1) Challenge bad thoughts about yourself 

Replace them with more positive thoughts, which means celebrate things you’re good at. You can do this by writing down a list of at least three things you can do well. 

Remember this list when you start feeling low, this will help bring yourself back to reality. 

2) Take care of yourself 

Eating well and exercising boosts endorphins, the body’s natural opiates, which make you feel good on the inside and stimulates a more positive mood. 

When you exercise, you’ll ease stress and feel better about yourself. Having a cheesy dance in your bedroom, or going for a jog around the block are great ways to boost your self-esteem. 

3) Relax 

The constant feeling of stress can play a huge role in low self-esteem. It makes you feel negative thoughts more often, it reduces your confidence and you’ll probably feel too tired to exercise, be social or do a lot of the things you love. 

Reducing your stress by taking time out to do something you find relaxing is a great starting point to making yourself feel better. 

4) Set goals 

Take the time every day to think about what you’d like to achieve. Then set yourself realistic goals for each day and keep track of your progress by writing down all your accomplishments. 

5) Help someone out 

This can be a friend, family member or even a classmate who is struggling with their work or having a tough time at school. You could give them some advice or just be there to listen to a problem. 

It’s amazing how much our confidence is boosted when we do selfless things – do one thing a week to help someone else without expecting anything in return. 

6) Take a different perspective 

Look at tricky situations from alternative angles. Try to replace thoughts like ‘why should I bother?’ with ‘I won’t know unless I try’. 

By looking at a situation through a more realistic lens you’ll realise that you actually can do what you want – you just need to apply a bit more positivity! 

By doing this every time you have a negative thought, you’ll eventually default to this kind of positivity on the regular, and who doesn’t love a go-getter? Sometimes we just need to think and try different things to overcome having low self-esteem. 

7) Try new things  

Our brains are really good at learning new stuff and the more new stuff you learn, the better you get at learning it and the more likely you find things you can be passionate about. 

Everyone needs a creative outlet; music, art, dance, games, sewing, cooking, web design – all you need to do is get on YouTube and find some tutorials. All the information you need is out there – it’s just waiting for you to watch it. 

8) Accept yourself  

Nobody is perfect. We all have issues and we all have flaws. Learn to accept your ‘flaws’ or imperfections and love them, because they are what make you unique.  

Self-acceptance is the key to feeling confident. When people pay you compliments, simply say ‘thanks’ rather than brushing them aside or countering them with a negative. 

9) Keep visual reminders of things that makes you feel good 

We are living in an age where we have a camera in our pocket all the time so go and take more pictures! 

Capture those memorable moments and when you look back at them, you’ll realise how many awesome things you’ve done this year!