Nearly a quarter of UK adults say their self-esteem decreased during the pandemic, compared to pre Covid-19 times according to a report out today.
Relate’s and eharmony’s new The Way We Are Now 2021 report an inability to socialise with friends and family, money worries and not prioritising physical health drove this dip. Comparing themselves with others on social media was another key factor. However it’s not all doom and gloom.
One in five UK adults have come out of lockdown with increased self-esteem. They attribute this to paying more attention to their physical health, taking up a new hobby and realising how strong they are after getting through a pandemic.
Self-help strategies employed during lockdown also appear to have fuelled a new wave of confident single people ready to date and find love.
Over two-fifths of single people surveyed admit they are entering short but intense romantic relationships since restrictions have relaxed. Close to a quarter (23%) of UK adults say they use self-help resources including books, online quizzes or advice from wellness influencers more than they did pre the Covid-19 pandemic.
Interestingly, single respondents aged 18–34 were more likely than any other age group to focus on self-help in these ways. In addition, Relate’s own data shows that the number of 18–34 year-olds attending counselling on their own at Relate has increased by 7% since before the pandemic.
These findings are supported by Relate’s own web data with this page on relate.org.uk focusing on low self-esteem seeing a 125% increase in views in April and May 2021 compared to the previous month.
