Anyone reading this is inevitably in high school, and all high schoolers lack confidence. Although I am no expert, I am going to try my absolute best to give you minimally mediocre advice. So prepare to turn your life around and gain the confidence you’ve been searching for your whole life.

I am going to just lay this out on the table right away. Your feelings are valid. You must understand that; it is completely normal and okay to feel sad or insecure in high school— or whenever really. That’s life; everyone feels down sometimes and everyone is self conscious at one point or another in their life.

You are not weird. You are not an outcast.

You are worthy of being happy.

You have a kind soul.

You are you, and you are great.

However, a random girl you may or may not know telling you that isn’t going to help. If you want to love yourself, it has to come from within. It is hard work and a frustrating journey, but in the end you will realize it was worth it.

Talk to everyone.

I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear. If you’re an introverted person who likes to keep to themselves, the thought of speaking to people you aren’t familiar with is a total nightmare. However, by forcing yourself to step outside of your comfort zone, you will realize that the more you speak, the more comfortable and confident you will be in your abilities.

Keep a “Positive Journal”

Some of you may already use a journal. If so, take a second to think about what the tone of your writing tends to be. Are you usually venting about how anxious you felt in class when you were called on and didn’t know the answer? Or maybe you write about how you obviously have no friends because why would anyone want to be around you? If you express these emotions, or ones similarly negative, then my challenge for you is to purchase a separate journal to only write a minimum of one positive thing you did each day or something you like about yourself, something you truly love about yourself that you wouldn’t change for the world. You might be thinking to yourself, “This is stupid” “I don’t need to do this” “I can’t think of anything positive that I like about myself” But the truth is, everyone has at least one thing they like, or at least one thing you don’t dislike, about themselves. Over time, this task will grow easier and your lists of positivity will become pages long.  

“Fake it ‘Til You Make It”

Although easier said than done, Mr. Malossi, a teacher at Bethpage High School, expressed that “the best way to gain confidence is to appear confident.” Pretend each day to have a sanguine air about you and one day you will actually feel that way. Embrace who you are, because you can change your appearance and even your personality, but you cannot change your heart.

“Success Breeds Confidence”

Mr. Benjamin, a guidance counselor at BHS, explained that he was not the most confident in high school, however, he found confidence through sports, specifically baseball. Find your niche; discover your interests and what you are good at because “success breeds confidence,”, as Mr. Benjamin described. No matter your interest, whether it’s sports, drama, math, robotics, writing, etc. you will grow confident in your capabilities if you research what you like.

Positive Sources

Lastly, it is possibly most important to surround yourself with positive people. If you are always around people who talk down to you and constantly hone in on your flaws, you give yourself such a small chance of actually succeeding in being happy and confident. A positive environment is key!