The John Haynes Foundation are currently running Life Skills Workshops with the Student Parliament Group at the City of Liverpool College.  The first session focused on building self-esteem.  Coaching students on building self-esteem has numerous benefits, helping them develop confidence, resilience and a positive self-image.

Here are some key advantages:

• Helps students believe in their abilities and strengths.
• Encourages positive self-talk and self-acceptance.
• Reduces anxiety, stress and self-doubt.
• Encourages positive self-talk and self-acceptance.
• Improves social skills by developing communication and interpersonal skills.
• Helps students build health relationships and handle peer pressure.
• Encourage a Growth Mindset by teaching them to embrace mistakes and learning opportunities.
• Develop resilience to setbacks and criticism.
• Promotes decision-making and problem-solving.
• Builds independence in making choices
• Encourages critical thinking and confidence in their own judgement.
• Reduces risky behaviours.
• People with higher self-esteem are less likely to engage in negative behaviours (e.g. substance abuse, bullying).
• People with higher self-esteem are better equipped to resist negative influences.
• Having self-esteem enhances academic performance.
• Self-belief leads to better motivation and engagement in college and the workplace.
• Students with high self-esteem are more likely to set and achieve goals.
• Self-esteem encourages self-awareness and self-love along with promoting self-care and self-respect.

By integrating self-esteem building activities in a Life Skills Workshop, students gain essential skills that will empower them throughout their academic, personal and future professional lives.  In addition, it plays an enormous role in building healthy relationships with partners, family and friends.

Here are some specific activities and workshop ides to help students to build self-esteem in a Life Skills workshop.

1. Self-Portrait and “I AM” Statements

Objective: Encourages self-awareness and appreciation

• Give each students a blank sheet of paper and ask them to draw themselves.
• Around their self-portrait, ask them to write five positive “I Am” statements (e.g. “I am kind”, “I am creative”, “I am caring”).
• Share and discuss the importance of recognising personal strengths.

2. Compliment Circle

Objective: Encourage peer support and positive affirmations.

• Have students sit in a circle.
• Each student gives a compliment to the person to their right.
• Encourage the to be specific (e.g. “I admire how you always help others”).
• Ask the students to discuss how it feels to give and receive compliments.

3. Overcoming Challenges – Role Playing

Objective: Build Problem-Solving Skills and Resilience.

• Present difference scenarios where self-esteem might be tested (e.g. failing an exam, losing a game, being left out).
• Have students role-play positive ways to handle the situation.
• Discuss how self-talk and perspective influence confidence.

4. Power Poses & Self-Talk

Objective: Use body language to boost confidence.

• Ask students to stand up and do a power pose (e.g. standing tall with their hands on hips like a superhero).
• Have students say positive affirmations while in their power pose.
• Discuss how body language affects how they feel about themselves.

5. The Self-Esteem Jar

Objective: reinforce positive self-perception

• Ask each student to write one thing they like about themselves on a post-it note.
• Collect all their responses in a jar.
• Everyday, pull out a few and read them aloud (anonymously).
• Encourage students to add new notes regularly.

6. “Dear Future Me” Letters

Objective: Encourages goal setting and self-reflection

• Have students write a letter to their future selves, highlighting their current strengths, what they hope to achieve, write encouraging words for future challenges.
• Seal them and give them back at the end of the academic year.

7. “Rewriting Negative Thoughts” Exercise

Objective: Teach positive self-talk.

• Write common negative thoughts down (e.g. “I am not good enough”)>
• Have students rewrite then into positive affirmations (e.g. “I am learning and growing every day).
• Discuss how to challenge negative self-talk.

8. Gratitude Journaling

Objective: Shifts focus to the positive aspects of life.

• Have students write three things they are grateful for daily.
• Encourage them to include personal qualities they appreciate about themselves.
• Share reflection and discuss the power of gratitude.

9. “What Makes You Unique”?

Objective: Encourages Self-Acceptance.

• Ask students to write the following on the top of a piece of paper: “What makes me Unique”?
• Ask them to list qualities, skills, or experiences that set them apart.
• Ask them to share something from their list.

The activities above will engage students, build their confidence, and teach lifelong self-esteem skills.