Self-esteem is a quintessential trait that leads a person towards success, confidence, and a happy, healthy life. If it is not ingrained into the personality of a person early in life then it is next to impossible to do so later on. By then, a defeated mentality and a depressed heart becomes a part and parcel of life. It is important that your teens are happy and confident, so that they can bring out the best in them and succeed in life. Several studies have shown that teens with low esteem are more prone to engage in self destructing activities, drug abuse, verbal, and physical altercations. It is a form of defense mechanism that their young minds adapt to.
Psychological activities
It is often noticed that poor self-esteem stems from the fact that the teen is not happy with whatever themselves. There are certain parameters that peer pressure instill in their mind, and when they find themselves lacking in any way, their confidence decreases further. You will have to play a proactive role here, in making the child aware of what is the uniqueness that they possess. There are many activities for doing so. You can inspire the teen to jot down the positive and negative qualities that they think they have, and then suggest ways in which the negative traits can be turned into positive. They can maintain colorful and interesting worksheets to chart their progress. Maintaining a journal about their daily experiences is also helpful as it helps them to look back on their happy times and achievements.
Social activities
Finding good friends and buddies of a similar mindset is another boost to declining self-esteem. People who make you feel good about yourself are the best thing that can happen to anyone. Identify the interests of your teens and take steps to introduce them in similar groups, be it Book clubs, Drama groups, or sports teams.
Physical activities
Engaging in regular physical activities is the best thing for a teenager in more than one way. It is obvious that regular exercise schedules or activities like cycling, swimming, and trekking are good for their body and health. It helps to tone down the figure as well. All this leads to them feeling good about themselves. The feeling of achieving something significant and looking good is a great booster for building self esteem. Encourage your child to be physically active, rather than adapt to a sedentary lifestyle which is the root cause of many evils.
How to sustain self-esteem in a teen
After building a sense of self-esteem in your teens, it is important that they make sure that the feeling sustains. Continuous development in fields of study and hobbies is one way of ensuring that, along with regular fitness regime. A positive outlook and confidence in what a person actually is, goes a long way into ensuring your teen growing into a beautiful, strong, and balanced person, ready to face life.