Do you ever feel down about yourself, and avoid trying new things because your confidence is low? Confidence is something we can build up overtime, so that we feel self-assured, can try new things and achieve our goals.

What is Self Confidence?

Self confidence is believing in yourself and trusting your own judgement and abilities. It’s about being able to overcome the fear that you might not be able to do something, and just giving it a go. If you think of yourself as confident and capable, then you’ll appear that way to others, even though you might be totally freaking out inside.

How to Build Self Confidence

Here are some handy tips that can help you build your self confidence:

Think Positive

It takes three positive thoughts to overcome one negative one, so start by thinking of three positive things about yourself. Rather than focus on the things you can’t do, or that you’re scared of, think of all the things you already know you can do.

Notice your achievements

Think about things that you’ve already done that you are proud of, it can be anything big or small. This  proves that you have many different talents and abilities, so what’s stopping you getting out there and expanding on them?

Dress sharp, stand tall

Feeling nervous about a big event? Put on something that you love to wear, and stand with good posture. If you look confident you’ll probably feel more confident too.

Set Goals

Start small, think about something that you want to achieve, and work out what you need to do to get there. When you reach that goal you’ll have proved to yourself that you can do anything! Then you can move on to some bigger goals. Remember: failing and making mistakes is part of the process. That’s how we as humans learn. Think about how babies learn to walk. They don’t just get up one day and start walking around. They get up. They fall down. They get up again. Make mistakes and learn from them.

Try something new

Get out there and do something you’ve never done before. It could be a sport, hobby or volunteering for a cause you believe in. You might just find that you love it, and if not, you’ll have met some new people and developed some new skills.

Do a little research

Want to do something but not sure how to go about it? Well, do some research. Chances are someone has tried it before, and has written a book or made a tutorial about it, so you can learn how to do it yourself. YouTube has heaps of great beginner tutorials on everything from knitting to carpentry. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with being a beginner — that’s how everyone starts out. 

Learn more

Check out this video on boosting your self-confidence:

Where to get help

If you’re struggling with self confidence, talk to someone you trust. 

• Try talking about it to someone you trust like a friend, parent, teacher or school counsellor. They might have some great advice to help you be more positive.
  
• You can also call Kids Helpline or get online counselling at eheadspace.