How to build self confidence: practical advice for young people
Self‑confidence isn’t something you’re born with — it’s something you build. And the good news? Everyone can strengthen it, one small step at a time. Here’s how you can start feeling more confident in who you are and what you can achieve.
1. Understand what self‑confidence really is
Self-confidence means trusting your own abilities, judgement, and potential.
It’s about being willing to try new things, even when they feel challenging.
It’s different from self‑esteem — which is how you feel about yourself as a person — but they’re definitely connected. When you believe you can do something, you’re more likely to give it a go.
Think about:
What does having confidence mean to you? When have you felt confident before?
2. Know your strengths (you have more than you think)
A huge part of building confidence is recognising what you’re good at — and what you could get good at.
Try asking yourself or writing down:
What activities or hobbies make me happy or energised?
What positive things have people said about me?
What do others often ask me for help with?
What is something I’d love to learn or achieve?
Even if it feels tough at first, think about a moment where something went well — helping a friend, helping at home, finishing a project, trying something new. What is it about you that helped you achieve this? Was it your personality traits, for example kindness, values, like curiosity or core transferable skills, like problem‑solving.
If you need some inspiration about personality traits, strengths and skills, try our Wheel of strengths tool, it will even show you jobs which are a good fit.
All the things you have written down shows you’ve got loads of strengths, keep thinking in this way and building out your strengths and skills.
3. Use your strengths to reach your goals and build confidence
Once you’ve identified a few strengths, think about how they can help you achieve something you want. This in turn builds our confidence. For example:
Want to learn something new? Your motivation and patience will help you keep going.
Want to try something outside your comfort zone? Your resilience means you can keep going even if it feels scary.
Your strengths aren’t fixed — you can grow them over time, which means your confidence can grow too.
4. Look after your wellbeing
How you feel physically and mentally can have a huge impact on your confidence.
Small habits can make a big difference, like:
Eating a healthy, balanced diet
Using social media mindfully
Exercising in a way you enjoy
Recognising your achievements, even the small ones
Asking for help when you need it
Setting boundaries
Spending time on hobbies
Joining a club, group, or community
Practising positive self‑talk
Volunteering or helping others
Doing these things helps you feel better in yourself, which makes it easier to feel confident.
5. Step outside your comfort zone (just a little)
Trying something new — even a tiny thing — helps our confidence grow.
Confidence isn’t about being the loudest in the room; it’s about believing that you can take action.
Ask yourself:
What small challenge could I try this week?
What’s one thing I’ve always wanted to attempt but haven’t yet?
Every time you push yourself, you’re proving to your brain that you can do it.
6. Take confidence-building one step at a time
To make confidence part of your everyday life, try this simple approach:
Do now: Write down one thing you discovered about confidence today.
Do soon: Choose one small action you can take this week to boost your confidence.
Do later: Think ahead — what’s a bigger goal you want to work toward in the coming weeks or months?
Remember: confidence doesn’t arrive all at once. It grows through repeated small steps, and every step counts.
A Final Thought
Confidence isn’t about being perfect. It’s about trying, learning, and trusting yourself to handle whatever comes next.
You already have some of strengths, skills, and experiences that make you capable — building confidence simply helps you use them more often.
You've got this.
