1. Program yourself to always think positively
We all have negative voices insides our head, telling us that we do not have the abilities to do something. The good news is that we can change these voices to only say positive things instead. Start out slowly and push yourself to think of three good things about yourself in the bathroom mirror every morning. As you get into a routine, your brain will be programmed to think first of these affirmations and any negative thoughts will begin to recede into the back of your mind. If at first you do not feel progress, make sure to continue on, because practice makes perfect.
2. Be realistic with what you can change
Take the time to look within yourself and assess what is possible to change and what is out of reach. It is important to focus on changing the things you have control over, because this is where you will see the most self-improvement. Make a list of three things that you would like to improve on and then under each item write a few bullet points on how you will go about making this change. Writing it out is crucial because then you will be better able to visualize if this is an achievable task for yourself or not.
3. Focus on the small steps for signs of improvement
Make sure to focus on smaller victories and not use the larger picture as a way to measure your improvement. It is often harder for individuals to see their own self improvement when they are looking at the long term, but is easier to pinpoint changes when you are focusing on daily accomplishments. Want to become better at speaking up for yourself? Start small and have a daily goal of one instance where you practice defending yourself. Maybe it is being honest at work and turning down an extra project that you often feel obligated to assist with. Maybe it is asking for help at home from your spouse with chores. Whatever it is makes sure you follow through and then acknowledge your achievements by making a list and posting it somewhere easily in view, because small steps always add up in the end.
4. Stop comparing yourself to others
One of the most common pitfalls that humans are guilty of is comparing themselves with each other, when realistically everyone is so different that it does not make much sense at all. Social media does not help, with hundreds of opportunities throughout the day to see friends with literally picture-perfect lives. It is important to remember that what appears on the surface is not always what is reality. If you feel like you are constantly overwhelmed by trying to keep up with others, make a marked effort to limit your usage of social media for awhile to once a day for 5-10 minutes. You will be surprised with all the free time you have to do other things and best of all you will have a clear, more confident self.
5. Focus on improving your body language
Practice being aware of how you hold yourself during the day. Are there specific instances where you intentionally try to make yourself smaller? In these moments force yourself to do the opposite and hold your head up high. Training your body to do the opposite is important because you will eventually get into the habit of appearing more self-assured automatically. Stand in front of a mirror and practice improving your posture. Another trick to give you confidence through body language is doing the superwomen stance in private, where you separate you legs to be shoulder-width apart and put your hands firmly on your hips. This has been proven to instantly give you courage to face anything that might intimidate you. Featured photo credit: Pixabay via pixabay.com
title: “5 Easy Ways To Boost Your Confidence” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-03” author: “Anna Mercado”
Confidence guides you through life and helps you get to where you want to be. The question is, how do you achieve confidence and maintain it so it can be useful to you? Here are five ways to boost that confidence in yourself:
1. Fake it ’til you make it
Despite what you may think, many confident people who appear to be extremely self-reliant have insecurities that break their confidence down. The trick to emitting a confident vibe is simple: fake it. Pretend that your self-confidence level is far above what it really is and soon it will get there without you realizing it. People around you will also notice a difference, which will further boost your confidence. Before you walk into a room, remind yourself to ‘put on your confidence.’ Faking it actually helps you become innately confident without you realizing it. This habitual reminder will become ingrained in your personality and your confidence will grow.
2. Monitor your body positions
It’s easy to let your body fall into positions that you feel comfortable in. To bring out your confident side, be aware of the positions you stand in. Science has shown that a person’s stance has a lot to do with how confident they feel and how confident people perceive them to be. A scientific study showed that if a person stands in ‘Superman Pose,’ where they place their hands on their hips and put their shoulders back, they are more likely to be confident and perform better during interviews and other tasks. Stand upright in this position for five minutes before any situation that demands confidence and you’ll notice a difference.
3. Change your focus
Many people struggle with low self-confidence because the negative thoughts in their heads tend to be a lot louder than the positive ones. When you are about to go into a situation that requires you to be confident, try and brush any thoughts that revolve around things going wrong or you messing up. Focus on your thoughts that tell you how great you would be at the task and how happy you will be when things go right. It will unknowingly bring out your confidence.
4. Don’t compare yourself to other people
You have heard it a million times from every authority figure in your life – stop comparing yourself to others. It’s important for you to understand that everyone is different. Knowing this will help you be happy with yourself regardless of what everyone around you is doing. When you find this happiness within yourself, your confidence will radiate from within. People who tend to compare themselves with other people fall into a cycle of self-depreciation which is incredibly toxic to your confidence. Remind yourself that everyone has their own path and you are exactly where you are supposed to be, and you’ll find yourself being more confident than you were before.
5. Connect with everything around you
People who have a low self-confidence are usually stuck in their own mind, battling negative thoughts or thoughts about people around them thinking negatively. Instead of approaching a situation with these thoughts, focus on people and things around you. When you engage in conversations, shift your attention to what the person is saying and immerse yourself in it. Soon, you will find that you were so involved in your conversation, you didn’t have time to think any of the negative thoughts that were previously clouding your mind. This will help bring out your confidence and train your brain to push away negative thoughts for further situations that require your confidence.
