Your self-esteem is the foundation for everything you do. Take care of it! Self-esteem is just a fancy word for how much you like and respect yourself. It's the quiet voice inside your head that tells you that you are valuable, capable, and deserve to be happy, no matter what happens around you.

• The key to having high self-esteem is understanding that you are more than your performance.
• Who do you talk to when you are not feeling your BEST self? The subject at hand is strategizing what the next move is and what emotions need to be used. If you can’t have this conversation with yourself, who do you talk to about this?  We will focus on helping you understand your own value, separate from what other people think. It's about building a strong inner voice during a time when social pressure is intense.

Building You Up

Self-esteem isn't something you are born with; it's a muscle you build by taking action.

• Master a Skill: Find something you enjoy—whether it's baking, coding, playing an instrument, or skating—and get a little better at it every week. When you see yourself improve through effort, your brain says, "I can do hard things," and your confidence grows.
• Practice Self-Care: Treat yourself with the same respect you would treat your best friend. This means getting enough sleep, eating good food, and walking away from people or situations (online or in person) that make you feel small or bad about yourself.
• Use Your Voice: Practice saying what you think and asking for what you need respectfully. Whether it's telling a friend, "No, I don't want to go there," or asking a teacher for extra help, using your voice shows yourself that your thoughts and feelings matter.