Cognitive Behavioral Skills:
The following nine steps will help the adolescent to effectively manage difficult emotions such as anger, depression and anxiety, as well as low self-esteem.
1. Recognize triggers
2. Listen for your emotional mind
3. Identify automatic negative thoughts and core beliefs
4. Identify and rate the intensity of the negative emotions associated with faulty thinking
5. Stop, Look & Listen
6. Find evidence from your life that disproves negative thoughts and core beliefs
7. Re-think: Change faulty thoughts to more realistic thoughts based on evidence
8. Re-examine and rate the intensity of feelings now that you’ve changed your thoughts
9. Re-act: Develop an action plan to change your behavior.
Self-esteem and Self-confidence:
Self-esteem and self-confidence are important elements of a well-developed personality. Self-esteem is the perception of one’s worth, while self-confidence is the belief in one’s own ability. The development of self-esteem and self-confidence is influenced by many things such as congenital factors, one’s character, family, school and peers. Suggestions to improve build up self-esteem and self-confidence:
1. Appreciate your strengths: List your good points and achievements e.g, being kind, sporty, reliable etc., and stick the list at an eye-catching area to remind yourself constantly.
2. Be affirmed of your worth: Everybody is unique. Respect yourself and try to better equip yourself. Make full use of your capability and talent in your family, school and society.
3. Accept yourself: Accept your appearance and developmental stage. In fact, having a good temperament is more important. Learn from other’s good behavior and build up a positive self-image.
4. Maximize your potential: Join various social activities such as out-reach training programs, interest groups, voluntary service groups or become a boy-scout or girl-guide, so as to know more about your abilities, interests and talents and develop your potential.
5. Overcome your weaknesses: No one is perfect. Don’t be let down by your weaknesses. Make efforts to improve. Set realistic and achievable goals.
6. Avoid making comparisons: Unnecessary comparison with others will harm your self-esteem and self-confidence. However, you can compare with your own performance and strive for improvements.
7. Try again if you fail: Don’t be despaired when you fail. You can learn from mistakes. Through the process of assessment and evaluation, you will be able to achieve better results.
8. Make improvements: Everybody makes mistakes. The most important thing is to recognize and correct them, and rebuild your self-esteem and self-confidence.
9. Be a good friend with yourself: Take good care of yourself and lead a healthy and enriching life.
10. Build up good interpersonal relationships: Establish good relationships with parents, family members, teachers and friends. Respect and trust each other. When there are problems, talk and share with them. Let them support and help you when your self-esteem and self-confidence decline.
