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A warm welcome from us!

From the quietly confident doctor whose advice we rely on to the captivating

confidence of an inspiring speaker, self-confident people have qualities that everyone

admires.

Your level of self-confidence manifests in many different ways through behavior, body

language, the way you speak and/or what you say, and so on …

Self-confidence is important in almost every facet of life and thus, people who lack

self-confidence may struggle in their career and personal life.

The good news is that self-confidence can be learned and built on. So whether you’re

working on your own confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it’s

well-worth the effort!

… and if self-confidence is what you are willing to learn and/or

build, we welcome you to our Tuesday-@-7 Workshop!

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What does self-confidence mean?

First, how about you come up with your definition first?

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Are there any common themes between you and friends around you? Any connections?

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Self-confidence as a mathematic equation …

∑ =𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓−𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒

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Our personal shield

The Knights and Warriors are those who would carry their shield to battle with them,

as a means of defending themselves against different forms of enemy attack. Often

the shape, style, and what it was made of, defined the origins of its owner. They were

then personalized further with coats of arms and pictures depicting their

identity. Analogously, the way that we are about to use the personal shield is all about

discovering and portraying our real identity.

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Now after choosing your favorite shield, we would like you to answer all of these

questions in each of those sections of your shield …

My greatest achievement

My greatest character strength

The worst put-down I have ever gotten

Three words/phrases I wouldn’t want my friends to say about me

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Before we give away our 1st gift to you …

If you don’t mind, may you please share with us who is the most special person in this

whole world to you?

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Well, we have a gift with us today and you can look at it to discover the most special

person in the world. After that, would you like to share with us who is it this time?

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Why is it never a case where we see ourselves as the most important in the world?

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How is it possible to “love the small child inside” each of us?

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Our final gift for you :)

1. Make three lists: (1) your strengths, (2) your achievements, and (3) the things that you admire

about yourself. Try to get a friend or relative to help you with these lists. Keep the lists in a safe

place and read through them regularly.

2. Think positively about yourself. Remind yourself that, despite your problems, you are a unique,

special, and valuable person, and that you deserve to feel good about yourself. Identify and

challenge any negative thoughts that you may have about yourself, such as ‘I am a loser’, ‘I never

do anything right’, or ‘No one really likes me’.

3. Pay special attention to your personal hygiene: for example, style your hair, trim your nails, floss

your teeth.

4. Dress in clothes that make you feel good about yourself.

5. Eat good food as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Make meal times a special time, even if you

are eating alone. Turn off the TV or radio, set the table, and arrange your food so that it looks

attractive on your plate.

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6. Exercise regularly: go out for a brisk walk every day, and take more vigorous exercise (exercise

that makes you break into a sweat) three times a week.

7. Ensure that you are getting enough sleep.

8. Manage your stress levels. If possible, agree with a close friend or relative that you will take

turns to massage each other on a regular basis.

9. Make your living space clean, comfortable, and attractive. Display items that remind you of your

achievements or of the special times and people in your life.

10. Do more of the things that you enjoy doing. Do at least one thing that you enjoy every day, and

remind yourself that you deserve it.

11. Get involved in activities such as painting, music, poetry, and dance. Such artistic activities

enable you to express yourself, acquire a sense of mastery, and interact positively with others.

Find a class through your local adult education service or community center.

12. Set yourself a challenge that you can realistically achieve, and then go for it! For example, take

up yoga, learn to sing, or cook for a small dinner party at your apartment or house.

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13. Do some of the things that you have been putting off, such as clearing out the garden, washing

the windows, or filing the paperwork.

14. Do something nice for others. For example, strike up a conversation with the person at the till,

visit a friend who is sick, or get involved with a local charity.

15. Get others involved: tell your friends and relatives what you are going through and enlist their

advice and support. Perhaps they have similar problems too, in which case you might be able to

band up and form a support group.

16. Try to spend more time with those you hold near and dear. At the same time, try to enlarge

your social circle by making an effort to meet people.

17. On the other hand, avoid people, places, and institutions that treat you badly or that make you

feel bad about yourself. This could mean being more assertive. If assertiveness is a problem for

you, ask a healthcare professional about assertiveness training.

