Self Esteem

You can’t touch it but it affects how we feel and behave. You can’t see it, but it’s there when you look in the mirror.

Self esteem isn’t bragging about how great you are, it’s about knowing that you are worthwhile and making sure that you feel good about yourself.

If you asked a room full of people how happy they are with their body, you wouldn’t get many people waving their hands. It doesn’t help that the media always show images of ‘beautiful people’ in magazines and on TV and this can put extra pressure on you and how you feel! 

Being a teenager is hard enough, let alone worrying about how you look and feel. It’s important that we all have confidence and self-esteem but unfortunately this isn’t something we are born with, it’s something that we have to develop ourselves. With exam stress, relationship worries, and hormones all over the place it’s no wonder life can get you down.

You might think it’s just a problem for girls but there’s growing pressure on blokes to look good too.  Truth be known, you can bet that everyone worries about how they look and remember that the majority of models we see plastered on bill boards, adverts and TV are probably airbrushed!

The worrying fact is that 1.5 million people in this country are coping with some kind of eating disorder so it’s really important that you talk to people about your worries so things don’t get out of control. 

The best ways to boost your confidence is to believe in yourself and try to feel good about the way you look. This will make you feel so much better instantly so the more you do this the more positive you will feel.

Remember, beauty is skin deep, keep being positive and this will eventually become second nature.

For advice and help about eating disorders contact the Eating Disorder Association on 0845 634 7650.