Being Your Best Self

Articles In This Section

• Be Your Best Self

  What makes people happy? How can you boost your own happiness? This site has information and activities based on the science of positive psychology to help you succeed, make a difference, handle difficult emotions, and build good relationship skills.

• Confidence: A Worksheet

  You don't have to be born confident: Confidence is something you can build. Not sure where to start? Try these exercises.

• How to Live a Happy Life

  Research shows that just 10% of happiness depends on a person's situation. We actually have more control over happiness than we might think. Find out how.

• Confidence

  Confidence means believing in yourself and in your abilities – not in an arrogant way, but in a realistic, secure way.

• Managing Your Emotional Reactions

  People who do a good job of managing emotions know that it's healthy to express their feelings, but that it matters how they express them. Get tips in this article for teens.

• Relaxation Exercise: Loving Kindness Meditation

  This meditation helps us feel connected to and grateful for the people in our lives. Listen as we guide you through this meditation.

• Relaxation Exercises: Breathing Basics

  Breathing exercises help us slow down and relax. Let our audio recordings coach you through 3 simple breathing exercises: finger-count breathing, smiling breath, and belly breathing.

• What Can I Say When Friends Use Anti-Gay Language?

  Find out what the experts have to say.

• Good Reasons to Smile

  Smiling on purpose benefits brain chemistry – and can boost our mood. But it only works if you smile in the right way. Find out how in this article for teens.

• Positive Emotions: A Worksheet

  Positivity is fun to practice – as well as a great way to learn more about yourself. This worksheet is designed to help you explore 10 common positive emotions.

• 3 Ways to Increase Positive Emotions

  People feel and do their best when they experience at least 3 times as many positive emotions as negative ones. This article offers ideas on how to build these powerful emotions.

• The Power of Positive Emotions

  Scientists are learning that positive emotions have a powerful effect on our brains and bodies, helping us feel, and act, our best. Let this article help you tap into the power of positive emotions.

• Gratitude: A Worksheet

  Feeling grateful for what we have (instead of obsessing about what we don't) can help us get more out of life. This worksheet is designed to get you thinking about gratitude.

• 3 Ways to Practice Gratitude

  Gratitude doesn't just feel good, it can be good for you. These 3 steps can help you start feeling more appreciative of the good things in your life.

• Optimism

  Optimists see the good in things -- and science has discovered that optimists can do better in life. The good news is, even pessimists can be more optimistic. Find out how.

• Understanding Other People

  Being able to predict how other people might feel, act, or react is a skill that helps us build better relationships. These tips can help you develop the skill of understanding others.

• Choosing Your Mood

  Choosing your mood means being in control of it instead of feeling like it's controlling you. Here are tips on how to create the right mood to help you succeed at what you're trying to do.

• 5 Ways to Be More Aware of Your Emotions

  Emotional awareness (knowing what we feel and why) helps us learn about ourselves and build good relationships. Here are 5 ways to get more in touch with your emotions.

• Understanding Your Emotions

  Emotions help us relate to other people, know what we want, and make choices. Even "negative" emotions are useful. Find out how to understand emotions and use them effectively.

• Teens Talk About Life (Video)

  In this video series, teens talk about their experiences with bullying, stress, family life, managing health problems, staying fit, eating right — and what it means to be in love.

• Apologizing

  We all mess up at times. An apology tells someone that we're sorry for the hurt we caused — even if we didn't do it on purpose. But does an apology fix everything? And how should you handle it if someone apologizes to you? Find out here.

• Emotional Intelligence

  Just as IQ is a way of being academically smart, emotional intelligence (EQ) is a way of being people-smart. But unlike IQ, we can work on improving our EQ. Here are some tips.

• Assertiveness

  Assertiveness is the ability to speak up for yourself in a way that is honest and respectful. But it doesn't come naturally to everyone. Find out if you're too passive, too aggressive, or just assertive enough.

• Gratitude

  Gratitude doesn't just feel good. Focusing on what's good in our lives can also be good for us. Find out how in this article for teens.

• Rejection and How to Handle It

  Rejection hurts. But it's impossible to avoid. Life is about going for things. And when we do, rejection is always a possibility.