When you lack confidence – whether in a particular area, or more generally – it can affect your ability to socialise, motivate yourself professionally or academically, and lead to some serious mental health issues. Thankfully, there are ways to boost your confidence, so you can begin to live the fulfilling life you deserve.
Follow a few of these simple steps to regain your lost confidence.
Table of Contents
Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
It’s natural to compare yourself to other people, but it can negatively affect your self-perception.
Whether you’re comparing your lifestyle to that of people on social media, comparing your salary to your colleague’s, or your appearance to a stranger in a magazine, you will inevitably experience envy, a useless emotion which only serves to make you less appreciative of what you have.
Life isn’t a race, and not everyone is on the same track. Next time you feel the sting of jealousy, try to remind yourself of your own strengths and successes, so you can focus on your own life and not the lives of others (or your perception of them).
Silence Negative Self-Talk
It may sound cheesy, but if you believe you can do something, you can.
People with low self-confidence tend to practice negative self-talk, often without realising it. ‘I can’t do this’, ‘it’s too hard’, or ‘I’ll only make a fool of myself’ quickly become reflexive responses if we don’t make the effort to overcome them, leading to failure by default.
Next time you’re worrying about whether to speak up in a meeting, or whether you’re too unfit to go to the gym, tell yourself that you can do it, because it’s true. All you have to do is try.
Take Care Of Your Body
It’s hard to feel good about yourself when you’re abusing your body.
Instead of treating your body as an enemy, treat it like your best friend. Feed it nourishing food, make sure it gets enough rest, exercise it, and pamper it. Self-care is vital for a healthy body, mind, and spirit.
Do Things You’re Good At
Everyone is good at something, whether you’re a sports star, a history buff, a gifted musician, or brilliant at video games.
Identifying your strengths and engaging with them regularly will increase your faith in your own abilities. So volunteer for that work task you’re brilliant at, or join a club or society to do with your passion for books, art, or sports. Give yourself enough time to do what you’re good at, and your confidence will soar.
Face Your Fears
While sticking to your strengths will improve your confidence, you can’t spend your life hiding in your comfort zone.
Sometimes you have to face your fears and overcome anxiety, and when you do, you’ll probably find that they weren’t as bad as you expected, and you’re capable of more than you realised.
Don’t put off asking someone on a date or applying for a promotion because you might embarrass yourself; do it because you might get exactly what you want and deserve.
Set Realistic Goals
When you set goals that are too lofty, you’re setting yourself up for failure, which will only damage your confidence.
Make a list of what you want to achieve, and ask yourself what chance you have of attaining it. If the answer is slim to none, try breaking it down into more manageable mini-goals. For example, publishing a bestseller is unrealistic, but writing 500 words a day until the 1st draft is finished is perfectly achievable.
Cosmetic Treatment
Feeling bad about the way you look can be hugely damaging to your self-confidence, especially if it concerns something no amount of diet, exercise, or beauty treatments can affect.
If you truly can’t come to terms with a certain aspect of your appearance, you may want to consider cosmetic treatment. London’s Centre for Surgery offers a range of procedures, both surgical and non-invasive, to help people become happy within themselves. Book a consultation today, so you can feel good about yourself again.
