“I’m so dumb lol” “This is why I’m single” “I can’t believe I did that I’m such a nerd” High school students are often too hard on themselves.They walk in the hallway and hear the self deprecating jokes. Self esteem might be affecting your life in more ways than you ever thought it would.

 Low self esteem reduces the quality of life and can lead to mental health issues. “Although low self-esteem is not categorized as a mental health condition in itself, there are clear links between the way we feel about ourselves and our overall mental and emotional well being,” according to the National Alliance On Mental Illness. Self esteem is one of the most important aspects of a high school student.They either spend all of their time trying to increase their self esteem or protecting it from being diminished by other people.

 When you have a low self esteem, your self respect decreases. If you respect yourself, others will take the way they treat you more seriously. Just like the saying, “Treat others the way you want to be treated,” you should treat yourself the way you want others to treat you.

 When you think negatively you are programming your brain to always look at things negatively. This will change the way you feel about life, the things that were important to you, and the way you think about the things that happen to you. “The way you think affects your emotions and your emotions affect your behavior,” says Elaine Ryan, a pyshcologist.

 High school years are when you will change the most, make important decisions, and decide the person you want to be. “So a person with high self-esteem believes they are a good person; they can recognize their good qualities and will generally strive for a happy and successful life. Someone with low self-esteem has negative feelings about themselves, believing that they are not worthy of love, happiness or success,” according to the National Alliance On Mental Illness. Don’t let your self esteem change your future. Be yourself and do what you love.

 In a few years from now, many of us won’t even remember each other. The only thing from high school that will still affect us is our choices. Self esteem changes the way we make choices. Be proud of yourself and let yourself be happy.