6 CONFIDENCE TIPS

In the midst of exam season, I find myself panicking at breakfast about what to eat and how it'll affect my mood and how that will then affect my performance in these numerous papers I have spread out over two months... Have you felt the same way? Probably not, as different people have different worries. While some can be good at speaking in front of a crowd but scared to the brink of death at the though of taking a test, others are the exact opposite. I am by all means no expert at confidence; these are just a few (quirky) tips I use to boost my self-esteem and make me enjoy all the things I do.

In general:
1. Get a mood booster.
Songs, poems, dance routines, jogging on the spot etc etc. These are like your personal key to the secret garden that is the confidence somewhere inside you. I like taking a break from whatever I'm doing and jump up and just do a tiny jig to cheer myself up (make sure you're alone or you'll find you tend to attract quite a lot of stares).

However, unlike actual keys, the more you utilize these, the less effective they become, so use sparingly! Good examples of confidence-boosting songs are:

 Stronger Kelly Clarkson Roar Katy Perry

2. Enough sleep.
It's important. I try to sleep as much as I can but end up with 6 hours every night.

I guess different people have different tiredness-tolerance levels (yes, it's a scientific term). For me, as long as I have enough energy to get through the day, I'm fine. Which brings me to food.

3. Good food.
Teens, whether you're male or female, this is not the time to be on fad skimpy diets. Treat your body properly; sleep isn't the only thing that removes that tired dead feeling from your legs, healthy meals are crucial too!

Eat enough carbohydrates, as they are the things that your mitochondria release energy from in the process of respiration. Eat enough proteins so that you can grow (yes, you keep growing till 20) and so that your cells can regenerate. Keep the snacks to a minimum, but don't cut them off entirely: everyone needs a pick me up in the afternoon! Healthy options are the best: apples, plain crackers, and dark chocolate are some of my go-tos.

Confidence in tests/exams:
3. Know your stuff.
Of course, when it's exam season, the best way to get the "Yes I know this!" feeling is to actually know your stuff. And strut it. There is simply no shortcut to hard work; the more effort you put into revising, the more time you spend trying to understand those boring paragraphs, the more likely something is finally going to go *click* in your brain.

The confidence comes automatically; if you know what you're doing, you'll believe you can do it!

4. Trust yourself.
When you encounter an extremely difficult question or perhaps a more tricky challenging task, believe in yourself. Tell yourself "Okay  (insert your name here) . We're going to do this okay? I'm giving you five minutes for this question. You know you can do it. Okay? Okay." Whilst it might seem weird that you're talking to yourself in an exam, I find it's beneficial to spend two seconds giving yourself a thumbs up before continuing.

The thing is, if you revised properly, you'll know how to finish the question. It's just a matter of self-esteem!

Confidence in public speaking:
5. Your audience is wearing silly top hats.
I'm a shy person at heart, but onstage in front of the masses, you just have to convince yourself that the audience don't know any better!

If you imagine them wearing silly hats (some people like imagining their audience naked but er...) you'll be laughing inside and that smile you've been trying to force out will just come naturally!

6. Wear your favourite underwear.
If all fails, give yourself an edge. Why not wear those comfy bright blue undies today? No one can see them anyway. If you find yourself shivering and stammering, just take a second to think about that secret weapon under all those layers of clothing, and this will give you an instant uplift to continue on!

Note: This trick only works if you never, ever, ever tell someone about it. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good ;)

Yup those were my 6 tips! As usual, not all of them apply to everyone. Hope you enjoyed this post! For studying tips, here's a little something that might interest you.