Opportunities we grasp in life often don’t come down to our ability but what we believe we are capable of or deserve. Feeling uncertain about yourself can be a major impediment to your studies and career but, as with anything, you can improve your self-confidence. There are ways to address areas of concern and tools to help build belief and assurance.

Looking after number one

Nobody else can give you self-confidence; it’s something you need to develop. The first step is acknowledging that it’s something you want to work on and recognising the areas in which you’re lacking self-belief. Once you have done this, try opening up about how you feel to a trusted teacher or friend. Saying it out loud and getting some support is a good first step.

Remember, you are not alone. There are things that you take for granted as being easy but will fill other people with dread. Be kind to yourself and practise self-compassion - treating yourself as you would someone else who shared their lack of self-belief with you.

Think about which specific situations tend to challenge your confidence the most and where this lack of confidence could have come from. Understanding this could help you work out what strategies might be best for you.