Self Esteem and Self Confidence Self-esteem and self-confidence are important elements of a well-developed personality. Self-esteem is the perception of one's worth, while self-confidence is the belief in one's own ability. The development of self-esteem and self-confidence is influenced by many things such as congenital factors, one's character, family, school and peers. Self-esteem and self-confidence: High or Low? Have a check now! Do you like yourself? Are you satisfied with yourself? Do you have any inadequacies? Do you feel that you are no good at all? Do you feel that you are disliked by others? Do you often feel inferior to others? Do you have confidence in achieving your goals? Are you reluctant to try something new because you are afraid of failure? Ten ways to build up self-esteem and self-confidence Appreciate your strengths List your good points and achievements e.g., being kind, sporty, reliable etc., and stick the list at an eye-catching area to remind yourself constantly. Be affirmed of your worth Everybody is unique. Respect yourself and try to better equip yourself. Make full use of your capability and talent in your family, school and society. Accept yourself Accept your appearance and developmental stage. In fact, having a good temperament is more important. Learn from other's good behaviour and build up a positive self-image. Maximize your potential Join various social activities such as out-reach training programmes, interest groups, voluntary service groups or become a boy-scout or girl-guide, so as to know more about your abilities, interests and talents and develop your potential. Overcome your weaknesses No one is perfect. Don't be let down by your weaknesses. Make efforts to improve. Set realistic and achievable goals. Avoid making comparisons Unnecessary comparison with others will harm your self-esteem and self-confidence. However, you can compare with your own performance and strive for improvements. Try again if you fail Don't be despaired when you fail. You can learn from mistakes. Through the process of assessment and evaluation, you will be able to achieve better results. Make improvements Everybody makes mistakes. The most important thing is to recognise and correct them, and rebuild your self-esteem and self-confidence. Be a good friend with yourself Take good care of yourself and lead a healthy and enriching life. Build up good interpersonal relationships Establish good relationships with parents, family members, teachers and friends. Respect and trust each other. When there are problems, talk and share with them . Let them support and help you when your self-esteem and self-confidence decline. Conclusion: An individual with high self-esteem and self-confidence is affirmed of his worth and strengths. He sets targets and strives to achieve them. Adolescents usually need the help of parents and teachers to build up their self-esteem and self-confidence.