The Driftwood #25: Self-Care Corner

March 31, 2022

Building Your Self-Confidence

When I began college, I was still struggling in high school. My grades dropped. Topics held no interest. I felt stressed out because I wasn’t going to understand the basic things that most others my age had learned already, leaving me in a feeling of hopelessness and low self-worth. However, as a college student I excelled. The difference? Self-confidence. Anything we do in life requires it, but many of us lack sufficient levels of it. How can we practice building our self-confidence in a way that it empowers and sticks with us, enabling us to be accomplished in our life goals?

1. Fake it till you make it. I know it’s been said a thousand times before, but, believe it or not, it works. When I focused on my courses and respectfully engaging with my peers, I forgot that I was lacking. In fact, even instructors noted that I didn’t seem nervous at all.
2. Try new things. If you’ve always wanted to try something—a food, a game, an activity, and so on—go for it! Forget that you don’t know how. It’s all about learning. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it again, but you’ll feel more open to trying other things.
3. Speak up in social settings. Whether you’re in a friend circle, chatting with family, or meeting with your advisor to discuss your educational goals, don’t forget to offer your concerns and questions out loud. Speak up! Make changes to better yourself. Once you begin focusing on your own needs, your confidence in your abilities will grow.
4. Take interpersonal communications (COMM 166). This was my first ever course. It was jam-packed with tips about how to handle confrontations, to better listen to others, negotiate compromises, and overall understand speech and body language better. It can help you read a situation and know how to go about it better, even if you’ve never experienced it.
5. Forget the potential outcomes. That’s right. Don’t think about how it’s “surely going to go down.” Instead, let whatever the situation you’re in have any number of unknown answers. Pretending to know only ruins the chance that it will go much better than you think, causing unnecessary stress on yourself. Just breathe easy and navigate it the best you can.