5 Ways to Build Self-Confidence
Self-confidence involves a belief and feeling of trust in your abilities and strengths. In a world where it is easy to feel a lot of self-doubt, this type of confidence is not always something that comes naturally to us. However, self-confidence is a trait that we can learn and develop. Why try to build self-confidence? There are many benefits that self-confidence can bring us.
People with self-confidence:
- Feel sure that they can achieve their goals
- Maintain a steady control over their lives
- Trust their abilities, power and judgement
- Experience less anxiety and self-doubt
- Feel more empowered
- Have more success
- Have healthy relationships (because they know what they deserve)
Now that we know that there are many benefits of self-confidence, how exactly can we acquire more of it? Here are a few of our tips.
1- Focus on Positive Self-Talk
We may have automatic negative thoughts that come to us from time to time. What we can do is pause and question these thoughts, to see if they are true and if they are really serving us. See if there’s a way that you can turn these thoughts into more positive self-talk. The shift comes when we stop comparing ourselves to others and let go of self-criticism. When we focus more on what we are grateful for and the small progress we make, we will build our self-confidence and become happier overall. Seeing a therapist and practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can also help us to rewire our thoughts into a more positive mindset.
2- Make a List of Your Strengths
Another useful tip is to make a list of all of our strengths and achievements. Writing these things out and keeping them to read later can be a great reminder of all that we’re capable of. You can also enlist a friend or family member to help you write out this list. Remembering our great qualities and how far we’ve come can help us foster self-confidence.
3- Take Care of Yourself
Practicing self-care means that we are prioritizing ourselves and working on becoming the best version of ourselves that we can be proud of. Things like eating healthy, getting regular exercise and making time for our hobbies can all contribute to us feeling good about ourselves (body and mind). There are many other small ways to make ourselves feel confident in who we are, like wearing clothes that we feel good in or creating a space that we feel comfortable and at home in.
4- Find a Purposeful Challenge
We can also build self-confidence by trying new things. When we step out of our comfort zone and give ourselves healthy, realistic challenges, we get to see how capable we are and get that rewarding feeling. Setting goals and working hard to complete them will show ourselves just how strong we are. Who knows, these challenges we give ourselves may even turn into hobbies that we enjoy and that give us a deeper sense of purpose.
5- Surround Yourself With Positive People
Lastly, surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself. If we are constantly around negative people or seeing content on our screens that makes us feel bad, it can be difficult to stay confident in ourselves. Let go of anything that contributes to self-doubt. Instead, foster relationships that are positive and good for your mental health. You may be surprised how much this can contribute to your own feelings of self-confidence.
