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Confidence is the belief that you’ll be successful, and is related to self-esteem and resilience. Confidence is often misconceived as something you either are born with or don’t have. This is false. According to an interview with Alex Malley by Margie Warell in Forbes magazine (2015), confidence is something that can change largely based on how you think, how much you decide to believe in yourself, and how you react when you do or don’t succeed.
Confidence is a mindset. It is something that also affects our success in our actions. When we go into something and “take a risk and take action despite your fear of failure, messing up or embarrassment” (Warell, 2015),  you are much more likely to succeed. Confidence means a lot to me in my life because when I have it, I feel capable of doing anything and comfortable even in stressful situations. On the soccer field for example, if you panic, you will make a bad decision and turn over the ball. However, if you are to stay calm and have confidence in your ability, you can get out of any situation.

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High self-esteem has been reported to be one of the strongest predictors of psychological well-being and happiness (Cheng & Furnam, 2002). According to the website Mentalhelp.net (n.d.), confidence is an essential part of our ability to do something and  it has a large effect on “making it more or less likely that people will take care of themselves and explore their full potential.”  People with high confidence have a strong, yet realistic, view of themselves and their abilities which make them persistent in their efforts. Having lower self esteem can lead to second guessing yourself, worse self care, worse judgment, and poor decision-making. In the long term, these things can lead to depression and anxiety. When one believes they are able to accomplish something, they are much more likely to be resilient and actually succeed.
There are few people who have self confidence in the perfect moderation. I can’t speak for others, but I can see who has confidence and who doesn’t and how it effects them in life. Some people act like they have confidence when in reality they’re hiding behind a false ego and others don’t have confidence when they have everything to be confident about. I personally having a hard time telling myself I can do something when I have convinced myself I can’t. Being able to empower yourself is a skill that is difficult but definitely worth learning.

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Adolescence is a period of increased vulnerability for low self-esteem and the onset of depression and anxiety (Woods & Scott, 2016).  A survey of 1,600 young people reported that over a third of young people lack confidence, with girls confidence being lower than boys (Flazington, 2015). Teenagers with inadequate self-worth are more likely to engage in harmful coping behaviors. Many say that social media contributes to lower self confidence amongst teens because it increases social comparison and decreases self-esteem and belief in yourself. A study on social media use found that it is associated with lower self-esteem and confidence in adolescents - especially for those that are emotionally invested in social media and those that use it at night (Woods & Scott, 2016).
As a teenager that uses social media, I can see this is very possible. I believe that rather than the more explicit ways on social media of ruining peoples confidence such as bullies, the biggest impact on confidence comes from social media itself. It measures how many friends you have and not only that, but teenagers often compare these followers to others and that can only be hurtful. I am not saying social media is a bad thing, however it is something to be careful of if you already have low confidence.

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Experts suggest that one of the most important steps in improving confidence is changing the way we think and our "self talk". According to an article in the Atlantic magazine (Khazan, 2015), research has shown that if you tell yourself you feel excited instead of nervous, you will have improved performance. This is called "anxious reappraisal". Participants were randomly assigned to groups where they were either asked to tell themselves "I am anxious" or tell themselves "I am excited" before they had to give a speech or do a math test. The people in the "excited" group in both activities outperformed those in the "anxious" group - even though these people were randomly assigned to the two groups. The researchers point out that self-talk that sets a foundation for having an "opportunity mindset" (even if you don't completely believe it), which is much more effective than having a "threat mindset". This goes to show the power of self talk and how even a simple shift in language can help you believe in yourself. I know this is true for me because I can see the shift in my performance, in sports for example, based whether I'm being positive or negative to myself. When I'm stressed or not playing well, I know its in my head the problem is changing it. That is when I must learn to use self talk and almost "fake it till I make it" to change my attitude. Trust me this is easier said than done.

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Another important strategy in improving confidence is being aware of your non-verbal communication. A shift in body language can have a large effect in confidence. One way to do this is to "Act as if" - changing your posture and acting as if you already have confidence. An article in Forbes magazine (Warrell, 2015) talks about the research on using a “power pose” to improve confidence. This includes standing up tall, keeping shoulders back, chin up, smiling confidently, and moving your body into the posture of someone who is highly self-assured. Going into a power pose shifts our physical state, which then shifts our mental and emotional state. In addition, it created physiological changes by releasing hormones like testosterone that increases our courage. Standing in the power pose for 2 minutes a day can increase the helpful hormone levels, and decrease the harmful hormone levels. A brief and simple way to boost your confidence!

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Cheng, H. & Furnam, A. (2002). Personality, peer relations, and self-confidence as predictors of happiness and loneliness. Journal of Adolescence, 25(3), 327.

Clear, J. (2018). How to Be Confident and Reduce Stress in 2 Minutes Per Day.  Habits Academy. Retrieved from https://jamesclear.com/body-language-how-to-be-confident

Dumont, M. &  Provost, M. (1999).  Resilience in Adolescents: Protective Role of Social Support, Coping Strategies, Self-Esteem, and Social Activities on Experience of Stress and Depression. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 28(3), 343-63.

Flazington, B. (2015, July). Teenage Insecurities. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understand-other-people/201507/teenage-insecurities

Khazan, O. (2016, March). Can Three Words Turn Anxiety Into Success? The Atlantic Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/03/can-three-words-turn-anxiety-into-success/474909/

Oswalt, A. (n.d.) Why Self-Esteem Is Important and Its Dimensions. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/why-self-esteem-is-important-and-its-dimensions/

Warrell, M. (2015, Feb). Use It Or Lose It: The Science Behind Self-Confidence. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2015/02/26/build-self-confidence-5strategies/#5b9fcef66ade

Woods, H., & Scott, H. (2016). #Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Journal of Adolescence., 51, 41.

IMAGES
Cat in front of lion shadow. Digital image. Harrish Sairaman, October 2016. http://www.harrishsairaman.com/5-exercises-boost-confidence/

Power pose in front of Wonderwoman. Digital Image. Business School Presentations. January, 2015. https://www.ihatepresentations.com/power-posing-2/cuddy/