Many students struggle with low self esteem; it’s practically a given part of high school at this point. The stress of a constant workload certainly doesn’t help stress in other areas of life. The ever-present strain students put on themselves has negative consequences in itself. What if their grade suddenly drops to a C? It could seem like the end of the world. If they beat themselves up over every single failure, their life is drastically affected, straining relationships and coloring their own view on their achievements.

Thankfully, there are ways students can improve their self esteem, but it’s not all up to them. Students are very much influenced by all people in their lives. Anyone can contribute to each other’s self esteem by praising one another when it’s earned and giving constructive criticism as opposed to just bringing the other person down. This can improve someone’s self image dramatically, giving them a boost in confidence and happiness.

How a student views themself can also be a cause for a decrease in self esteem. Telling themself that they failed and will never succeed is not productive. Putting a more hopeful spin on it – something like, “Maybe I didn’t succeed this time, but next time I know I can do better” – can improve their image of themself, causing them to have more hope for the future and be confident that they will be successful in achieving their goals.

Planning and doing things they enjoy can also improve students’ self esteem. Making sure they know what they’re doing can decrease stress, and that really helps their self esteem. When students do things they enjoy, it brings them more happiness. When they’re happy, they’re confident.

If a student takes care of themself, it can have a huge impact on improving their self image. If they put an emphasis on taking care of themself and making sure that they’re well rested and happy, this not improves their physical health and boosts their mental health. Students should make sure that they spend time with people who care about them and won’t force them to do anything that will negatively impact their health or self esteem. Sometimes, of course, sleep has to be sacrificed to get school work done, but only to certain extent. If the student feels as though they can’t keep up with everything that they have to do, they should talk to a teacher about their workload and see if they can come to a compromise. Teachers should be understanding about this and not push students past their limitations.

When they’re feeling down, students should try to focus on the little things that are going well in their lives. If a stranger compliments their outfit, it would be best for them remember that instead of the being annoyed at their younger sibling. There are so many small, positive things that they could be thinking about instead of concentrating on the endless stress in their lives. If they need to calm down, students should think about what made them happy, not what caused them grief.

Most importantly, students have to learn to accept what isn’t perfect in their lives. It’s okay to fail. They can learn from their mistakes; they don’t have to beat themselves up about every little thing that goes wrong and what they think should have or could have done. Failures happen, they’re a natural part of life. Learning to accept that is the most important part of building a positive self image and increasing a student’s self esteem.

For more tips on how to feel more confident, see the links below:
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/self-esteem.html?WT.ac=ctg#catmental-health
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shyness-is-nice/201811/50-quick-tips-boosting-your-confidence
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/self-esteem