21 Ways to Boost Your Confidence Especially During These Trying Times
The best way to begin to build your self confidence is to know where you are. What are your skills, gifts and talents? Are you clear about your goals and dreams? What do you think you are afraid of? What skills can you learn to change what you think? Sometimes just changing the way you look at things can change everything? What do you need to learn or get better at?
Self confidence is a skill that can be learned with effort and energy put into changing oneself.
1. What would you like to be better at? Right now, many are just wanting to be better at coping with all these lifestyle changes. Make self care your focus if that’s where you are at. Develop a routine and a plan. If you are feeling balanced and up for a challenge to make the most of your time to develop your skills more go for it! If you would like to be a better speaker but would rather pull out your teeth before ever attempting to speak in public (the greatest fear). Take some online courses or join toastmasters. Many learn their skills through doing them and practice, practice, practice. Get experience- them more you do something the better you will be at it. Want to be a better writer, same thing take a course and write, write, write. With the internet your choices for how to begin to increase your self confidence are limitless. You get out of it what you put into it. Want to be a better parent? Focus on your priority and simply be a better parent.
2. Don’t be so hard on yourself! Do not focus on your flaws. We all have them. We are all perfectly imperfect. Focus on your gift and talents. Be kind and generous. Are you able to accept a compliment without an explanation or excuse? Such as “oh this its old” or “thanks, I hate my hair-it’s too thin”. Those are not accepting compliments. Simply say “Thank You”! Gratitude! Attitude! If after receiving a compliment you say something under your own breath, think about why you are saying that or doing that. Awareness of your thoughts and actions matter. Be grateful!
3. Look in the mirror and practice kindness with yourself. Use “I am” statements. It may seem awkward at first but stick with it until you mean what you say. Speak kindly to yourself and love yourself. There is only one you in this world. How special is that?
4. Recognize your fears and put them in their place. EFT is a great way to get beyond fears and move forward in life. By noticing and paying attention to what you think when you are thinking negatively or have fearful thoughts you can then replace those thoughts with positive.
5. Pay attention to your posture. Are you slouching, walking with the weight of the world on your shoulders or are you standing tall? Smiling? Looking confident and making eye contact when you have conversations with others?
6. Get plenty of fresh air and exercise. Nature helps people to stay grounded, more focused, more energetic and helps you to be clear with your thoughts about what you truly want out of life. Meditate and be learn how to be calm. We hear our best answers when we are calm.
7. How are you dressed? Are you dressed for success? How you dress can be confidence building in itself. Although, working from home in my pj’s can feel pretty great too!
8. Imagine yourself as you wish to be. Imagination is one of your most powerful allies on the road to changing your levels of self confidence.
9. Changing your thoughts and building confidence isn’t an instant fix. You must practice and create new habits. New habits of though. New habits of being confident and taking action consistently.
10. Never allow others to put you down. Stand up for yourself. Be assertive. We teach other show to treat us by what we allow.
11. Be kind and generous to others. What you put out comes back to you. Put out kind thoughts to others. Wish others well.
12. Practice self care. Look after you-drink lots of water, eat nutritious foods take quality supplements. Take in some sunshine every day!
13. Stay out of drama. Avoid negativity and the negative energy of others. This energy can cause you to be down on yourself and others. Know that things are rarely as they appear to be. Think positive and find the good in everything. There is always some good in everything.
14. As for help when you need it. It’s important for your growth and success. We all can get by with a little help from our friends and family. Feeling successful and knowing that you have people to count on builds confidence too.
15. Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged when there is a set back. Let it make you stronger. Learn the lesson and get back in the game. Persistence is key. Can you imagine it Thomas Edison, creator of the light had of quit at 999 tries to invent the light bulb? DO NOT GIVE UP!
16. Believe in yourself! Remind yourself often why you are so great. It’s not an ego thing it’s a matter of building confidence and knowing our value. Don’t play small! Stand up! Stand out!
17. Take risks and step out of your comfort zone. Often the life you dream of is just beyond the light of what you see.
18. Stop holding yourself back from going for your dreams. Build your self confidence and self esteem. Value yourself! Get rid of the fear of failure. Don’t let the start stop you! Begin!
19. Follow your instincts. If you have a feeling or a hunch about something…listen to yourself. This builds confidence and self worth.
20. Know that you matter and your dreams are important. Everyone was born rich and deserves a wonderful life.
21. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing…just “be”. Take the pressure of “should” off yourself and relax. Then, take steps when you are rested, not feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. What is meant to be will be and it will flow easily. Life is not meant to be a struggle.
The greatest quote that I have heard and now follow when I coach clients on going for their dreams is by Henry David Thoreau “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, he will live the life he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours”
Go for your dreams! Be confident! Be fearless!
Sheena L. Smith
Dream Builder Coach
