Self-esteem is uber-important, especially in high school but unfortunately this seems to be the time when people lack it the most. Everyone deserves to feel confident and comfortable so read on for advice on how to build your self esteem.

1. Be okay with not knowing exactly who you are yet. This is something that I can definitely say I’m struggling with. But I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m only 16, I’m not going to know. It’s okay to experiment with different things, this is what this time is for. You’re not going to be 100-percent sure of who you are and just remember that that’s normal.

2. Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable. It doesn’t matter if it’s trendy, if you like it and it makes you feel good, wear it.

3. Remember it’s not all about appearance. It’s not uncommon for someone to look attractive but I’ve noticed something over time. When you’re around someone for a long time, you begin to not even notice how they look unless there’s a drastic change. You stop looking at the person on the outside and you look at them on the inside. Now as creepy and cheesy as that sounds, I swear it’s true and it makes sense at least in my head. This means that the people you know and care about, the people who truly matter, don’t care about how you look, they’ll like you regardless.

4. Make healthy choices whether that be mentally or physically. Eat healthy and exercise, take care of yourself. Give yourself time to do what you love and just practice being healthy, you’ll feel much better.

5. Don’t worry about what others think. This is true whether you’re receiving a compliment or a hateful comment, you shouldn’t base your perspective of yourself off of other people. You might think it’s strange that I’m advising not to place importance on compliments but trust me, there is reason behind my madness. Some people can live off of compliments and they only feel good about themselves when complimented. This is super unhealthy, you should feel good about yourself whether complimented or not. You have to live with yourself so make yourself the best you can be and remember that only what you think about yourself is important.

6. Only spend time with people who make you feel important. Whether this be friends, significant others, or just family members, hang out with the ones that care about you the most. Dismiss the negative people in your life and only make time for the ones who radiate positivity.

7. Find a new passion. Maybe you’ll discover something you’re good at, maybe you won’t, no matter what, finding new things to do keeps you busy and helps you find yourself.

8. Adjust your posture.It’s simple, but I promise it helps so much. Whether you’re tall, short, or someone in between, having better posture will make you feel more confident as well as help you avoid back problems as you age.

You deserve to love yourself and treat yourself. Respect yourself and don’t be so harsh in your judgements and criticism. Remember to hold your head high and smile, the term fake it till you make it truly does work.