If things like “I can’t do that”, “I’m not good enough” and “I don’t deserve this” pop into your head on a daily basis, you probably miss a lot of chances in this life. You miss the chance to affirm yourself, you miss job opportunities and you might miss the chance of meeting new people- all these because you lack the self-confidence that could take you places.
It has been proven scientifically that self-confident people attract positive changes, as they are ready to take risks and conquer the world. They face each challenge head-on and tend to see their lives in a positive manner that helps them achieve everything they desire easier and more efficiently.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to have enough self-confidence to enjoy every chance that you are offered? If your answer is ‘yes’, find out that ours is ‘yes’ as well, because confidence is a skill that you can improve beginning with this very moment. Read on to find out how to boost your confidence in order for your life to change for the better:
Why is it important to boost your confidence?
As we have already mentioned, confidence is a skill. Therefore, it can be practiced, performed and consequently improved, attracting a lot of benefits along the way. You may think that the skills you already possess are enough in order to succeed in everything you do, but you might have also experienced unfortunate situation in which someone who is not necessarily better than you was offered more chances simply because they have this additional skill that functions as inspiration for everyone: self-confidence.
What can you benefit from self-confidence, apart from the opportunity found on the way? The list will surprise you- as you’ll find out that boosting your confidence can bring well-being and happiness to your life full of doubts:
- Freedom from anxiety and fear– with enough self-confidence, you’ll know how to handle every situation and benefit from it, without fearing that you might fail.
- Peace of mind– instead of overthinking about every possible risks that a situation might impose, you will simply face it with confidence.
- More energy- by trusting in yourself, you save the energy you used to consume for overthinking, fearing and being anxious about every challenge.
- Better health and sleep- thinking positive, trusting in your abilities and skills will make you feel more relaxed and happy.
- Great self-worth- valuing yourself and your abilities makes you proud of yourself and this is when you really start living.
- Great strength and abilities- by trusting in your abilities, you feel more powerful and strong and as a result, you will naturally grow stronger.
- More motivation- by boosting your confidence, you’ll start to want to achieve more, because you’ll begin to see that you really can do everything.
- Better interaction with the others- by improving your confidence, you’ll begin to feel more comfortable in the presence of others. The others will also notice your happiness and respect and will want to cooperate with you more.
How to improve your confidence?
As you could see, confidence can indeed make your life better. Now that you’ve decided to improve this important skill, read on to find out practical tips to improve your confidence. Put them in practice and good changes will follow:
- Get to know yourself
Imagine living your whole life in a huge house that you do not have the courage to explore in depth. Could you ever feel comfortable inside it? This is also true when it comes to your inner self- in order to convince the others to trust you, you have to trust in your skills and abilities first. Discover what you’re really good at, practice your hobbies more and explore your thoughts- getting to know and love you is the first step to improving your confidence.
2. Don’t go hard on yourself
After you’ve started to know yourself more, you may be surprised to find out that you’re not perfect. The good news is that nobody is. Even if you may not be able to perform everything you have in mind, you will prove successful in doing others. Be prepared to embrace failure and learn from it and be your best friend rather than your worst critic.
3. Smile
A simple smile can change a person’s whole day. What’s more surprising is that it can change your own day for the better, as well. A friendly face, with a wide smile will attract everyone’s attention and inspire them. It will also give the others the feeling that you’re confident and happy and slowly, this attitude will be installed in your mind as well.
4. Be grateful
Yes, you’re not perfect and yes- there are things that you can’t do. But what if, instead of focusing on the things that you cannot perform, you would keep in mind the ones that you’re really good at? Seeing the glass half full will make you appreciate yourself more and enjoy your own company. Be grateful for what you are and for what you can do.
5. Groom yourself
In order to feel good, you need to look good, as well. Wearing your favorite outfit, putting on a nice make-up or simply doing your hair differently will make you confident enough to interact with the others and step out of the crowd instead of hiding in the back. Taking care of you is an important step that helps you build self-confidence.
6. Create goals
Creating goals is more than having things done. Planning them brings motivation and better knowledge about yourself and your strengths. They will make you realize you’re really capable of doing things and will make you face every situation with your head-on and less fear.
7. Complete small achievements
As a result of creating goals, getting things done is important as well. Imagine you’ve dreamed about opening your own business and in a few months, you’ve managed to do that. How satisfying would this be, especially if you manage to do that by yourself. Moments in which you manage to achieve your goals and succeed in fulfilling your plans are breathtaking and help you build the confidence you desire.
8. Stop procrastinating
One of the most important tips to build self-confidence is to stop procrastinating. Postponing decisions, meetings, phone calls and other plans will make you believe that you really can’t do that. Find the motivation to get things done and positive changes will follow immediately.
9. Reward yourself
Treating yourself is one of the most important steps you can take in boosting your confidence. Each small goal that you managed to achieve should be a good occasion to spoil yourself and show self-respect, as you deserve it. Not only is this a way in which you can show self-love, but also a good motivation to get other things done faster.
10. Get active
Instead of hiding in the back of the room, try to get involved in the activities at work or at home that you have previously avoided doing because you have thought that you are not able to. You’ll be surprised at the abilities you might discover, as well as of the appreciation you might get from the others.
11. Practice good posture
Feeling confident is not enough. You might also want to show it to the others and to you. It has been proven that a straight back and a confident eye contact will help you attract the others’ attention and trust, as well as installing in your mind the feeling that you are indeed more powerful and you deserve to be noticed.
12. Find motivation
In order to succeed in everything you do, you have to really want to achieve that thing. Whether it is about a physical reward or a psychological one, you need to be motivated to fulfill your dreams.
13. Get rid of negative thoughts
We all know overthinking, what-ifs and the feeling that you simply are not good enough to do that specific thing. Try to replace the negative perspective with positive scenarios that can make you get rid of the don’ts and nots that stop you from being happy.
14. Change your perspective
As a result of getting rid of negative thoughts, you will start to see things differently. Being realistic is the best option, but putting on some rose-colored glasses from time to time helps you build confidence and get things done easily.
15. Embrace challenge
Perceiving every challenge that life offers as a punishment will not take you places. Instead of whining about every crossroads you reach from time to time, try perceiving it as a challenge that needs to be completed by you- because you are, for sure, equipped with the right skills.
Because change begins with yourself, you should start getting on well with the only person who’s always there for you: YOU. Treasure your abilities, don’t be so hard on yourself and learn to appreciate yourself more. If you do not trust in you, how can you expect the others to do it?