self-esteem

When you hear the word low self-esteem, what do you imagine? Perhaps, a woman, round shouldered, stooped, hiding behind her hair. Everything about her demeanour suggests she wants to disappear. But there are just as many women who hide their low self-worth well. So well, they hide it even from themselves. And, unless you were … Read more

Help, I’m spiraling into depression

Ever experienced life going along normally, nicely even, and then the next day, you’re spiraling into depression and low self-esteem? How did you get here, and is it possible to claw your way back before you reach rock bottom? The answer is yes. You might be plummeting now, but there’s still time to turn things … Read more

The benefits of low self-esteem

Talking about the ‘benefits’ of low self-esteem sounds a little confusing, and even counter intuitive. It’s hard to believe, as you watch your life pass by, that there are advantages to feeling like this. But there are. The fact remains, that low self-esteem comes replete with secondary gains. And it can be these little kickbacks, … Read more

Woman with brown curly hair and a striped t-shirt stands against a wall and smokes a cigarette looking sad. This is a stereotypical image of depression and low self-esteem. But actually a perfect faced and high achievements can be just as usual.

Depression and low self esteem

The twin topics of depression and low self-esteem, give most people the shudders. Depression is bad enough alone. But so often it wants to pair up with another funky feeling and double its impact. Depression leaves us bleak inside, and then low self esteem tells us we don’t deserve to feel better. In fact, who … Read more

Asian woman with long black hair, wearing a white sleeveless blouse, touches her ear while listening intently to her friend.

Building self esteem by speaking out

Research has found you can improve your self-esteem by speaking out. Getting comfortable with voicing your opinion, can have a range of wellbeing benefits – from more authentic relationships to lower blood pressure. But although it sounds simple, we all know fearlessly speaking your mind can be far from easy. Especially in a group, where … Read more

Celia Jarvis, women's self-esteem specialist.

5 things I’ve learnt in 5 years as a women’s self esteem specialist

For the past 5 years, I’ve been specialising in women’s self-esteem. And as you might imagine, it’s really rewarding work. A surprising side effect though, is that as my wonderful clients grow, so too do I. It’s always enlightening on every level. So, to commemorate this anniversary, here are the top 5 things I’ve learnt … Read more

Singer, Paloma Faith, in a white vest top looking sultry and lying on the floor.

Self loss and the path to rediscovery

Singer, Paloma Faith, discusses self loss in her biography MILF, she writes, “I was a mother, carer, domestic goddess and completely self-sacrificing. I stopped reading, learning, being curious and felt I only existed to serve my small children.” Can you relate? Self-loss can happen quickly. Once the dust has settled, after any big life event, … Read more

Self-Esteem Faqs

Self-esteem is a term that’s bandied around so often, in magazines and social media. But actually, really understanding self-esteem can be more complex. So, I’ve put together these self-esteem FAQs. If there’s anything else you’d like to see just let me know. What exactly is self-esteem? The Cambridge Dictionary describes self esteem as: “Belief and … Read more

Celia Jarvis wearing a straw hat, sunglasses and purple swimming costume on holiday.

The lady vanishes – self-esteem and ageing

I’ve just returned from a beautiful holiday, where I was mostly on the beach in my bikini. And while flaunting my curves, as the talented journalists at the Daily Mail call it, I got exactly zero compliments. Also, no appreciative glances and not a single double-take. I was no more noticeable on the beach then … Read more