The “look good, feel good” line is thrown around so much that brings almost 3 million results on Instagram alone. It’s been said by Deion Sanders, and both Doctors Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields, Sophie Kinsella, and more. Even me ;).
But is there truth to it? Is it true that when you look good you feel good, and when you feel good you perform well? Yes.
Korman’s Consistency Theory (1969, 1970, 1971) holds that people will perform to the level they feel about themselves. Self-esteem and performance go hand-in-hand.
When you feel good about yourself, you are motivated to perform at your highest level. High self-esteem yields high performance. Low self-esteem yields low or poor performance.
Ok, fine. But what is self-esteem really and how can you boost yours?
There are three types of self-esteem. Each is important to performance.
Chronic self-esteem is your overall feeling about yourself.
Situational self-esteem (also called self-efficacy) is how you feel about yourself or your abilities in certain conditions. For example, maybe you kick butt in basketball but when it comes to golf, you’re outmatched by a 5-year old.
Socially-influenced self-esteem is how you feel about yourself based on the expectations of others. Meaning, do you feel like you are living up to their expectations?
Low Self-Esteem can manifest in several ways such as, fear and anxiety, people pleasing, anger and frustration, overly sensitive, body hatred, sense of worthlessness.
These negative thought patterns must be replaced by more realistic, positive thought patterns. This begins with awareness, self-compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude.
To improve each type of self-esteem, you can participate in self-esteem workshops, focus on small wins and skill development opportunities, and develop healthy relationships.
Experiment with the FAST approach, as outlined by the Positive Psychology group:
F: Fairness to yourself and others.
A: Apologize appropriately. Do not apologize for having an opinion, taking up space, or disagreeing with others.
S: Stick to your values. Live your truth.
T: Truth and integrity are critical.
For those needing a deeper, clinical intervention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has also demonstrated effectiveness.
And of course, practicing small ways of investing in yourself will remind you that you are worth investing in. Taking 5 minutes for a walk, a stretch, a deep breathing practice, a healthy snack, a face mask, or some other form of self-care and self-investment won’t completely irradiate negative thoughts instantly and permanently. But it will help move you in the right direction and build toward positive self-esteem over time.
“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.” – T. Harv Eker
“Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth.” ― Iyanla Vanzant
References
Korman, A. K. (1969). Self-esteem as a moderator in vocational choice: Replications and extensions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 53(3, Pt.1), 188–192. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0027407
Korman, A. K. (1970). Toward an hypothesis of work behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 54(1, Pt.1), 31–41. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0028656
Korman, A. K. (1971). Industrial and organizational psychology, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. ISBN: 0134577213 9780134577210
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