6 Ways To Build Confidence
If you lack self-confidence, it is possible to change how you feel about yourself. Being deliberate in your actions and thoughts can help you build confidence and succeed in whatever you choose to do. You can feel worthy of respect and to achieve your dreams by taking control of your life.
These six concrete strategies will help you build confidence in yourself. Try them out in whatever order works for you but stick with it to start feeling results.
Affirm Your Strengths
If you want to believe in yourself, you need to recognize and value your own worth. Start with some simple affirmations, which are uplifting and positive statements that you can say to yourself. We tend to believe what we are told repeatedly, so telling yourself these positive statements each day is an excellent way to boost your confidence.
Your affirmations can focus on different aspects of your personality, appearance, or performance. You can even phrase them as questions to help your brain process them differently because your brain will automatically seek an answer when a question is posed.
Help Someone Else
Helping others is a great way to not only forget about yourself for a time but also to appreciate what you have. When you see how full your life is compared to others, even if it is not what you want it to be at this time, it puts things into perspective. Realizing that you can make a difference for someone else is incredibly powerful to boosting your confidence. Select something you are good at to showcase your talents, as well.
Start with a Strategy for Success
When you attempt goals and are unsuccessful, this affects your confidence. Too often, though, we set goals that are too far out of reach or are unachievable because of other factors that have nothing to do with us. To rebuild your confidence, set some realistic goals for yourself that offer an easy “win.” Building on these smaller successes, you will start to feel more capable, and set loftier goals for yourself.
Each time you achieve something, though, celebrate with yourself and reaffirm your value and talents. You need consistent reminders of your strengths, and these initial successes offer you opportunities for those. Reflect periodically on all you have accomplished and learned, which will help you see how much you are growing in your confidence.
Choose Healthy Habits
Eating right, getting enough exercise, and sleeping well are not just habits for a healthy body. They also help you feel more confident about yourself. When you invest time in yourself, you start to remember that you are worthy of the investment in time and focus. If you want to build confidence, you must start from within, and a healthy body with good personal habits will serve you well in many ways. You will benefit from improving your weight and strength, you will have the energy you need to achieve your goals, and your body and brain will be getting the nutrients they need to work effectively. It’s hard to feel confident when you are tired, undernourished, and lacking the strength to achieve your goals.
Lose the Fear of Failure
By facing your fears head-on, you can desensitize yourself to failure and its impact on you. Allow yourself to try something new every day for a month. Many of these tasks may be things you would never imagine trying, and there will be many failures throughout your attempts.
But, by experiencing failure and getting right back up and trying again, you start to realize there isn’t as much to fear as you first thought. Along the way, you may learn a few hidden talents you were not aware you had, and you also will have a greater appreciation for how little impact failure can have on your life.
Create Boundaries That Support Your Needs
When you lack confidence, you can often put others’ needs above your own. Begin reversing this mindset by creating boundaries that respect your own needs and want. Say no when others are asking too much, ask for help when you need it, and learn how to put yourself first in situations where you lack confidence.
