We all have fears and insecurities in life, but having no confidence in ourselves is far worse. There are a variety of reasons for us to lack self-confidence. One possible cause is that we weren’t really encouraged to discover our potentials and take risks when we were younger. Perhaps a loved one has betrayed us, and the wound has caused us to lose our self-esteem. Regardless of the reasons, the good news is that there numerous habits we can acquire that can help us boost our self-confidence and become happier. The following are just a few of those habits.
Know and Believe That You Are a Beautiful Human Being
Everything that you can do that will help boost your self-confidence come from a place of believing that you are beautiful no matter what. If you don’t accept that truth, you will remain timid and fearful no matter what tricks and methods you try to apply. On the contrary, it would be easier for you to become more self-confident if you believe that you are beautiful and attractive in the first place. Believing that you are beautiful doesn’t mean being conceited, but being confident that you are a unique individual who can contribute to the society in your own unique way.
Always Leave the House Well Dressed and Properly Groomed
I once heard a famous celebrity say that she never leaves the house not looking her best, because she never knows whom she’ll come across on the way to work. In the same manner, I believe that one key to boosting your self-confidence is to make sure you always leave the house well dressed. It may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how dressing nicely or making sure you had a good shave can make a difference on how you feel and think about yourself.
Check Your Posture
Your posture sitting down, standing up, or walking, has a huge effect on your self-confidence. Not only does slouching or slumping affect your health in a negative way, but it also affects your mood and how you see yourself. According to studies, bad posture can make you feel sad and afraid. Fear and sadness can result to feelings of insecurity, which saps your self-confidence. For this reason, make it a habit of sitting, standing, and walking with the right posture. That means making sure your chin is up, your chest is out, your shoulders and back are straight, and your stomach is in.
Increase Your Competence
Becoming more competent personally and professionally is a great way to increase your self-confidence. You can do that by finding opportunities to learn more, grow, and improve. If you want to be a competent photographer, for instance, you can study and practice techniques that are unfamiliar to you. You don’t have to study advanced techniques at once, though, but you can do things one step at a time. Learning new skills at once may overwhelm you and may do more harm to your confidence than good.
Constantly Shoot for Achievable Goals
This is somewhat related to the previous tip. Too often, people attempt to shoot for the moon, only getting discouraged at the end when they fail. What you can do instead is aim for a goal that is more achievable. Again, the key is to take it a few steps at a time. What’s important is not the size of the learnings, but the fact that you are progressing. Eventually, you’ll be more confident about yourself and will be able to do more.
Volunteer for a Cause
What better way to boost your self-confidence than by putting yourself at the frontline. If you want to be more confident in dealing with other people, volunteering would be a good avenue for you, because it is a good opportunity for you to meet people coming from other backgrounds. Not only will it zap your shyness, but the opportunity you will get to do something good and worthwhile will almost instantly make you feel good about yourself.
Work Out
Speaking of feeling good, a few minutes at the gym three to four times a week is enough to make you feel and look good. People who work out obviously have higher self-confidence than those who don’t simply because they have better appearance. Aside from that, exercise promotes the release of endorphin from the brain, which we all know is a “feel good” chemical.
Think and Act Positive
Your thoughts have a great impact to how you feel. When your mind is constantly filled with negative thoughts, you will have a tendency to complain all the time. Negative thoughts also instill fear in our hearts, sapping our self-confidence away. The mind is very powerful, and what you focus on can affect not only your emotions, but also your circumstance. For this reason, it is crucial that you know how to control your thoughts. Teach yourself how to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones, and tame your tongue to bless instead of curse. The more you put these things into practice, the more confident you will be about yourself.
Confidence: A 21-Day Challenge to Help You Achieve Your Goals and Live Well