Self-perception is important to focus on because it can influence our day to life positively or negatively. 

I have personally struggled with self perception and have watched my friends struggle with it as well.  There are many methods I have tried in order to build a better self-perception. Keep these five tips in mind the next time you feel badly about yourself.

Everyone makes mistakes 

No one is perfect, and you shouldn’t expect yourself to be. Correct your mistakes to the best of your ability and move on. If you fail a test, figure out why. If you hurt someone, apologize to them. It’s okay to mess up, but it’s not okay to refuse to change your actions. Self-reflect and make a change! 

“I see if I hurt anybody and then try to apologize to them, and if it didn’t hurt anybody then I just try to better myself. ” Katie Slatoff, a sophmore, said. 

Don’t compare yourself to others

There will always be someone who out-does you, and that’s okay! If you always worry about how someone else is doing better you won’t have time to improve yourself. Constantly pressuring yourself to do better than him, to be skinnier than her, or to be smarter than them will only burn you out. 

“I always just see people as being better than me,” Lincoln Ince, a sophomore said,”Always feeling lesser can put a dent in your mental state.”

Compliment yourself 

Make an effort to compliment yourself. If you only break yourself down, you will never see all the good things in yourself. Compliment yourself even if you don’t believe what you’re saying. Overtime, finding things that you genuinely like about yourself will become easier. Some phrases to try are; “I am smart,” “I am pretty,” or “I am a good friend.”  

“I’m smart, I’m pretty, and I’m confident. Those are my best qualities,” Alyssa Robertson, a sophmore, said.

Surround yourself with good people

Don’t surround yourself with people who don’t value you, appreciate you, or people who make you feel lesser than them. If you are constantly hearing that you are worthless or not good enough, you might believe it. If someone treats you poorly, they are not worth your time. 

“I feel valued and appreciated when someone wants to spend time with me,” Slatoff said. 

Take time to care for yourself

You won’t feel good about yourself if you don’t take the time to care for your health. It can be hard to keep up with chores, school, a good diet, and drinking enough water, but it’s very important. Eating a well-balanced diet and getting enough sleep can majorly improve your mental health and physical health. 

“I get at least seven hours of sleep and read a lot. It’s like mediating,” Slatoff said. 

“I take care of myself by avoiding stressful situations. It makes a difference,” Ince said.