15 Benefits Of Self Confidence & How To Increase Yours
Building self confidence is a skill a lot of people aspire to, they want to be the confident person that walks into the room and appears to either not notice, or not care, what others think.
But have you ever asked yourself what these benefits of self confidence are?
There’s more to it than simply walking with your head held high, and contrary to popular belief, self confidence isn’t something people just ‘have’.
You’re not born with it, and you can create your own.
What Is Self Confidence?
Self-confidence is the belief in your own ability to do or be something.
It’s the feeling of being certain that you can achieve what you set out to do.
It’s about trusting yourself and your abilities.
When you have self confidence, you believe in yourself and feel good about yourself.
You know that no matter what, you’ll find a way to make things happen.
People who are self-confident are typically optimistic, full of energy, and find ways to get what they want out of life.
They know that even when things don’t go their way, they can handle whatever comes up. Whatever happens during the day, it doesn’t often drastically affect their mood or outlook on life.
What Is Self Esteem?
It’s important to make note that self confidence is different from self-esteem as the two are often confused and incorrectly used.
Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself, while self confidence is your belief in your own ability.
Self-esteem is a judgment that we make about ourselves. It’s the opinion we have of ourselves, and it’s usually based on our past experiences and how we think others see us.
Our self-esteem can be high or low, or somewhere in the middle.
High self-esteem means that we have a positive, confident opinion of ourselves and it’s likely we think positively about ourselves most of the time.
Low self-esteem is when we don’t believe in ourselves, or we put ourselves down more often than not.
So Why Is Self Confidence Important?
This isn’t just a question for people who are struggling with low self-esteem or a lack of self confidence, but for everyone.
Self confidence is important because it allows us to live our lives to the fullest. It gives us the courage to take risks, to be ourselves, and to do what we want.
When we have self-confidence, we are more likely to be successful at work and in our relationships.
We are also more self-assured which helps us to feel good about ourselves.
We’re more likely to believe that we deserve good things in life, which can cause us to achieve them.
Self confidence is vital for leading a happy healthy life.
If you aren’t happy with who you are, or you feel like you’re not living up to your potential, self confidence might be something you want to work on.
Luckily, there are a lot of ways to build self confidence, and once you have it, it’s easy to maintain.
What Are The Benefits Of Self Confidence?
There are many benefits of self confidence. Here are 15 of the most important ones:
1. You feel happier and more content with yourself.
Self-confident people are much more likely to be happy, because they believe in themselves.
When you have low self-confidence or lack of confidence, your thoughts are focused on the negatives rather than the positives.
2. You have more energy and enthusiasm for life.
With a lack of confidence comes a lack of energy and enthusiasm.
When you believe in yourself, you have more energy to put into your passions and interests because you truly believe in your own abilities.
You’ve likely experienced this before. When you’re doing something you enjoy and you know you can do well, you’re more excited and enthused to do it.
The same goes for many aspects of your life.
3. You approach new challenges with excitement and determination.
Self-confident people are not afraid of new challenges.
They see them as opportunities to learn and grow. They’re excited to try new things, and they’re determined to succeed.
4. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
When you believe in yourself, you know that you can do anything you put your mind to.
You’re not limited by what others say or think. You know that if you want something bad enough and are willing to work for it, you’ll achieve it.
5. You make more friends and socialize easily because you aren’t afraid of what other people might think of you.
People who are self-confident socialize easily because they don’t care what others think of them.
They’re happy with who they are and don’t need the approval of others to feel good about themselves.
Because of this, they’re generally more outgoing (not to be confused with extroverted) and willing to have conversations, meet new people, and put themselves ‘out there’.
They’re also more likely to have greater confidence in social situations and less social anxiety.
6. Other people respect and look up to you because they admire how self-confident you are.
People who are self-confident and don’t care what others think of them tend to command a lot of respect.
They’re respected because they believe in themselves, and because other people aspire to have similar traits.
Being able to influence other people and be a role model is a great thing for achieving success.
That’s why if you have low self confidence or lack of confidence, it’s important to work on it.
Those who have high self-confidence are also often more successful in their professional life and are not only great leaders, but are great team members too.
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7. You don’t let others control or manipulate you.
Self-confident people know their worth.
They don’t let others control them or manipulate them into doing things they don’t want to do.
