Grow Your Confidence to Outgrow Your Limits

A woman with long brown hair and a jean jacket smiling.

While changes to your body, like growing breasts, are obvious, your brain also develops during puberty, affecting your emotions and confidence. Here are some choices you can make to keep growing strong and positive.

Your brain is like a muscle: When you take on challenges and practice until you overcome them, neurons in your brain create new and stronger connections, building your skills and confidence. Research shows that kids who believe they can get smarter do better on tests and challenges. This is called the growth mindset—the belief that your mind can grow and change with effort.

Practice is more than just doing something over and over again. It’s what helps you improve your abilities and discover solutions to problems. So you can get better at pretty much anything—from school and sports to relationships and public speaking! It starts with taking the first step and not stopping when it gets tough.

Your brain needs to leave its comfort zone to grow and thrive. Risk-taking can be scary, but it can also be exciting and rewarding.Everyone has a different “risk zone.” If you’re freaked out by the risk you chose, you’re not ready (YET!) to take it.

Speak up in class: ask a question or share your opinion.
Be honest about what you really want.
Volunteer to lead a project.

Practice These Power Words

A change as small as your choice of words can give you the boost you need to keep going. Try these words:

Yet! Remember that though you haven’t accomplished it yet, you will if you keep trying.
I can.Have you ever doubted yourself before you even tried? Try saying “I can” next time, and then try something new to prove yourself right!
Like A Girl.Only 19% of girls have positive feelings about the phrase “Like a girl.” Let’s change that, and make #LikeAGirl mean amazing things!

Remember that it’s okay to have missteps along the way. The point is not WHETHER you make mistakes; it’s what you make of them that matters.

It’s up to you how to interpret your setbacks, whether to give up or keep going!
Be kind to yourself, the way you would treat a friend going through the same thing.
Take time and figure out what went wrong, without blaming yourself or anyone else.
Try again. And again. And again. Know that sometimes you have to keep practicing and trying new ways if you want to succeed.

While changes in your mood, confidence, and need for independence are normal, you have control over whether you listen to the bad stuff or focus on the good. Remember, you are unstoppable!

Sources:

Mackey, Allyson P., Alison T. Miller Singley, and Silvia A. Bunge. "Intensive reasoning training alters patterns of brain connectivity at rest." The Journal of Neuroscience 33.11 (2013): 4796-4803.
Master, Allison. “Growth Mindset.” Telephone interview. 16 Apr. 2015.
Hill, Jess, Kathryn Bowers, Armistead Lemon, Elizabeth Baker, and Jennifer Jervis. "Growth Mindset and Confidence." Telephone interview. 20 Apr. 2015.
Hill, Jess, Kathryn Bowers, Armistead Lemon, Elizabeth Baker, and Jennifer Jervis. "Growth Mindset and Confidence." Telephone interview. 20 Apr. 2015.
Always 2014 Puberty & Confidence Survey. 2014. Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati. Online survey with 1,300 US females.