Confidence isn’t always easy to feel, but it’s not something you’re either born with or not. It’s a skill you can learn at any time. With a bit of work, you can build your confidence so you walk out into the world feeling good about yourself. Here’s a cool project: give yourself three months to learn how to exude confidence, even if you’re feeling insecure right now. You can do it! Here are 10 things to try.
1. Do Something New With Your Appearance.
It might sound corny, but if you do something different with your appearance, such as dyeing your hair a new color or changing your clothing style, you’ll feel more confident about how you look and this will positively affect how you feel about yourself. You’ll feel like your best self, which is exactly the kind of feeling you want to cultivate. Changing your appearance is also a powerful way to feel more in control over your life, like after a breakup.
2. Celebrate Mini Victories.
Whenever you succeed at something, congratulate yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything major. In fact, those little victories are a great opportunity to pat yourself on the back and feel good about what you’ve done. Maybe you aced cooking a risotto all your friends raved about or you nailed parking in a tricky spot. Whatever it is, celebrate it!
3. Looking for Love? Think It into Existence.
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4. Focus On Having Fun.
You won’t feel confident if you’re always worrying about how others are perceiving or judging you. It’s such a mental prison. Force yourself to do activities just for fun, without overthinking them. So, play a round of golf or try to speak to someone in Spanish, or go ice skating. Whatever it is, jump in and have fun. You’ll feel uncomfortable at first, but you’ll get over it and feel like you’ve achieved something important.
5. Focus On One Thing You Feel Good About.
What is it about yourself that you feel confident about? This can change daily, but it’s important to focus on it. Maybe you feel confident about how you’ve done your makeup or you feel confident about being a loyal friend. Whatever it is, this is something you can call back on and feel good about when you feel your confidence sinking.
6. Brush Up On Your Body Language.
Acting like you’re confident can help you feel confident. This is where body language comes in. Stand tall with good posture. Look people in the eye. Walk straight with your head held high. These might feel weird at first, but when you carry yourself with confidence, it’ll rub off on you. Note: if it’s too weird to make eye contact with others, try doing it for a few seconds at a time.
7. Build Resilience By Doing Something Scary.
Getting out of your routine and doing something that scares you can be terrifying, but it builds resilience, which you need to feel confident during dark times. It’s about facing rejection head-on. So, ask that cute guy at the pizzeria for his phone number, join the debate team, or wear a swimsuit to the beach. Even if you don’t feel good, you’ll train yourself to face rejection and remember what makes you awesome.
8. Think Of What You’ve Overcome.
It’s good to remember that you’ve gone through lots of stressful things, such as rejection, but you’ve come out of them so much stronger. When you need a confidence boost, think about all the things you’ve overcome. Maybe you reached out to a crush and got ghosted or you had a panic attack during karaoke. Get a list going so you can return to it when you need to, as it’ll show you how far you’ve come.
9. Validate Yourself.
Fake confidence can be achieved by seeking approval from others. But real confidence starts within. You don’t need anyone to validate you, except yourself. So, go on and think about what makes you slay. Keep these traits close so you remember how amazing you are and why you should walk through the world feeling good about yourself.
10. Don’t Rely On Social Media.
If you want to deflate your confidence, spend hours on social media. You’ll feel like you can’t keep up with others or that they’re better than you. It’s such BS. Limit your time on social media so it doesn’t mess with your ideas of what makes you feel good about yourself. You’ll stop relying on those stupid “likes” to feel worthy.
11. Meditate On Your Insecurities.
Insecurities can get in the way of your confidence. It helps to think about them or meditate on them so you can break them down. Own your insecurities to take away their power. Maybe you’re insecure about your body and it makes you afraid of being judged. Maybe you’re insecure about taking new challenges because you’re afraid of failure. Challenge your thoughts related to your insecurities, such as by saying you’re confident you can achieve what you want, and use them as fuel to succeed.
