It’s no secret that the teenage years can be tough. You’re trying to figure out who you are and what you’re all about. That’s hard enough for anyone to do under the best circumstances. Add challenges with self-confidence on top of that, and you’ve got a recipe for some tough times. Some issues can be particularly damaging to self-confidence as a teenager.
Stressful Life Situations
Life is stressful–there’s no way of getting away from that. Some situations you may experience can be a lot more stressful than others though. Teens whose parents are going through a divorce or who feel like they’re losing their friends may struggle with their self-confidence more than others.
These are genuinely tough situations that can take a very real toll on you. Do your best to remember that you can only control the choices you make, not the choices of those around you. Their choices and their decisions are not a reflection of who you are or how much you are worth.
Acne
Everyone worries about their appearance. Not everyone has to deal with the embarrassment that acne can bring on though. Those unsightly blemishes can easily convince you that everyone is staring at you and judging you for having less than clear skin. Not only is that not true (people tend to be too busy worrying about their own appearance to spend too much time judging others for theirs), but you don’t have to suffer endlessly from it either.
Talk to your doctor or dermatologist about a skincare routine that will get your acne under control. A daily skincare routine can help prevent needing costly acne treatments later in life.
Unrealistic Goals
Do you have goals for yourself in any area of life? If so, how realistic are they? Setting goals that you can’t realistically expect to achieve is a surefire way to shoot your self-confidence in the foot. Reaching goals builds your confidence while failing to do so because you set them too high is likely to achieve the opposite instead. When you set your goals, carefully evaluate where you are now and compare that to where you would like to be. Analyze what it takes to achieve those goals. Consider how long it will take you to achieve that within the context of everything you have going on. The busier you are, the more time you may need to build into your plan to achieve your goals.
It’s normal to experience a certain amount of self-doubt as a teen. Despite what you may think based on what you observe of your peers, no one feels completely confident in themselves 100% of the time. Everyone has doubts. At the end of the day, it’s how you deal with them that determines how helpful or harmful your doubts and experiences are to your self-confidence. Remember, asking for help when you need it is always okay.
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