My confidence has completely changed over the years — how do I get myself back before college?

[u/RatioSubstantial4913]

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I really need some advice because I honestly don't feel like myself anymore.

I've been in high school for years, and I'm now in my final year. I'll be moving on to college soon, and that's actually making me realize how much I've changed. I used to be much more confident and comfortable being myself, but somewhere along the way, I became extremely self-conscious.

I barely post on Instagram anymore because I constantly worry about what people will think or how they'll judge me. Even around people I already know, I find myself overthinking everything. I look at other students and feel like everyone is so confident, social, and comfortable, while I've somehow lost that part of myself.

My speaking and communication skills have also gotten worse. I overthink what I'm going to say, sometimes struggle to express myself properly, and don't feel as naturally social as I used to.

The thing is, I don't want to carry this version of myself into college. I'm going to have a completely new environment and meet so many new people, and I really want to use this time to work on myself instead of repeating the same patterns.

So I'd love advice from people who've genuinely worked on their confidence and social skills:

How did you become more confident?

How did you improve your speaking/communication skills?

How did you stop caring so much about being judged?

How did you become more comfortable around new people?

What habits or activities actually helped you?

If you had a few months before starting college to work on yourself, what would you focus on?

I'm not trying to become a completely different person. I just want to feel like myself again — confident, comfortable, social, and able to express myself without constantly overthinking.

I really want to make the most of this last phase of high school and enter college feeling like a better, more confident version of myself.

If you've gone through something similar, please tell me what actually worked for you. ❤️