Self-image is something that people struggle with when you’re either feeling insecure, not able to talk to people, or sometimes not feeling like you’re good enough. You always apologize for things that aren’t your fault. For example, you might get hurt or offended easily. Don’t worry because it’s fixable!

One tip is be nice to yourself. Don’t talk bad on yourself, don’t bring yourself down over the smallest mistakes. People make mistakes and that’s okay. No human on this earth is perfect, and some may have more talent than others, but that’s okay too. Everyone’s different and that’s good because if people were not different, this world would be entirely too boring. So, it is ok to be different!

Remember there is something great about you that people may not know of, or you may not know yet.  Other people’s opinions don’t matter. You’re your own person. You decide who you want to be, and no one’s running your life besides you. Focus on your goals and if you don’t have any, make some goals. Overloading yourself though isn’t healthy, so take baby steps and remember that any progress is phenomenal.

Doherty freshman Malaya Knox said, “What helps is to talk in a mirror and compliment yourself.” Therefore looking at yourself in the mirror and just saying I look good today and everything’s going to be alright will help a lot. Don’t allow anyone to change who you are as a person. Being yourself all the time should be a priority.

Doherty sophomore Gabriella Pacheco says, “Stay true to yourself and don’t change for anybody and always smile. Always keep your head up and do not let anything affect you or bring you down.” I’d say that’s pretty valuable advice.

Surrounding yourself with positive people helps too. Having good friends is important. Make sure they are friends that bring you up, not down. If you have friends that bring you up, it will make you feel better about yourself. They will help you strive for greatness and celebrate and be proud of you even for small accomplishments. Loyal friends also help you if you have problems and you’re feeling down.  Starting from a young age, people should be surrounded by positivity.

One quote I adore is one said by Marilyn Monroe, “No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they’re pretty, even if they aren’t.” It’s one I always relate to and others probably do too, even from a little boy’s perspective.

Another big tip is to also help others as much as you can! Helping others is always a good thing to do. It’s scientifically proven that if you help someone, it will make you feel better about yourself. There are always many ways to help people both physically and mentally. For example, you could give someone a compliment, or if they’re sitting alone and seem sad, go help them and maybe see what’s wrong. Just lending someone an ear or a hug can cause a huge impact on them. Just making someone smile will help someone a lot, a simple compliment can turn around their day and make it a little better.  My dad told me, “Whether you know someone or you don’t, everyone needs someone to believe in and have.”

Ah, social media. The thing everyone is involved in, especially teens/young adults. Stay away from the bad side of social media as best as you can because social media can destroy your self- image or self-esteem; however, it’s not all bad. A majority of people on social media are all looking for fame and the spotlight. All they care about is if they’re better than somebody else. People can spread false rumors by just saying a simple thing on their story, or if you make one person mad, they can say anything to affect a person in a negative way, especially from the kids that are considered the “popular kids” because everyone going to want to be friends with the popular crowd and if they say something nasty about someone else on social media, everyone’s going to listen to the popular kid versus see the side of the kid they talked nasty about.

Although it can be negative, social media can help as well if used correctly. It can bring people together and can keep people connected. For example, if you have friends or family members that live far away you can always stay connected that way. If there’s an event, for example, like a football game, people can send a message out that there’s a game and can get more people to go to the football game. Remember, you don’t have to be popular to have an impact on the world. Being yourself is the best thing you can do for yourself.

All in all, self image is a major priority. Prioritize your self and always trust yourself, and above all else, love yourself always.