How to be more confident, and why it matters

We all know about that one person who seems to have a never-ending source of confidence, it looks like they can do anything that they set their mind to. Confidence is something that we all want to have, but at the same time, it feels like it is something very difficult to acquire, especially if you are a student in high school. Fortunately, confidence is a skill that can be built, and you can certainly become more confident with practice.

Confidence is defined as trust in your skills, qualities, and judgment. It is the ability to think objectively about your strengths and weaknesses, and still feel assured in your capabilities. This concept is easy to understand but is difficult to apply in real life. Many of us might have low confidence in ourselves because of previous life experiences. It could be because of a critical parent, social media binging, or multiple low test scores. There are many reasons why you may have low confidence, but working to be more confident might be more important than you think.

Having high self-confidence has countless benefits. According to psychologist Doctor Barbra Markway, “Self-confidence is linked to almost every element involved in a happy life.” She goes on to explain that having self-confidence is linked with having less fear and anxiety, being more resilient, having improved relationships, and having greater motivation. This is most certainly true, as having self-belief will lead you to spend less time ruminating over what can happen and more time taking action. You’ll be more aware and present, allowing you to communicate more effectively. 

Academic success depends on how you can perform under high-stress situations, and how effectively you can communicate with teachers and other students. Having confidence also leads to you taking on challenges and stepping outside your comfort zone. As Lok-Tin Yao, the wellness teacher at Boston Latin Academy puts it, “It allows you to take on newer challenges, because if you don’t have confidence, you are going to see anything new as something too hard… [confident people] find a way to make it work no matter what.” Regardless of the chances of success, confident people see challenges as opportunities. By taking on more challenges, confident people can learn more about themselves and succeed. Having self-confidence will make it much easier to accomplish your goals.

There are several ways to build confidence and one really important way is to challenge any of your negative self-talk. It is important to think about where those beliefs come from and to challenge them. A lot of times, these thoughts are not rooted in actual fact. If you catch yourself having these negative thoughts, then you can try to reword them positively. For example, thoughts such as “I am not smart enough” and “I’m going to fail” can become “I am capable” and “I’ll do my best.” You should also try to face your fears. Even if you think that you are going to fail, it’s important to take risks and do things that you are scared to do. You might find that they are not as bad as you think, and you will become a more confident person as a result. 

It’s also important to make sure that you are taking care of yourself, physically and mentally. It can be really hard to find some time for yourself, especially if you have a lot of homework and extracurriculars after school. However, it is important to find at least some time every once in a while. By eating healthy and exercising, you end up having more energy and a more positive self-image of yourself, which will make you feel better about yourself. By doing relaxing activities such as meditation and journaling, you will be able to reflect on where your thoughts come from and have a deeper connection with yourself. By doing these things, you will be comforted by the fact that you are doing something helpful for yourself, and you’ll be more confident as a result. 

One of the most essential things to do is to invest time in an activity that you enjoy. Yao explains “If you engage in things that you like, it doesn’t matter what the result is, all you care about is just the process of enjoying the moment.” Doing activities that you enjoy is a great way to feel better about yourself. You are less worried about how things turn out, and you become more focused on just having a good time. As a result, you will become good at the things that you enjoy, which will further boost your self-confidence. 

Learning how to be more confident is one of the best things that you can do for yourself. It will allow you to take on more challenges, reach your goals, and simply feel better about yourself. There will always be times when things don’t work out. By becoming more confident in yourself, you will be able to face anything that life throws at you.