Confidence is key to your overall success in life. Confidence helps you make the right impression on people. It gives you the courage to pursue goals that might otherwise seem intimidating. Perhaps most importantly, a strong sense of confidence will help you stay motivated when failure inevitably strikes.
The problem is, not all people are naturally confident. That’s actually okay. Don’t worry if you’re the type of person who struggles to believe in their own abilities. These confidence boosting tips will help you cultivate this essential quality:
5 Effective Ways to Boost Your Confidence
List Your Achievements
Even if you haven’t achieved your major life goals, odds are good you’ve achieved more than you realize. Even basic self-improvement is an achievement.
Make a list of every achievement you can think of. You’ll almost certainly be surprised by how many examples come to mind when you focus on this process. Seeing a clear list of your personal accomplishments will help you appreciate the fact that you are capable of more than you give yourself credit for.
Adopt Confident Body Language
A confident person doesn’t need to tell you they are confident. Their body language expresses everything you need to know. They smile, they don’t slouch, and they’re willing to make eye contact.
Granted, this type of body language is usually the result of feeling confident. However, according to research, if you simply adopt confident body language, you’ll begin to feel more confident.
Like listing your accomplishments, adopting confident body language may not be something that feels natural at first. You’ll have to consciously remind yourself to behave as a confident person initially. That said, if you persist, eventually, your body language will inform how you feel, instead of the other way around.
Exercise
Don’t overlook the basics! Exercising on a regular basis will yield a wide range of benefits. Boosting your confidence is one of them. Studies and surveys show that embracing a fitness regimen is one of the most effective ways to start feeling more confident about yourself. Along with releasing endorphins (your body’s “feel good” chemicals), consistent exercise will help you achieve your fitness goals. This serves as a reminder that you can achieve other goals as well.
Pay Attention to Your Self Talk
The way you think about yourself will affect how you feel about yourself. If you always think that you’re incompetent or incapable of success in a particular area of your life, you’ll internalize that perception of yourself. On the other hand, you’ll feel more confident if you think positive thoughts about yourself.
Monitor your self talk. When you catch yourself giving in to negative thinking, replace those thoughts with positive alternatives.
Do What Scares You
A lack of confidence is essentially a lack of belief in your ability to perform in situations that may intimidate you. Thus, you can overcome this problem by regularly putting yourself in those types of situations. Although you may feel uncomfortable at first, you’ll become more confident if you simply face down these fears.
Just remember that developing confidence takes time. You shouldn’t expect these practices to yield results overnight. However, if you commit to them, eventually, you’ll find your own perception of yourself and your abilities will change for the better.
