Teenagers from around the world are spending more time doing their homework and sleeping as compared to those in the last decade. They are less involved in charity, paid work, and errands. They spend more time in leisure activities every day which include gaming, web browsing, hanging out with friends, and watching content on social media and television. These leisure activities are at their peak during weekends when compared to weekday activities. Involvement in sports is another time-consumer but stays behind shopping for clothes and other essentials.
There is one thing to note here, nowadays teenagers spend less time socializing with peers as compared to those a decade ago. Parties, extracurricular activities, and spending time with friends in person or on the phone have shown a significant decrease.
Keeping this busy schedule in context, teenagers don’t have the time to devote to developing soft skills which they need to succeed in life (besides their academic qualifications).
Here we have listed the top 10 strategies to build our teenagers’ self-esteem and self-confidence to help them flourish in this ever-changing world:
1. Pay attention to your appearance
The way you look on the outside has a connection with how you feel on the inside. When you give your appearance the best shot, it automatically makes you feel more confident. This instant confidence in turn boosts your self-esteem and mood.
Paying attention to your appearance is not hard, as it takes minimal effort to mind your dress style and body shape. This does not mean that you have to splurge on your clothes and strive to look the best. NO. It rather means you have to look confident in whatever suits your style and makes you feel comfortable.
2. Keep your inner critic within the control
Often we are the best pals in the group and go all out whenever the need arises but do we understand the importance of executing the same level of care and support to ourselves also? Most of the time, we ignore our needs and emotions, as if they don’t exist.
Observe yourself closely and try to figure out why you don’t pay attention to your inner self? What are your doubts and insecurities, and are they even valid? Is your inner critic unknowingly harsh on you?
Try mindfulness to stay vigilant about your thought process and its impact on you. This technique makes you more observant even of the minute changes that often go unnoticed. Challenge the negative thoughts surrounding your insecurities. Be extra nice to yourself and see how your self-esteem and self-confidence bloom.
3. Avoid comparison like the plague
Have you heard of the compare-and-despair trap? Most of us are doing pretty good in our lives, content with what we have achieved, and all of a sudden, we encounter someone who is apparently faring better than us – this is when our confidence takes a dip.
When you compare your life with others, it makes you feel inferior about yourself and provokes negative self-talk.
We need to understand that everyone’s challenges are different, but we have varying abilities to tackle them. Everyone has their fair share of struggles but some master the art of concealing them. So, don’t fall for the trap where people pretend to be happy even when they are not.
4. Keep a record of your accomplishments
When we are down, our brain replays all the negative instances from the past that further wear us down. This in turn turns us blind to the good memories and accomplishments we have made in life.
To counter this, list the achievements that you made throughout your life and reflect on how they made you proud. Keep that list handy to remind yourself that you did it in the past and can do it in the future as well.
5. Failures are inevitable
Even the most successful humans make mistakes (though they don’t make the news headlines as much as their success stories do) because they are a part of the journey.
Mistakes and failures should not pull us back from our track but instead, make us more committed and focused on our goals. Once we normalize learning from our mistakes, attainment of perfection is challenged which gives nothing but stress and anxiety.
Hence it’s good to strive to be a better version of yourself every day but don’t set unrealistic goals because flaws and failures are inevitable.
6. Get your body moving
When you choose to remain isolated from the clan and also stay inactive for prolonged periods, you can feel your self-confidence and self-esteem taking a dip. Not only will you pay a price for your physical health but also for your mental health.
Instead, try to spend your free time with people who match your vibes and do useful activities. Exercise is a simple way to keep your body moving and it also leaves a good impact on your mental health.
7. Do what your heart desires
Many people credit their failures to their lack of passion as they simply aren’t interested in what they are currently doing.
You can rather shift your focus and efforts to doing things you are passionate about. When you follow your heart, your interest is automatically boosted making you feel motivated.
Maybe you need to switch your field or learn some new skill that comes naturally to you. When you excel in your desired field, this will in turn bring joy, contentment, and confidence to your life.
8. Stay away from negative vibes
Some people execute negativity unknowingly with their pessimistic thoughts and mindset hence bringing people down. You need to get rid of them as soon as you identify them because they influence your mood, self-confidence, behavior, and self-esteem.
Rather choose positive people that value your existence and efforts. They are the ones that will support you and make your life worth living.
9. Practice kindness
When you are kind towards others, you attract the same energy towards yourself. It’s not just about extending kindness to the world outside you, but your inner self demands the same level of empathy as well. This practice will start a positive cycle benefiting your self-confidence and self-esteem as well as others around you.
10. Don’t pay attention to what the world says
If you want to see yourself flourishing, stop paying attention to the outside world. Live your life the way you want to, not as per the expectations of others. Devote your energy to evolving as a better person every day. In the long run, it’s your happiness and contentment that matter, rest is all secondary.