Being a teenager is not child's play. Sometimes it seems that everything and everyone is against you and that other people are better than you can even hope to become. But, if you work hard on yourself, you can feel as good as ever by doing your best and projecting that self-worth that will make you shine in life.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Create Reasons to Be Proud
Step 1. Focus on experiences, not appearances
It is not healthy for anyone to root their self-esteem in superficiality. Physical appearance changes rapidly and can be negatively affected by many factors, and then the definition of what beauty would be varies from one person to another. Choose a more stable element on which to base your pride: experience and achievements, these things cannot be taken away.
Step 2. Open the door to your future successes
In life you have to dedicate yourself to what will make you proud. This advice, in general, applies to anyone of any age. If you know someone whose life is full of those things you crave, what are you waiting for to pursue them? The possibilities are many, so choose experiences that are satisfying or to some extent important. This will boost your self-esteem like nothing else in the world.
- Learn to play an instrument. Choose one you've always wanted to play, take a course or learn on your own. This activity will give you a great sense of fullness and happiness. It takes time and effort, but music lessons are readily available almost everywhere, from school to private institutions.
- Travel. Explore the world and go see the things you find interesting. It doesn't have to be expensive. You can save money by staying in hostels, coach surfing, traveling by train, sharing a car and keeping an eye on the great deals on plane tickets. And then surely you have beautiful cities within walking distance of you, which you can reach for free, or almost. Traveling the world will give you confidence as well as great stories to tell.
- Study a visual art or play a sport. Your choice largely depends on your personal inclination, which can be more physical or more intellectual. Both, however, take time and a lot of effort to master. You can take a class, but the truth is that you will perfect your technique by challenging yourself, especially together with other people. Doing art or sports will provide you with a great way to facilitate social interaction and meet new people, as these activities are much more fun when done in company and not alone.
- When you can, achieve academic success. Get better grades, take extra courses and focus on extracurricular activities. All of this will make you feel good and come in handy later on. You will have better earning opportunities and will be able to find much more fulfilling jobs if you do your best in high school and college.
Step 3. Take Your Responsibilities
It is ideal for increasing your self-esteem and self-confidence. By dedicating yourself to the important things; not only will you reassure yourself that you are a capable person, but you will also have feedback on your positive impact on the world.
- Get a job. Starting work will not only give you the opportunity to save for college or any expenses you want to do, but it will also allow you to feel proud of yourself. Try getting hired in a place that allows you to help others, such as working as an assistant in a nursing home or filling bags in supermarkets. A part-time job will make you feel good and useful.
- Volunteer. This activity is perfect for boosting your self-esteem. You will do something nice for others and you can improve some of your skills in the meantime. You can work at the soup kitchen, build houses, or start your own volunteer group by considering a problem that has some weight for you. These types of experiences also look great on the resume.
- Tutor or mentor other students. Using your life experiences to help out other teenagers or younger pupils will make you feel so much better. You can help them in your high school, middle school, or offer your support to a local institution designated for students whose families have a low income or live in a state of social risk. This will allow you to help those most in need.
Part 2 of 4: Developing Your Individuality
Step 1. Don't live to please others
Your life is yours alone and you should live it by doing the things that make you happy, not others. It is said that it is impossible to please everyone, and this is absolutely true, so don't expect to please everyone at the same time. The best you can do is seek happiness and try to live according to what you believe is right and positive.
Most importantly, you will develop a great sense of self-worth when you stop trying to please the popular mass and start trying to please yourself. If pleasing yourself means having a lot of friends, then do what you can to attract others to you by achieving great things and becoming an amazing person. Don't think that making friends means wearing the right clothes or getting into trouble. The people who are with you for these reasons are not true friends and, in the long run, they will end up hurting you
Step 2. Develop your sense of style
Be who you are, not someone else. Instead of fitting in with the crowd by flaunting famous brands, cultivate a unique sense of style. This will make you stand out and give you the confidence that you can identify yourself. Choose a look that is truly meaningful to you and allows you to communicate something about your personality.
Style inspirations include the following: elegant 1920s or 40s look, 80s punk style, Japanese street fashion or early 90s grunge. Any style or image that communicates something to you would be ideal
Step 3. Explore your passions
Find out who you are and what makes you happy by exploring what you care about or what you find compelling. Do you think parkour is cool? Just do it! Have you always wanted to learn to dance? Give it a go! The only barrier between you and the things you are passionate about is you and only you.
Many schools have clubs that will give you the chance to try out new sports, games, arts and other activities. Universities are also linked to external associations in which you could participate; in some cases, you will have to pay a small access fee
Step 4. Find people who understand you
The best way to deal with the toughest aspects of life is to have great friends. They will remind you how funny and wonderful you are. To keep your self-esteem high, find friends who understand you and who appreciate you for who you really are.
- Good friends typically share many interests and may have the same goals in life. This will ensure that you connect with them on a deeper level and allow you to motivate each other because you will be spending so much time together. If you have different tastes, that's just as good. Having some differences is good because it opens the mind to new possibilities.