They’re not afraid to speak up for themselves and stand up for what they believe in.
Because they have less fear and less self-doubt, they’re more likely to have positive relationships with others and avoid manipulative behaviors.
8. You are more forgiving of yourself and don’t beat yourself up over small mistakes.
When you’re self-confident, you are more likely to be forgiving of yourself.
You’ll get upset or angry at yourself over small mistakes, but you won’t let the mistake ruin your mood or day.
Having low self-confidence can lead to being overly critical, both of others and of yourself.
It’s important to work on forgiving yourself and being more accepting of your mistakes.
9. You have better self-esteem and feel good about who you are.
Remember the difference between self-confidence and self-esteem? While they are different, they often go hand in hand.
People who are self-confident tend to have higher self-esteem because they believe in themselves and like who they are.
They have a positive attitude and focus on positive self-talk, build themselves up, and are comfortable in their own skin.
People with low self-confidence often have low self-esteem because they don’t like or believe in themselves, their abilities, they don’t love who they are, and they find themselves uncomfortable in many aspects of life.
Improving your self-confidence can help you improve your overall self-esteem.
10. You handle stress and difficult situations better than people who lack self confidence.
People who lack self-confidence often struggle under pressure.
They find it difficult to handle stress and difficult situations, and don’t often deal well with negative feedback.
Self-confident people, on the other hand, tend to handle stress and difficult situations better.
They have a ‘I can do this’ attitude and are more likely to stay calm during difficult times.
This is because they don’t let their emotions influence them, admit to themselves that it’s not always easy or that they’re struggling, and know to ask for help when needed.
11. You are more likely to achieve your goals and dreams.
The research shows that people who lack confidence are less likely to achieve their personal goals. They let fear stop them, or things not go as planned and they’re quick to quit.
Self-confident people are more likely to work hard towards achieving their goals, even when the tasks are tough and time-consuming.
They have a ‘can do’ attitude and are more likely to persist when things get tough.
They know that they might not achieve their goals straight away, but they’ll get there in the end as long as they don’t give up.
12. You are more likely to take risks and be adventurous.
People who lack self-confidence often avoid taking risks and are less adventurous.
They find it difficult to step out of their comfort zone and try new things.
Self-confident people, on the other hand, often enjoy taking risks.
They like feeling the adrenaline rush that comes with doing something new and exciting.
They’re not afraid to fail and know that they can always learn from their mistakes.
This makes them more likely to try new things and be more adventurous.
13. You feel more in control of your life.
When you’re self-confident, you feel like you’re in control of your life.
You feel like you can handle whatever comes your way and that you’re capable of doing anything you set your mind to.
People who lack self-confidence often feel like they’re not in control of their life and that things are happening to them, instead of for them.
This leaves them feeling helpless and frustrated.
14. You have better relationships with others.
Self-confident people have better relationships with others because they’re confident communicating their thoughts and feelings, but also because they’re confident in themselves.
They know that if a relationship isn’t working out, then it’s not meant to be.
They don’t worry about what other people think of them and tend to attract more positive relationships into their life.
People who lack self-confidence can often have poor or toxic relationships because they’re afraid of being rejected, criticized, or just being themselves.
15. You have less stress and are happier in life.
Self-confident people tend to cope better with stress, pressure, and difficult situations.
They aren’t afraid to speak up for themselves when they need something from others, but also know how to take care of their own needs.
People who lack self-confidence often find themselves feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
They often feel like they can’t ask for help because they don’t want to be a burden on others, or they’re afraid of what others will think if they do.
This leaves them feeling alone and unsupported.
Self-confidence is an important quality to have in life, but it’s also something that needs to be worked on. If you don’t feel confident about yourself right now, there are things you can do.
How To Increase Your Self Confidence
There are many things you can do to increase your self confidence. Here are a few of the most effective methods:
1. Make a list of your accomplishments and accomplishments that make you proud.
When you feel down about yourself, it can be helpful to remember your accomplishments. Write down a list of things you’ve achieved in your life, both big and small.
Include things like getting good grades at school, landing your dream job, running a marathon, or being a great parent.
Then, read over your list every day and remind yourself of everything you have accomplished, everything you are capable of, and amazing you are.
