Teenage Self-Esteem

Yes I Can. This is the slogan we hear everywhere.

Self-esteem means you really like yourself, both inside and out. It refers both to how you look and what you believe in. Sometimes it's easy to like who you are. You feel great when you pass a test or tell a funny joke that everyone laughs at. But how do you feel about yourself when you look yourself in the mirror or sometimes feel dumb or left out of the action. You start wishing you were someone else or that you could change how you look. You think you aren't good in school, on the team or part of the cool crowd. 

Why is self-esteem important?

As a teen, you now have more responsibility to choose between right and wrong. Your parents are no longer constantly by your side. Positive self-esteem gives you the courage to be your own person, believe in your own values and make a the right decision when the pressure is on.

Your friends can put a lot of pressure on you. You want to be part of a crowd. The crowd may be the "cool" crowd, the "jock" crowd, the "computer" crowd or the "brainy" crowd. Belonging to a crowd is a part of growing up; it helps you learn to be a friend and learn about the world around you.

It's okay to want to be liked by others -- but not when it means giving in to pressure. Your friends are now making many of their own decisions. And their decisions may or may not be good for you.

It's never worth doing things that could hurt you or someone else. For instance, drinking alcohol or using other drugs, having sex before you are ready, joining a gang or quitting school can all lead to trouble.

A sense of self-worth is critical for developing resiliency, adaptability and an “I can do it!” attitude that helps you learn, grow, and cope with life’s frustrations and inevitable problems. You need to feel safe, secure, loved, and part of a family. This foundation provides roots from which you can develop wings to explore the world.

Self-awareness is key part of YOUR development. Self-awareness is how much you know about yourself, your beliefs about who you are, and what you think your capabilities are. As your sense of self develops, so does your ability to blossom physically, mentally and emotionally.

Guided Imagery Techniques with Positive Affirmations, and Visualizations can and will help you develop that inner confidence and strength, while helping you quiet your mind and relax your body – the optimum state for peak performance in every single area of your life.

Affirmations are statements in the present tense as if they are already achieved.

All of our actions and reactions are made through the filter of your belief system. A belief is just a thought that you’ve played over and over again in your mind. It is a thought that you have made an agreement with and accepted it as your truth. But if you always think what you’ve always thought, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got. 

It is said that we move towards our most dominant thought pattern. Affirmations can program your mind with new healthy beliefs about you and your ability and power. What you think about becomes your reality. Yet, repeating a sentence is not going to do the job, if you don't believe it. So it makes sense to think thoughts that align with your dreams and goals!

• Avoid too much negativity.
• Focus on what you have and are doing right. Focus on improvement, rather than on perfection. No one is going to be perfect.
• Focus on the journey, rather than what you wish was the end product.
• Encourage yourself, set and achieve goals. Find and create positive and challenging goals, goals that you can accomplish. Being able to overcome challenges and reach a goal can give you a good sense of accomplishment and worth.
• Understand that you may want different things in life than your parents, siblings or friends. And that is OK. It is OK to have different goals in life.
• Listen and learn from others' ideas and opinions.
• Physical activity helps increase one’s self esteem. Get regular exercise, either through activities at home or by participating in organized sports.
• Get involved in extra curricular activities like after school programs and community service, and feel good about being with others who look up to you and count on you. These extra activities can really help improve self esteem.  They give you something to improve on and accomplish.

No matter what has happened to you in your life – You have the power to create a life you envision and absolutely love. And I can show you how!