AS RESEARCH for Confidence Month reveals a third of young people don’t feel confident, we reveal some self-esteem-boosting tips:

  • Create positive body language. Imagine you have lots of confidence, and think how you’d stand, sit and walk. Then act as if you already have that confidence and stand tall, sit with self-assurance and walk with purpose.
  •  Deep breathing can instantly steady your emotions and give you confidence. Try placing your hands on your belly, breathe in through the nose and make the breath push the belly out slightly. Breathe out slowly through the mouth to allow the belly to return to normal. Try two to three for a calming effect.
  •  People often say a lot more online than they would in person. If mean things or judgements are making you doubt your appearance or your self-belief then ignore it, and repeat to yourself: “I believe in me”.
  •  Appearance anxieties can make it difficult to see things as they really are. A comment, joke or constantly viewing certain images can make you feel you’re not good enough. Flick through the latest magazine (or Instagram) and pick out anything that looks perfect and see what the small print says. Has the image been changed, does it look natural? Become more aware that not everything you see is reality.
  •  Stand in front of a mirror and only notice positive things about your body – no negatives allowed! Focusing on your positive aspects can make a massive difference to your confidence.
  •  Respond, don’t react. Next time you make a mistake or things don’t go as expected, say to yourself: “Great, another chance to get it right.”
  •  Recognising how we communicate to ourselves (our inner chat) is the first step to making it more positive and helpful. Each morning repeat three times: “Today I choose to be positive.” Then, if at any time your negative voice creeps in, immediately replace it.

     For more on Confidence Month, visit sky.com/academy.