Can I ever get more confident?

I have had difficulty with confidence in the past, especially when it came to changing schools and being isolated socially. My advice would be to just force yourself to make a change. You know for a fact that if you wanted to, tomorrow at school you could raise your hand and answer a question. That action is within the realm of possibility, and there is nothing stopping you from doing it but yourself. It's silly to think that you can simply become confident overnight, or just outgrow being shy, but you can make steps to being more social and improving your confidence. Something I like to do to motivate myself to make a change is to write something down, it could be simple, such as "WORK HARDER", and pin it up somewhere where I can see it every day, and try and make small changes to achieve that goal of working harder. The fear that you get when you are about to answer a question, or before you speak in front of the class is perfectly normal, and the only way you can overcome that fear is to embrace it and learn to adapt. To conclude, making a change in your life is about YOU doing something, take action, be proactive. Don't be a victim, be a fighter. Good luck, I hope this was helpful advice.

I've got some good news for you. You absolutely are normal! You are still developing into the person you will be. Maybe that person will be quiet and reserved, or maybe that person will be loud and outgoing. There is nothing wrong with either of these people, although you will, at times, want to be whichever one you aren't.

As far as the anxiety before speaking, that only comes with practice, and that will mean being uncomfortable until you get used to it. Practice in front of a mirror before speaking. Find something you like talking about and make Vines or YouTube videos.

Hi, I am 17 and I feel like that sometimes. I even hated myself for being "different", I mean, less talkative than most of my friends. I know how it is hard to gain confidence in yourself, I also have no self steem. I thought a lot that I had to change and it scared me, I had fear of trying and end up feeling judge. So, I always felt like I wasn't able to change and it made me feel a prisioner of myself. Now, I am recovering, step by step, slowing, with some depressive moments, but I am better. I can't tell you what's better for you, however, it worked for me thinking that I was spending so much time alone and isolating myself and that I had no reason for being so shy and insecure. Remember that your friends really like you and that you don't need to be scared when talking to them. Furthermore, meeting new people may seem hard but convince yourself that you have nothing to loose, however, you may turn into good friends and have a lot of fun together. Everyone is different and you don't have to be affraid or embarrassed of showing yourself. You can message me if you feel alone or want to talk.

So being 14 is super awkward, everyone at that age doesn't really know whats going on. They are just trying to figure out themselves just like any other person. No 14 year old will be confident, and even if you have someone in mind let me tell you their secret. <i.Fake it until you make it. Oh yesssssss. They are faking it. And hey, that it okay! Confidence doesn't come naturally and it's something that we all have to work on. Confidence comes from knowing who you are and accepting that.So your are shy, own that. It's who you are. it's okay no freak out before a speech, or feel that knot in your stomach when a teacher calls you out. That is actually very normal. Once you accept that, you will slowly see how much better situations become.

I have dealt with extreme shyness since elementary school until the last year of high school. So your experience is something very very familiar to me. Other people thought I didn't belong in AP History (hah I got A+ all the time!) since I never raised my hand and clammed up when the teacher called me - I was just scared of saying the wrong answer. That dread in your stomach during school presentations has plagued me more than once.

Telling you that "it'll get better eventually" will be a double edged sword. On one hand, most shy people flourish in college. (like me!!) But the reality is that you're going through this right now.

What I can offer is several tips:

-General: You can't do anything about your classmates. The only thing you can fix is yourself. If the teacher calls on you (don't be like me) try to have the correct answer or at least try. If you have a trusted teacher, maybe you can explain your situation and they can offer a solution.

If what you want is to make more friends, one on one situations are situations where quieter/shy people can shine. We're good listeners! There are people out there who will appreciate that. And if someone is talking about a topic you love, don't hold back!

-Presentations: Prepare your information and study up on what you have to present. When the time comes, remember to take deep breaths and talk slowly. If you know your stuff, it'll be harder for you to mess up.

-Don't sweat the small stuff. College kids and adults have a nicer name for "shy people" - introverts. There's no rule that everyone has to be a social butterfly but if you want to, it's never too late to try.

I know it seems really rough right now. But don't worry, you're still young. You might not "grow out of it" fully but you can take baby steps on becoming a more confident person. It'll just take time. Stay strong.