52: Helping Your Teen Feel Confident in Difficult Moments

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. Nate Zinsser, former Director of Performance Psychology at West Point and author of The Confident Mind, shares insights on helping teens navigate the awkward and often scary moments encountered as they step onto the athletic field, the stage, or into the exam room. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key Takeaways</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">How do you instill confidence in your teenager? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">You are a role model to your teens. Are you leading by example? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Confidence is not a one-time thing. You have to keep working at it.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">When something goes wrong, we tend to focus on the negative and not on the positives. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Do you compare yourself to others? Do your thoughts beat you up? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">What’s the difference between confidence vs. arrogance? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">You can be confident AND humble.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">It’s okay if you feel nervous. It’s a normal reaction to something that’s important to you.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Look for evidence around you that supports you, not distracts or hurts you.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Do vision boards actually work?</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The pursuit of excellence beats us up. That’s just the