It’s no secret that women struggle to maintain a positive self-esteem. From the age-old question “Does this make my butt look big?” to more serious issues like feeling like you’re the black sheep of your family, we all fight against our inner critic on daily basis.
Unfortunately, your battle against negative self-esteem doesn’t only affect yourself, but it also impacts your romantic relationships. According to a 2013 study, self esteem influences our own relationship satisfaction, as well as that of our partner’s. When we routinely feel bad about ourselves and question our self-worth, insecurities creep into the ways in which we interact with our partner.
The Journal of Personality study also found that the impact of self-esteem on relationship satisfaction was consistent across gender, age, and length of the relationship, meaning this is an issue that can influence everyone. So the question is…how do we fix this?
To find out how your insecurities have developed, first you have to look at your past, suggests Julie de Azevedo Hanks, licensed therapist and author of The Burnout Cure: An Emotional Survival Guide For Overwhelmed Women. “Our early childhood relationships set a template for our relationships in the future.”
Next: How Your Past Sets The Stage For Future Relationships
