Thriving through Teenhood: Building a Resilient Sense of Self-Worth

 Thriving through Teenhood: Building a Resilient Sense of Self-Worth

The teenage years are some of the most vulnerable years of our life, as not only is our sense of self extremely malleable and impressionable owing to the fact that it is not fully formed, thereby bearing the imprints of every slight received and hurt felt. 

Further, being amid other teenagers for extended periods, in educational and social settings, such as schools, tuition, and during extracurricular activities and sports, is a daunting experience. This is because teenagers can be exceptionally cruel, for lack of a thorough understanding of how their callousness can have long-lasting scarring effects on individuals. Often teenagers bully in jest, and rely on making fun of each other as a way of social bonding, thereby being oblivious to how words hurt and jokes can be cruel.

What might be seen as a joke to someone might trigger someone’s anxiety or insecurity, leading to the formation of deep-seated traumas that harm an individual in insidious ways, for example making someone terribly scared of embarrassment or even making mistakes. 

Therefore, it is important to nurture a strong sense of self-worth in teenagers to build the architecture of a healthy personality that is resilient against adversities. Positive self-esteem allows teenagers to take healthy risks with their lives to try out newer things, develop their creative and critical faculties, and become better at problem-solving. 

Building one’s sense of worth is a long-drawn process that requires consistent effort in addition to a conducive and supporting environment. One of the most helpful ways of achieving this is by questioning the inner voice in our heads that tells us we are not good. In turning into the voice inside our mind, we realize how we are being too harsh on ourselves. 

A good rule of thumb is to discard everything the voice tells you if it is something you would not tell your best friend. Further, setting small goals and working consistently to achieve them, for example working to study harder, eat better, and exercise more, are some of the most significant ways of boosting one’s confidence in oneself.

By slowly beginning to embrace our imperfections, and realizing the futility of the strife to perfection, we come to terms with our mistakes and begin to find happiness in the little joys that are offered to us by life, thereby setting the foundation of a happy life where we can begin to find peace in our skin.

Sources: 

1. https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues/self-esteem-and-teenagers 

2. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/self-esteem.html