MindCast: The importance of self-esteem for academic success

In the 4th episode of MindCast, launched on 13 June, guest Bárbara Nazaré, a professor at the Faculty of Human Sciences (FCH) at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), discussed the importance of self-esteem for academic success.  

Bárbara Nazaré, a clinical and health psychologist and collaborator with the UCP Mental Health Service, spoke to host Sofia Torneiro, a student at the FCH, and began by explaining that there are various factors that influence self-esteem and that they start very early in life: genetic influences, aspects related to life experiences as a child, but also current experiences as an adult. 

The professor emphasises that there is a clear relationship between self-esteem and academic success, proven by science. She also emphasises that people with high self-esteem tend to have a more positive view of themselves, show greater persistence in the face of adversity and cope more healthily with failure. 

Bárbara Nazaré emphasises that professors and family members can help students improve their self-esteem, and makes three important suggestions. Firstly, she encourages the definition of individual academic growth, evolution and progression objectives, since comparing oneself with others is not beneficial. Secondly, he emphasised the importance of conveying that academic evaluations measure performance at that specific moment and not the intrinsic value of the person. Finally, he suggests helping students to focus on the benefits of failures, seeing them as learning opportunities for the future. 

To end the episode, Bárbara Nazaré leaves two final pieces of advice. The first is to practice self-compassion, to realise that a mistake doesn't diminish a person's value and that criticism at that moment only makes the situation worse. The second piece of advice is to reflect on the intrinsic value of each person, remembering that everyone has value, despite not always being aware of it. 

The next episode of MindCast will be released on 27 June and will cover the importance of different types of relationships in a student's journey, with Susana Costa Ramalho, also a lecturer at the FCH.  

Find out more about the mental health consultations for the entire academic community here, and listen to the rest of this season's episodes here. 

MindCast, a podcast about mental health, is the result of a partnership between the Social Responsibility Office and the Marketing Club of the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics.