Building confidence and self-esteem

We all have an image of the person we want to be. It could be somebody who is confident in class and asks questions or perhaps somebody who isn’t worried about trying new things or afraid of what people think.

Sometimes your confidence can come
and go depending on the situation you are in. You might be really outgoing outside of school but be really shy in class, which is completely normal. At school, you are surrounded by lots of different characters and it can be difficult to speak up and be yourself.

Act 'as if' you already have confidence

Whenever you find yourself wishing that you had a certain quality, practise acting ‘as if’ you already had that quality.
For example, if you want to look more confident, practice walking with your head upright or wear a bright colour. Ask questions before being asked. This can be really scary at first, especially if it’s in front of the class, but after you’ve done it once, you’ll slowly gain the confidence to do it again and eventually, it’ll come naturally.

Coping with nasty comments

If somebody has said something nasty about the way you look or how you behave, it says more about them than it does you. Sometimes when people feel insecure, they try and deflect attention away from themselves by criticising others. Keep that in mind - you are the better person.
Find out more about bullying and how we can help.

No matter how low you feel, try and find one thing that you like about yourself. It could be your hair, your sense of humour, your excellent taste in music, even your football skills. Once you’ve made that start, you can begin to think of more things and develop a positive image of yourself.
Why not post on the message board and see what others have written?

Re-invent yourself

Each day try something new – something that you’d otherwise avoid. It could be something small, from styling your hair differently to volunteering to read out load in class or joining a team. Each time you do something new, you are slowly stepping out of your comfort zone to making a fresh start. The rush you’ll get from making these changes will boost your confidence.