Tips for Boosting Your Confidence

Take stock of your strengths (not just your weaknesses). What do you excel at? What are your interests? To find out, you can try the following:

• Make a list of your strengths and positive traits.

• Try to see yourself from someone else’s perspective. Every human being is unique. What makes you you?

• Think about times when other people have complimented you. You can even jot compliments down in a notebook and look at it when you’re feeling down.

• Make a list of your past achievements and remind yourself of what you can accomplish.

• Reframe your “faults” as personality traits. Some aspects of our personalities can help or hinder us, depending on the context. Think about situations where your weaknesses might actually be strengths.

• Avoid putting pressure on yourself to succeed at everything you do. Set realistic goals and do your best without focusing too much on the outcome. The important thing is that you try!

The best way to build your self-confidence is by learning and practising skills and talents. And that means you’ll make mistakes! Give yourself permission to make mistakes and bounce back from your failures instead of fixating on them. Here are a few tips for boosting your confidence:

• Cultivate a positive mindset. Turn negative self-talk into positive self-talk. For instance, instead of “I can’t,” say, “I can.” You could also say: “I know I can figure this out if I put my mind to it.”

• Avoid comparing yourself to others. While it’s only natural to admire the abilities of others, comparisons can be harmful if they leave you feeling worse about yourself.

• Get out of your comfort zone. Join a school committee, offer to help with a community project or activity, try out for a sports team, or compete in a talent show. Raise your hand more often in class, either to ask or answer questions. Talk to that person you’re afraid to approach. Choose something you would do if you had more self-confidence.

• Manage your stress and performance anxiety before an assessment. Feeling a little stressed or anxious about an oral presentation, a test, a debate, or an essay is totally normal! However, you should try not to let these feelings overwhelm you and have faith in your abilities.

• Surround yourself with positive people. Spend time with people who support and encourage you. They’ll remind you of your strengths and achievements and motivate you to give your best. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself. Don’t let people who put you down or criticize you affect your confidence.

• Be receptive to feedback. When a teacher, parent, coach, or anyone else makes observations or gives you constructive feedback on something you’ve done, view them as an opportunity to improve. In turn, try to give positive feedback to someone who means a lot to you.

• Talk about your feelings. Get comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings with your friends, family, and teachers. Remember that your opinions are valid. The more you express yourself, the more comfortable you’ll feel doing so in different situations.

• Work on your body language. Our gestures, posture, and tone of voice all send a message. You can practise projecting a confident image in front of a mirror: stand up straight with your shoulders back, speak clearly, look straight ahead, etc.

• Dare to be yourself. Let others see your authentic self (mistakes, imperfections, insecurities, and all). It’s easier to overcome insecurities when you don’t feel like you have to hide them. Accept what makes you unique instead of trying to be like someone else or acting in a way that isn’t true to yourself. You’re one of a kind!