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According to the American Psychological Association, having self-respect means having a healthy regard for your character, values, and dignity.It is a measure of yourself-worth.

Self-respect demands an appreciation of your identity as an individual, which in turn impacts your thoughts, values, emotions, commitments, and behaviors, saysJudith Zackson, PhD, Founder and Clinical Director of Zackson Psychology Group.

This article explains the importance of respecting yourself and suggests some strategies to improve your sense of self-respect.

Benefits of Having Self-Respect

These are some of the benefits of having a healthy sense of self-respect, according to Dr. Zackson:

Judith Zackson, PhDSelf-respect is the everyday discipline of loving who you are. It is the bedrock of developing self-acceptance and self-love. It’s hard, if not impossible, to live a fulfilled, meaningful, and joyous life if you don’t respect yourself first.

Judith Zackson, PhD

Self-respect is the everyday discipline of loving who you are. It is the bedrock of developing self-acceptance and self-love. It’s hard, if not impossible, to live a fulfilled, meaningful, and joyous life if you don’t respect yourself first.

Potential Pitfalls of Having Low Self-Respect

Below, Dr. Zackson outlines some of the potential pitfalls of having low self-respect:

11 Signs of Low Self-Esteem

Influences on Self-Respect

Below, Dr. Zackson describes some of the factors that can influence one’s sense of self-respect in childhood and adulthood.

Childhood Influences

Self-respect, like any other lasting quality, largely develops in childhood. Children learn that it’s all right for them to love themselves when their parent or caregiver loves and appreciates them for who they are.

Giving one’s fullloveand attention to a child is the foundation to help them value themselves. The knowledge that they do not have to do anything special to deserve love and respect will make them much less likely to place artificial limits on such feelings for themselves.

Parents who value themselves and are at peace with their sense of self are more likely to share these values with their children. It is not so muchwhat parents dobut ratherwho they already arethat will shape a child’s sense of worth. The importance of self-respect is fostered at a young age and lasts a lifetime.

Adult Influences

While childhood factors often play a far greater role in influencing one’s sense of self-respect, the influences in adulthood also matter. Factors like relationships, work, and life experiences can contribute to a person’s sense ofself-efficacyand self-confidence.

How to Improve Self-Respect

Dr. Zackson shares some strategies that can help you improve your sense of self-respect:

Judith Zackson, PhDWhenever you notice your inner critic starting to fire up, pause for a moment, challenge your thoughts as they whisper in your ear, and remind yourself that no matter what you do or don’t do, you are nothing less than beautiful and worthy of self-respect.

Whenever you notice your inner critic starting to fire up, pause for a moment, challenge your thoughts as they whisper in your ear, and remind yourself that no matter what you do or don’t do, you are nothing less than beautiful and worthy of self-respect.

Self-respect is an important part of your identity because it reflects how you view yourself, which in turn impacts every area of your life, including your relationships, work, and social life. Respecting andloving yourselfis the first step toward gaining the love and respect of others.

If you have low self-respect, there are steps you can take to work on it and improve it. It may also be helpful to see a mental healthcare provider, who can help you identify your values, correct negative thought patterns, set firm boundaries, and learn to love yourself.

How to Be More Confident: 9 Tips That Work

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Self respect.Dictionary of Psychology.Clucas C.Understanding self-respect and its relationship to self-esteem.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2020;46(6):839-855. doi:10.1177/0146167219879115Dillon R.Self-respect and self-esteem.International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Doi: 10.1002/9781444367072.wbiee221.pub2Corrigan PW, Bink AB, Schmidt A, Jones N, Rüsch N.What is the impact of self-stigma? Loss of self-respect and the “why try” effect.J Ment Health. 2016;25(1):10-15. doi:10.3109/09638237.2015.1021902

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Self respect.Dictionary of Psychology.Clucas C.Understanding self-respect and its relationship to self-esteem.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2020;46(6):839-855. doi:10.1177/0146167219879115Dillon R.Self-respect and self-esteem.International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Doi: 10.1002/9781444367072.wbiee221.pub2Corrigan PW, Bink AB, Schmidt A, Jones N, Rüsch N.What is the impact of self-stigma? Loss of self-respect and the “why try” effect.J Ment Health. 2016;25(1):10-15. doi:10.3109/09638237.2015.1021902

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Self respect.Dictionary of Psychology.Clucas C.Understanding self-respect and its relationship to self-esteem.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2020;46(6):839-855. doi:10.1177/0146167219879115Dillon R.Self-respect and self-esteem.International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Doi: 10.1002/9781444367072.wbiee221.pub2Corrigan PW, Bink AB, Schmidt A, Jones N, Rüsch N.What is the impact of self-stigma? Loss of self-respect and the “why try” effect.J Ment Health. 2016;25(1):10-15. doi:10.3109/09638237.2015.1021902

American Psychological Association.Self respect.Dictionary of Psychology.

Clucas C.Understanding self-respect and its relationship to self-esteem.Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2020;46(6):839-855. doi:10.1177/0146167219879115

Dillon R.Self-respect and self-esteem.International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Doi: 10.1002/9781444367072.wbiee221.pub2

Corrigan PW, Bink AB, Schmidt A, Jones N, Rüsch N.What is the impact of self-stigma? Loss of self-respect and the “why try” effect.J Ment Health. 2016;25(1):10-15. doi:10.3109/09638237.2015.1021902

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