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Coming to a close …

Confidence is a feeling.

It's stemmed from thinking.

It's not static.

It's never fixed.

The levels of confidence we have at

different times can go up and down.

Look at how your confidence was created,

how it may have got lost, and what you can start doing to reclaim it back, and build it

for real!

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Where can I find more help?

The Counseling Center 610 E John St

Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 333-3704

http://www.counselingcenter.uiuc.edu/

McKinley Health Center 1109 S Lincoln

Ave, Urbana, IL 61820 (217) 333-2701

http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/

Wellness Center 201 E Peabody Drive,

Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 265-9355

http://www.campusrec.illinois.edu/wellne

sscenter/

Leadership Center 1401 W Green St

#290, Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 333-0604

http://www.illinoisleadership.uiuc.edu/

Office of Inclusion & Intercultural

Relations 120 Swanlund Administration

Building - 601 E John Street Champaign,

IL 61820 Tel: (217) 333-1300

http://www.oiir.illinois.edu

Office for Student Conflict Resolution

300 Turner Student Services Building,

Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 333-3680

http://www.conflictresolution.illinois.edu

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Women’s Resources Center 703 S.

Wright St., 2nd Floor, Champaign, IL

61820 Tel: (217) 333-3137

http://oiir.illinois.edu/womens-center

LGBT Resources Center 616 E Green

Street, Ste. 212 (temporary location),

Urbana, IL 61820 Tel: (217) 244-8863

http://oiir.illinois.edu/lgbt-resource-

center

Asian American Cultural Center 1210

West Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801

Tel: (217) 333-9300

http://oiir.illinois.edu/aacc

Bruce D. Nesbitt African American

Cultural Center 708 S Matthews St.

Urbana, IL 61801 Tel: (217) 333-2092

http://go.illinois.edu/BNAACC

La Casa Cultural Latina 1203 West

Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801

Tel: (217/) 244-4513

http://oiir.illinois.edu/la-casa-cultural-

latina

Native American House 1206 West

Nevada Street Urbana, IL 61801

Tel: (217) 265-0632

http://oiir.illinois.edu/native-american-

house

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References

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https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/building-confidence-and-self-esteem

Craig, C. (2006). Confidence. Retrieved September 15, 2016, from

http://www.centreforconfidence.co.uk/pp/overview.php?p=c2lkPTYmdGlkPTAmaWQ9MTgx

Davenport, B. (2016). Self-Confidence Quotes That Inspire. Retrieved September 6, 2016, from http://liveboldandbloom.com/01/self-

confidence/25-self-confidence-quotes

Fiore, N. (2013, February 18). Centering Exercise. Retrieved September 6, 2016, from http://www.neilfiore.com/centering-exercise/

On My Own Two Feet - Identity and Self-Esteem. (1997). Retrieved September 7, 2016, from

http://www.sphe.ie/downloads/mo2f/identity_and_self_esteem.pdf

Geher, G. (2015, June 20). It's the Hard Work, Stupid. Psychology Today. Retrieved September 15, 2016, from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/darwins-subterranean-world/201506/its-the-hard-work-stupid

Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion Scales. Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-scales-for-

researchers/

Parker-Pope, T. (2011, February 28). Go Easy on Yourself, a New Wave of Research Urges. The New York Times. Retrieved September 15,

2016, from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/go-easy-on-yourself-a-new-wave-of-research-urges/?_r=0

Polk County Public School. (2008, August 8). Confidence Activities. Retrieved September 7, 2016, from https://www.polk-

fl.net/community/volunteers/documents/ymConfidenceActivities.pdf

Self-Confident. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2016, from https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/self-confident

Seltzer, L. F. (2008, September 10). The Path to Unconditional Self-Acceptance. Retrieved September 12, 2016, from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolution-the-self/200809/the-path-unconditional-self-acceptance

Themes of Self-Confidence in Literature. (n.d.). Retrieved September 5, 2016, from http://www.123helpme.com/theme-of-self-

confidence-in-literature-preview.asp?id=169041

Truth or Dare Questions for Teens, Boys, Girls, Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved September 7, 2016, from http://www.truthordarequestion.org/