See how to build your self esteem as a student in education… because we all need to keep our confidence high in studies.
Wikipedia defines self-esteem as “an individual’s subjective evaluation of their own worth”. The important word here is subjective. Self-esteem is based on your view of yourself, and isn’t necessarily based in objective facts.
It can be quite hard to measure self-esteem. However, if you frequently find yourself thinking negative thoughts about yourself or your abilities, you might be suffering from low self-esteem.
How can low self-esteem hold you back in education?
Whether you’re in school, college, university, or graduate school, low self-esteem can be a real problem and it can hold you back from achieving your full potential. Dr Ken Shore writes that “low self-esteem can lessen a student’s desire to learn, [their] ability to focus, and [their] willingness to take risks. Positive self-esteem, on the other hand, is one of the building blocks of school success; it provides a firm foundation for learning.”
Students with low self-esteem tend to avoid taking even the most calculated risks, and often perform poorly compared to students with positive self-esteem.
How to build your self-esteem as a student…
Most of us could do with a little boost to our self esteem. Fortunately, it’s within your control to improve! Here are six strategies that can help you start feeling more confident at school so that you can achieve everything you’re capable of.
Stop comparing yourself
Your self-esteem is about you. Comparing yourself to others doesn’t do you any good at all. Remember this saying: the only person you’re in competition with is yourself.
There will always be people who are better than you at certain things, and you will always be better than them at others. That’s just how it goes. So try to short-circuit those thoughts when you start obsessing over how your grades and achievements compare to others.
Luckily, it’s possible to make a conscious decision not to do this. It takes practice, but if you catch yourself and change your thought pattern each time you do it, you can soon break out of the destructiveness of needless comparisons.
Ask for feedback
Hopefully your teachers and lecturers are giving you frequent feedback on your work, but there’s nothing wrong with actively seeking it out. In fact, this is a really important part of becoming a more independent learner.
So reach out to the teachers or lecturers in the subjects where your self-esteem is lacking, and ask for their feedback. A good educator will be honest but supportive, and provide you with concrete tips on how you could be doing even better.
Remember: self-esteem isn’t about always knowing it all or getting it right the right time. You also need to trust your own ability to learn, grow, and improve based on feedback. But to do that, you need to seek the feedback out.
Take steps to improve
Speaking of which, making an effort to learn and improve can give your self esteem a big boost by itself. And later on, you’ll look back and marvel at how far you’ve come.
Take responsibility for your own education and development. Think about two or three areas you’re struggling with or underconfident in, and work out what you need to improve. Perhaps you can read a book or a paper, attend an online training course, ask a friend or classmate for help, or go to a talk or lecture on the subject. You might also find that you need some extra support from your teachers or a private tutor. If that’s the case, go ahead and ask for it.
Focus on what you’re good at
Everyone has things they’re really good at, and it’s usually more things than you think. If you have low self-esteem, make a deliberate choice to focus on the things you know you’re good at. They don’t have to be directly related to school, but if that’s where your self-esteem issues are focused, it might make sense to look at that area first.
Next, celebrate your achievements. Did you get an A on that paper, pass your mock exam despite how hard it was, or throw yourself into revising so you could do your absolute best? Those are all achievements worth giving yourself a pat on the back for.
Make a list of things you’ve achieved this academic year or semester. I bet there are more than you think!
Take a risk
Risk-taking is hard for people with low self-esteem, but if you can bring yourself to give it a go, then do. Raise your hand in class, share your ideas with your team for a group project, or write down an answer that you’re not 100% sure about on a test paper.
Positive self-esteem requires constant work and investment. It isn’t something that just happens overnight – you have to work at it and chip away at it a little bit each day. Part of that is to start out taking small risks that feel scary. Every time you get the answer right or someone loves your idea, your self-esteem will grow. And on the occasions you get the wrong answer, you’ll learn that it’s not such a big deal and start to see these moments as learning opportunities.
Get some professional help if you need it
Poor self-esteem is closely linked to several mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. Living with low self-esteem doesn’t necessarily mean you have one of these conditions, but constant self-esteem struggles are a sign you should seek out some extra help.
If things aren’t improving, talk to your doctor or see a therapist. Your school or university might also have a student counselling and support service where you can go for help, advice, and referrals to other mental health services.
You can do this!
Low self-esteem is really common. So don’t worry – you’re not alone. But having low self-esteem also doesn’t mean you’re doomed to suffer with it forever. There are steps you can take to help yourself, including those we’ve listed here, and there is support out there that you can access. Take charge of your self-esteem, and you’ll unlock your full potential at school and in life.
You’re amazing – we believe in you.
