It isn’t too difficult to temporarily appear confident in certain situations. Anyone can feign confidence for a short period of time, but developing and maintaining confidence that lasts is much more of a challenge. Any trick that claims to bestow quick and total confidence is false since lasting confidence requires plenty of self-reflection and reinforcement through actions. If you want to become a more confident person, here is what you can do.
Reflect on Your Insecurities
Knowing the reasons behind why you lack confidence will be the most helpful first step to overcoming them. Some people lack confidence in talking to large groups, while others feel unable to trust their own judgment at work. Pay attention to when you feel at your least confident and connect these by their common themes. Use this knowledge to prepare yourself for the occasions most likely to impact your confidence.
Identify Times When You Feel Most Confident
As well as knowing what makes you feel less confident, look for the times when you feel most secure in yourself. What are the differences between these occasions and those that make you feel insecure? It can be useful to have a collection of go-to confidence-boosting activities or scenarios you can return to when needed, such as talking to your closest friends or doing something you are good at.
Don’t Compare People
If you regularly find yourself comparing people against each other, you may find that you also subconsciously do this to yourself. When you create hierarchies and fit people into them, you open yourself up to constant feelings of inadequacy. It is unhelpful to your mental health, so learning to stop unnecessary comparisons will automatically open space in your mind for greater confidence.
Love How You Look
Most people would prefer to live in a world where appearances were not as significant within society. Those who feel unhappy with their looks often lack confidence as a result. Fortunately, there are ways to feel more confident about your appearance. For some, this might mean searching for a Botox Chicago medical spa to help them feel more attractive.
Here, the experts know how to boost your confidence and bring you results that will make all your concerns about your appearance a thing of the past. For others, loving how you look could mean dressing in a style that brings joy and comfort. No one shares an identical vision of what beauty should be, so figure out what makes you feel beautiful and be proud of how you look.
Surround Yourself with People You Like
It is difficult to feel confident when the people around you treat you unkindly. Even people who you may have once considered to be friends could be undermining your confidence through hurtful remarks or disrespect. When all you hear about yourself is negative, your subconscious starts to believe that it’s true. Find people who are respectful, honest, and kind. These types of friends will help you to feel more confident not only within their group but also in the wider world.
Treat Yourself Kindly
In some cases, it isn’t the outside world that supplies the negativity. Many people treat themselves without kindness on a regular basis. For example, calling yourself stupid for making a mistake or labelling yourself as a bad person for something you’ve done in the past can keep you from building the confidence you need to navigate the world and fulfil your potential. Listen to how your inner voice talks to you and cut back on the harsh criticism and excess negativity.
Give Yourself Evidence That You Are Confident
If you lack the confidence to put yourself out there, you are robbing yourself of the opportunity to prove that you have enough confidence to get you through. Whatever it is that makes you feel less confident, whether that’s applying for jobs, speaking to new people, or trying something new, put yourself in a positive where you can be pleasantly surprised. The more evidence you gather that proves you can do what makes you uncomfortable will gradually boost your confidence for the next time.
Allow Yourself to Fail
Expecting only the best from yourself will lead to feeling inadequate even when you achieve close to your best. Perfectionism often gets in the way of reaching your goals, but it can be difficult to let this belief sink into your subconscious. Punishing yourself for your mistakes is not the same as learning from them. When you accept occasional failure, you can use it to redirect your efforts toward success without damaging your confidence.
Confidence is not easy to obtain overnight. It takes practice, patience, and a willingness to accept setbacks. Try some of the above advice to make small yet valuable changes to your life and notice your confidence increase.
