Building Self- Esteem

Self- esteem is a hard thing to come by when talking to teenagers. The majority of highschoolers are still finding themselves and are in that "awkward" stage. The people who seem to have everything going for them and are thought to be at the top of the social ladder are no exception. People who are overconfident and seem cocky deal with shyness also; just in a different way. To overcome their insecurities, they overcompensate by acting confident.


Marc: People with high self-esteem are more likely to feel more in control of their lives. They also know their own weaknesses and strengths and are not ashamed of them. The reason that teens question themselves is that there are so many changes happening, mental and physical, that it gets overwhelming. You grow into yourself at some point. Don't try to change yourself for someone else, because you are the one who has to live with yourself.

Mick: The reason why people can't find themselves probably starts at home. People that are abused or neglected find themselves thinking that nothing they do is correct because that is what they constantly hear. As a teenager, you take what people say to heart more quickly than an adult would. As you grow out of your teenage years, you will care less what people think of you and appreciate who you really are.

Ways to build self- esteem:
- Have good hygiene: The cleaner you feel the more likely you are to feel confident
- Exercise: This is a great way to express yourself while getting your body in shape.
- Compliment yourself: It may seem awkward, but stand in front of your mirror and say a few positive things about yourself. Pick out you best features and make them known. Destructive criticism is counterproductive. You cannot change a lot of things about yourself, so why not accentuate your finer qualities.
- Avoid negative people: People who constantly put themselves or others down are no fun to be around. If you are in this situation, pick some new friends.
- Don't try to please everyone: Trying to live up to everyone's expectations is exhausting. To spare yourself the trouble, please yourself first.
- Reward yourself: If you have a hard day, do something relaxing. An excellent way to boost confidence is getting your hair done. When you feel good about yourself you tend to act confidently. Odds are, your positive attitude will spread!