2. Surround yourself with positive people who believe in you.
It’s important to have positive people in your life who support and believe in you. These people can help boost your self confidence and make you feel good about yourself.
Avoid negative people who are always putting you down or criticizing you.
These people will only make you feel bad about yourself and decrease your self confidence.
3. Practice positive affirmations.
Positive affirmations are statements that you repeat to yourself to boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. They can be about anything, such as “I am capable and I am loved.”
Then, when you repeat the affirmations to yourself, say them in the present tense (“I am capable”), as if you are already that way. This will help your subconscious mind believe it, and start changing how you think an feel about yourself.
Repeat these positive statements about yourself out loud or in your head every day.
4. Do something for yourself each day.
When you do something for yourself each day, it can make you feel good about yourself and increase your self-confidence.
It could be something as simple as taking a relaxing bath, reading your favorite book, or going for a walk in nature.
The important thing is to find something that makes you happy and helps you relax. When you take time for yourself each day, you’ll start to feel more confident and at ease with who you are.
5. Practice self-compassion.
Self-compassion is being kind and understanding to yourself when you make a mistake or don’t meet your own expectations.
When you practice self-compassion, you’re forgiving yourself and not judging or criticizing yourself.
This can be a difficult thing to do, but it’s an important step in increasing your self-confidence.
When you’re kind and understanding to yourself, you’ll start to feel better about yourself and be more forgiving of your own mistakes.
6. Set goals and challenges for yourself.
When you set goals and challenges for yourself, you’re challenging yourself to do better and be better.
This can help increase your self-confidence as you achieve your goals.
Make sure your goals are realistic and achievable, so you don’t feel overwhelmed or discouraged.
7. Dress in a way that makes you feel good.
Wearing clothes that make you feel confident can boost your self-confidence and improve how you see yourself.
So, choose the style of clothing that makes you feel great and helps you be more comfortable in your skin.
If you’re really unsure of how to do this, you can consult a personal stylist.
You’ll be amazed at how stylist can help you find a style that makes you feel incredibly confident and radiant.
Keep in mind, this isn’t about being attractive to others, but attractive to yourself (after all, your opinion of yourself is far more important than anyone else’s).
8. Compliment others.
Complimenting other people can make them feel great and it’ll also make you feel good about yourself when you do it.
So, compliment others often, especially when they deserve it most!
9. Stop comparing yourself to others.
Comparing yourself to others can make you feel worse about yourself and make you feel like you’ll never measure up.
Try to stop comparing your life, success, appearance, etc. to other people’s lives.
When you do this, it can help boost your self-confidence because you’re focusing on your own strengths and not worrying about what others are doing.
10. Stop putting yourself down.
When you put yourself down, it can cause you to doubt yourself and feel bad about who you are as a person.
So, stop saying negative things about yourself and your abilities.
11. Avoid negative self-talk.
One of the most important things you can do to increase your self-confidence is to take a look at how you speak to yourself. Are you talking to yourself or about yourself in a kind a loving way? In a respectful way.
Replace any negative thoughts you have about yourself with positive ones. Simply take a negative thought and spin it around.
And ask yourself – would you speak about your best friend in the same way you speak about yourself?
12. Face your fears by moving outside your comfort zone and doing things that scare you.
When you do things that scare you, it can help increase your self-confidence as you realize that you’re capable of more than you thought.
So, try doing something each day that scares you a little bit. And as you do this, continue to challenge yourself to do bigger and scarier things.
13. Make time for activities that make you happy.
When you’re happy, you feel good about yourself and this can help increase your self-confidence.
So, make time for the things that make you happy and bring joy into your life.
14. Give yourself credit for your accomplishments.
When you accomplish something, give yourself credit! Don’t brush off your accomplishments or downplay them.
Celebrate your successes and be proud of yourself!
15. Know that you are good enough.
When you know deep down that you’re good enough, it can help your self-confidence because you will be living in a place of love and acceptance for yourself.
You don’t have to be anything other than who you are to deserve the ability to live a happy life. So, make sure you know this and always remember it.
These little tweaks and tips might seem like small things, but these small steps really do help you head towards a healthy self-confidence level, which helps with healthy self-esteem levels, and together help you to live your best life.
Now you know the benefits of self-confidence, and the positive impact it can have on your life, be sure to take action and make these new skills and new habits a regular part of life for you.