Stretch Your Confidence: Discover What You Can Do

In collaboration with Power Thoughts founder, Natalie Costa, Level Headers.

It can be worrying to be young and lacking confidence. There are so many aspects of life where failure seems to be certain. The news is full of disaster and peopled by characters who appear to be super human in their achievements and presentation. It is all very well being told to be positive – but talking does not go very far. In this slim book, Beth Cox helped by lively illustrations by Vicky Barker, offers practical help and support. Identifying specific areas that can give rise to anxiety and a lack of confidence – popularity, friendships, fear – she presents each simply and directly in easy to understand language that offers possible solutions. She then suggests activities that might help such as listing strengths rather than perceived weakness. She is not prescriptive nor does she offer certain success. However, by describing confidence like a muscle she introduces the notion that it needs practice and training.

Mental health across all ages is now a concern. By helping young people to strengthen their self-belief and to feel confident as they grow future problems can be avoided. This attractive book would be an excellent first step in identifying problems and areas of concern while enabling the reader to take action for themselves.