Feeling Good About Yourself:

Self-Esteem for Teens

Part of being a teen is having thoughts and feelings about different parts of your life, such as how you feel about:

• Your friends and other kids your age
• How you are doing in school and in other activities
• Your parents
• The way you look

While having these new feelings, many changes are also taking place in your body. It is normal to feel self-conscious or shy about the changes in your body and emotions, but there are also changes to celebrate. Some cultures even have celebrations to recognize these changes. For example, the Western Apaches have the Sunrise Dance (or "Na'ii'ees") for girls, and the Jewish community has the bar and bat mitzvah for boys and girls—both mark the passage to becoming an adult. Even though it might seem tough sometimes, remember that you are absolutely great!

Self-Esteem

Self-esteem describes the value and respect you have for yourself. If you have a healthy self-esteem, you feel good about yourself as a person and are proud of what you can do. However, it is normal to feel down sometimes.

Having a healthy or high self-esteem can help you to think positively, deal better with stress, and boost your drive to work hard. Having low self-esteem can cause you to feel uneasy and may get in the way of doing things you might enjoy. For some, low self-esteem can contribute to serious problems such as depression, drug and alcohol use, and eating disorders.

Do you have healthy self-esteem?

If you have high or healthy self-esteem, you will agree with the following statements:

• I feel good about who I am.
• I am proud of what I can do, but I do not show off.
• I know there are some things that I am good at and some things I need to improve.
• I am responsible for the things I do and say, both good and bad.
• It is okay if I win or if I lose.
• Before I do something, I usually think, "I can do it."

Does this sound like you? If some of the items in this checklist sound like you, that's good—you're on the right track. Remember to tell yourself every day that you are a great person! If this doesn't sound like you at all, see if you have low or poor self-esteem.

Do you have poor self-esteem?

If you have low or poor self-esteem, you might agree with the following statements:

• I can't do anything right.
• I am ugly or dumb.
• I do not have any friends.
• I do not like to try new things.
• It really upsets me to make mistakes.
• I do not think I am as nice, good-looking, or smart as the other kids in my class.
• I have a hard time making friends.
• I have a hard time making friends because I end up getting angry and fighting with people.
• It makes me uncomfortable when people say nice things about me.
• Sometimes I feel better if I say mean things to other people.

If many or all of these items sound like you, it will be helpful for you to work on raising your self-esteem. Thinking positively about yourself—who you are and the things you can do—can help boost your self-esteem.

Source

Source: GirlsHealth, National Women's Health Information Center. (Updated 2008, June 11). Emotions: Feeling good about yourself—Self-esteem. Retrieved July 16, 2008, from http://www.girlshealth.gov/

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