This guest post on how volunteering can boost teen confidence is from wellbeing author and psychotherapist Becky Goddard-Hill. Her new book *Be Confident Be You – the teenage guide is an insightful and positive guide for teenagers which provides the tools they need to build confidence, tackle negative feelings and improve happiness in all areas of life.
How volunteering can boost teen confidence
In this post Becky shares an activity from Be Confident Be You, and explores how volunteering not only benefits other people and the environment, but also benefits the volunteer in many ways.
Volunteering
Volunteering makes a huge difference to the project you are supporting, whether you’re helping at a food bank or reading to someone who is lonely. The impact of your time and effort is priceless. And when you volunteer, you reap the benefits too.
6 ways volunteering can boost teen confidence
New skills
You will learn new skills through volunteering which is a great way to boost your confidence.
Greater empathy
Volunteering can help you understand the challenges faced by others and help you become kinder and wiser.
Increased independence
Doing something on your own, away from your home/school/friends is character-building and confidence-boosting.
New relationships
It’s a great way to meet people who share your values and visions and to make new friends.
Work experience
Volunteering is great for your CV; prospective employers like to know that you know how to work.
Pride and purpose
Volunteering adds meaning to your life – the positive impact you make will remind you that you matter and that your life has purpose. It is easy to be proud of yourself when you are helping others.
Just give it a go and you will feel instantly good about yourself.
The science bit
Volunteering is also a brilliant way to boost health. Studies have found that people who volunteer live longer than those that don’t and they spend a lot less time in hospital! Volunteering also lessens pain and reduces the risk of heart disease. It is hard to be stressed when you are focused on other people or projects, and scientists believe this is one of the reasons it is so good for you.
Get inspired
I have volunteered as a bingo caller, a reading helper, a summer camp counsellor, a pond clearer and a brownie guide leader and I could go on! This array of experiences was great fun and made me unafraid to try new things and meet new people.
Get inspired by asking the adults in your life about their voluntary experiences.
Where to volunteer
Do-it.org is a database of UK volunteering opportunities. You can search by interest, activity or location and then apply online. You can also ask around; approach projects and charities directly or even create your own!
Give volunteering a go
You could volunteer by shopping for a neighbour, mentoring a younger child at school, helping at an animal shelter… or any one of a million ways.
How are you going to put your compassion into action?
If you are unsure of what you could do, try listing the skills you already have and the things you enjoy doing, or think about the people around you and the sort of help they might need, and take it from there.
Start small but do start, the benefits are HUGE.
Boost teen confidence by making a difference and giving volunteering a go.
Our experience of Be Confident Be You
With a fifteen year old in the house, this book is a hugely helpful resource for both me and my teen.
It’s packed with tips and activities to help teens build confidence and self-esteem, and presents them in an accessible, practical way with a positive outlook. The relaxed writing style is exactly the right level for teenagers, and there are plenty of graphics to keep their attention.
My son really likes the fact that you can dip in and out of the book and do the activities in whatever order you like, this makes it easier for him to engage with it and also allows him to prioritise any specific issues that he needs help with. We both love the fact that the activities are underpinned by science, and this science is explained, allowing teens to understand why the activity works.
If you’re parenting teens I highly recommend getting a copy of this book. We’re finding it incredibly useful, and it’s teaching me a thing or two about boosting my own confidence too!
You can find out more about Be Confident Be You and order a copy here.
Becky is also the co-author of a happiness boosting book aimed at teenagers called Be Happy Be You. You can find out more about it here.
Pin for later
The post 6 ways volunteering can boost teen confidence appeared first on Growing Family.