- Don't be friends with the people who are impeding your progress. Everyone who makes your life worse are not true friends. If they criticize you for suffering or push you to do illegal things, then you shouldn't be their friend. Friends bring out the best in us, not the worst!
Step 5. Maturity of assertiveness
Don't let people put pressure on you. Don't give up and don't say yes to everyone around you. It's good to listen to others and try to make them happy, as is not being self-centered, but you need to focus on yourself and be consistent. Being assertive and standing up for your rights will do wonders for your confidence and self-esteem.
If you are having a conversation with friends or classmates, give your opinion. If you need something, ask for it. Say no when you have to or want to. And most importantly, don't feel guilty when you do these things
Part 3 of 4: Practicing Self-Respect
Step 1. Set up a personal hygiene routine
One thing to do with the goal of boosting your self-esteem is to take care of your cleanliness. By doing this, you will have your well-being more and more at heart. To take care of yourself, establish a good cleansing program. Shampoo and cleanse your skin regularly. Brush your teeth and hair. Use deodorant. Wash your hands when necessary. This way, you will feel good about yourself.
If you or your family have trouble purchasing personal care products, there are many resources available at local community services. Churches and organizations in your city often offer services to provide basic necessities. If not, they certainly know where to look for help
Step 2. Put on clean clothes and take care of them
Wash them when they are dirty and fold them to prevent wrinkles. Do not store clothing full of holes or tears. Try removing stains from stained clothing, and if you can't, get rid of it. Wear clothes tailored to you, neither too big nor too baggy.
If you can't buy new clothes, you can get them for free at many local churches and community centers. Second-hand stores sell pieces much cheaper than what you would pay at regular outlets. If you're worried about finding only old-fashioned clothes, try thrift shops in beautiful cities or the more affluent areas of your locality. Those near major universities might be a good choice. This will increase your chances of finding clothes that are practically new and to wear for many years
Step 3. Get enough sleep
The teens are formative and many teens don't rest well. You may think it's okay to sleep a few hours, but this habit actually has a serious impact on your health. Scientists have found that poor or poor sleep is associated with lower levels of optimism and self-esteem. So, if you want to give your confidence a boost and are still in your teens, sleep for at least seven or eight hours a night.
Step 4. Don't forget about physical training
Sport will make you feel great. Excess fat and, in general, being out of shape cause indolence, shortness of breath and insecurity. If you move, you will be more vital and radiate health from all pores.
Anything that makes your heart beat faster for at least ten minutes can be considered exercise. Practice jogging, push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Everything that works for you is perfect, what matters is being constant and not giving up
Step 5. Eat healthy
A healthy diet, along with physical activity, will make you feel better about your body. Overdoing the junk food will make you fat and feel sluggish and sick. Consuming the right foods will give you a lot of vigor and you will be more serene. By feeling better, you will judge yourself less severely.
Part 4 of 4: Erasing the Negativity
Step 1. Avoid negative people
Don't spend time with chronic pessimists. They will make you feel bad about your life and the world around you. And you don't want any of that in your existence! Instead, dedicate your time to people who understand how hard life is sometimes, that mistakes happen to everyone and that things, in principle, must be taken philosophically and accepted for what they are, rather than sticking to a standard. inexistent.
- If a close friend of yours belongs to the chronic pessimist group, help him change. Don't you notice any changes despite everything? Decrease the time spent together. It's not easy, but dating negative people is very harmful and won't build a positive image of yourself or your life.
- If you're the one doing this, stop. You don't want to be this kind of person. Sure there will be some shortcomings in your life and some negative things, but change them. Do not complain thinking only of the worst, convert the ugly aspects and make them beautiful!
Step 2. Focus on accomplishments, not failures
Don't waste your time thinking about regrets and all the things gone wrong. Learn from these mistakes and turn the page. Instead of shifting your focus to what didn't go the way you hoped, remember all the times you have stood out and the activities you excel at. Remember all the good things you've accomplished. This will help you dig up your good work and the ability to get results when you work hard.
Make a list of the things you are most proud of. Write it on a post-it and stick it on a wall in your bedroom so you will see it every day. It will motivate you to keep doing good things, to make the list even longer. It could reach the floor or be taller than you
Step 3. Forget about perfection
Nobody is said to be perfect and it is absolutely true. Nobody's perfect. Perfection does not exist. This means that you need to stop trying to be flawless, otherwise you will constantly disappoint yourself. It is acceptable to stand up for something, but this is the wrong way to do it. Instead, think about where you are and try to take the next step. Fight to get a B on the next test instead of trying to get an A. Sometimes you will surprise yourself and do better than you thought!
Step 4. Practice positive self-affirmations
Tell yourself every single day that you are a person of value. You have something to offer the world. You can do things that no one else can do. You can face all the challenges that life presents to you. You can get better and be happier. You will love others and yourself. You will always do your best. All of this is true, but you have to give yourself a chance. You just have to be willing to work on it. By reminding yourself that these things are true, you will feel better about yourself and your abilities.
