Sometimes we give so much to others that we forget to value ourselves. As women, it’s easy to ignore our own needs, lower our standards, or settle for less than we deserve.
But deep down, you know when you’re not treating yourself the way you should.
If you’ve been wondering whether you’ve lost touch with your own worth, here are 13 signs that may show you’re not respecting yourself the way you deserve to.
13 Signs You Have No Self-respect As A Woman
1. You Let Others Walk All Over You
When you never speak up for yourself, people start to believe they can treat you however they want. Maybe you stay quiet to keep the peace or because you don’t want anyone to be upset with you. But silence can look like approval.
If someone constantly takes advantage of you—asking for too much, disrespecting your time, or ignoring your feelings—and you keep saying “yes,” you’re teaching them that it’s okay. Respect starts with boundaries. When you don’t set them, people will cross them again and again.
Loving yourself means protecting your time, energy, and heart. Saying “no” doesn’t make you rude. It makes you strong.
2. You Stay in Unhealthy Relationships
Sometimes we stay in relationships where we know we’re not loved the way we deserve. Maybe you tell yourself things will get better, or that you can’t find anyone else, or that it’s not “that bad.” But if someone constantly disrespects you, hurts you, or makes you feel small, that’s not love.
When you stay in these relationships, you’re showing yourself that you don’t believe you’re worthy of better. True self-respect means walking away when someone refuses to treat you right.
It’s not easy, but leaving creates space for peace, healing, and eventually, the kind of love that honors you.
3. You Always Put Yourself Last
Caring for others is beautiful, but it should not come at the cost of your own health and happiness. If you are always saying “yes” to everyone else and never to yourself, you will burn out.
When you don’t rest, don’t pursue your dreams, or constantly ignore your own needs, you send yourself the message that you don’t matter. Over time, this leads to resentment and exhaustion.
Respecting yourself means balancing care for others with care for yourself. You are not selfish for putting yourself on the list too. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
4. You Allow Disrespectful Behavior
When someone talks down to you, ignores your boundaries, or treats you badly—and you do nothing about it—you’re teaching them that this behavior is acceptable.
You may forgive easily because you want to keep the relationship. But when disrespect happens again and again, it becomes a pattern. Allowing this treatment tells others that your feelings don’t matter.
Real respect comes when you make it clear that you won’t tolerate being treated poorly. Walking away from disrespect doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you know your worth.
5. You Settle for Less Than You Deserve
Sometimes we convince ourselves that we should just “be grateful” for what we have, even if deep down we know it’s not enough. Maybe it’s a job that doesn’t value you, a friendship that drains you, or a relationship where love feels one-sided.
Settling means telling yourself that you can’t do better, when the truth is—you can. Self-respect means believing that you are worthy of love, work, and friendships that fill your life with joy and not just survival.
When you raise your standards, you open the door for better things to come.
6. You Don’t Take Care of Your Body
Ignoring your health, skipping meals, sleeping too little, or not moving your body can all be signs of low self-respect. Your body is a gift, and how you treat it reflects how you value yourself.
This doesn’t mean chasing perfection. It means choosing to eat well, rest, and care for yourself because you know you deserve to feel good. When you neglect yourself, you’re showing that you don’t see your body as important.
Taking care of your health is one of the most powerful ways to show yourself respect.
7. You Stay Quiet When You Want to Speak
If you constantly hold back your thoughts, opinions, or feelings because you’re scared of what others will think, you’re silencing yourself. Over time, this makes you feel invisible and unheard.
Your voice matters. When you hide it, you teach others that your thoughts aren’t valuable—even though they are. Respecting yourself means being honest, even when it feels uncomfortable.
It doesn’t mean being rude—it means being real. And being real is a form of self-love.
8. You Compare Yourself to Everyone Else
If you are always looking at other women and telling yourself you’re not good enough, you’re tearing down your own worth. Comparison steals your joy and blinds you to your own beauty.
When you measure your life by someone else’s, you forget the unique gifts God placed inside you. You cannot respect yourself if you’re constantly wishing to be someone else.
Self-respect means celebrating your own journey, even if it looks different. Your story is worth honoring.
9. You Let Fear Control You
If you’re always scared of failing, of being alone, or of disappointing others, you may end up staying stuck in situations that don’t honor you. Fear whispers lies that keep you from walking in your true worth.
When you let fear decide for you, you give up your power. Self-respect means stepping into courage, even when it’s hard. It’s believing that your future is bigger than your fear.
10. You Don’t Invest in Yourself
When you stop learning, stop growing, or stop dreaming, it may be because you don’t believe you’re worth the effort.
Self-respect means valuing your potential. It means taking the time to learn new things, chase goals, and improve yourself—not because you’re not enough now, but because you deserve to grow.
The more you invest in yourself, the more confident and respected you feel.
11. You Accept Fake Apologies
If someone keeps hurting you and says “sorry” without ever changing, and you keep accepting it, you’re showing that you don’t value your own feelings.
A real apology comes with changed behavior. Fake apologies are just words. If you accept them, you’re teaching people that they can hurt you without consequences.
Self-respect means expecting actions, not just words.
12. You Hide Your True Self
If you’re always pretending to be someone else so people will like you, you’re telling yourself that who you are isn’t enough.
But the truth is—you are enough, exactly as you are. When you hide your true self, you’ll never feel fully loved, because people aren’t even seeing the real you.
Self-respect means showing up as yourself, without apology. The right people will love you for who you are.
13. You Don’t Believe You Deserve More
The deepest sign of low self-respect is when you’ve convinced yourself that you’re not worthy of love, success, or happiness.
This belief can keep you stuck in painful places for years. But the truth is—you are worthy, not because of what you do, but simply because of who you are.
Self-respect starts with believing that you deserve better. Once you believe it, everything changes.
Losing self-respect doesn’t happen overnight. It often comes from years of giving too much, staying too quiet, or believing we aren’t worthy of more. But the beautiful truth is this—you can start rebuilding your self-respect today.
Every time you say “no” to something that hurts you, and “yes” to something that honors you, you’re showing yourself love. Every boundary you set, every step you take toward your dreams, every choice you make to care for your heart and body is a sign that you value yourself.
You don’t need to be perfect to deserve respect—you already deserve it, simply because of who you are. The moment you start believing that, your life will begin to change.
