Self Confidence isn’t something we just ‘have’. It is like a muscle that needs to be worked and exercised to grow. Sometimes we will look at others and think ‘wow, they really have it all – everything we want’ but that person can still lack confidence in themselves. Because your self confidence doesn’t come from what others think of you, it’s all to do with what you think of yourself.
From time to time, you may find your self confidence wavering, it happens to so many people, myself included. A crappy day, things not going to plan, and a few negative comments can leave you wanting to rock back and forth in a corner, hiding with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s (or is that just me?).
But it doesn’t have to be like that. There are some really quick and simple tricks you can use as ways to boost your self confidence. Some take just a few minutes, others take a little deeper understanding of yourself and self reflection. All will leave you feeling much better about yourself.
1 – Remind Yourself of Everything Amazing You Have Achieved
This is one of the easiest and fastest ways you can boost your self confidence and can be done anywhere, at any time! Close your eyes and take some time to reflect upon all of the amazing things you have achieved.
Start with your most recent achievements. What have you done lately that is amazing? It doesn’t need to be huge – just something you are proud of.
Some of the achievements that frequent my list include meeting deadlines and goals I have set for myself in my business (this always makes me feel good), reminding myself how awesome it is that I can run a business while working a job and being a mum, and how incredible my son is which means I’m definitely doing something right there.
Resist the urge to add in anything negative. It can be tempting to add a ‘but’ to the end of any achievement you list… ‘Yes, I can run my business while I work full time but….’ No. Stop right there. Do not add any ‘buts’ in!! This is a 100% positive and uplifting exercise.
2 – Attach Actions to Your Goals
Doing this forces you to focus on the things you can do to achieve your goals, rather than being wishy washy. It’s all well and good to say ‘I want to write 3 blog posts by the end of the week’, and yes that is a defined goal that is measurable and has a definite timeframe, but HOW are you going to achieve this goal?
Taking your goals up a notch by adding in actions will make you feel like you can achieve anything! Even better, you WILL achieve what you set out to achieve which will only continue to boost your confidence.
So rather than saying you want to complete 3 exercise sessions by the end of the week, add in that you’re going to exercise for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning before doing anything else. See how much more powerful that is?
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3 – Know Yourself
Take some time to really think about what makes you happy – when do you feel you’re most confident? What makes you feel confident? Then develop ways to add ‘mini’ versions of these into your life.
For example – I feel fabulous and confident when I’ve had my hair done. Mini version – spend an extra 10 minutes on my hair when getting ready so it feels good.
Understanding who you are and what makes you happy will give you so much more confidence in yourself and confidence in your actions.
4 – Be Positive
Think about the positive people you know in your life… for the large part do they come across as confident? What about the Negative Nellie’s in your life? How do they appear?
A positive attitude leads to a confident person.
Being positive all the time isn’t possible, and you’re allowed to have your cruddy moments. But even faking a positive attitude can be a great start – fake a smile and your brain doesn’t know the difference between that and a genuine smile. Neurotransmitters are triggered and before you know it you start to feel happy.
Happiness, positivity and confidence all go hand in hand.
5 – Position Yourself
Such a small and simple task can have an incredible impact on your self confidence. Your posture and position has a huge influence on how you feel about yourself and how you present yourself to others. Try these few little tweaks:
1 – Stand tall with your head up, imagine there’s a string from the top of your head pulling you upwards. Ensure your shoulders aren’t bunched up and are relaxed down and slightly pulled back.
2 – Wonder Woman pose – position your feet around shoulder width apart and feel your weight press down through your heels, grounding yourself.
3 – Make eye contact, regardless of how uncomfortable it is.
Just remember, you’re not expected to be confident all the time, you’re allowed to have your ‘hide under the blanket’ days but for the times when you need a confidence boost, try the strategies above. You’ll be amazed at how much they help!
