Wednesday 1 December 2021
How To Build Your Confidence And Self-Esteem
Building your confidence and self-esteem is one of the most important issues to focus on in your personal growth journey.
What does it take to succeed? You might think you need lots of money and powerful friends. However, there’s a more significant factor that’s free and within your reach. This crucial factor is believing in yourself.
What is self-confidence and why is it important?
Self-confidence means valuing and accepting yourself despite any of your faults or what people say or believe about you. It also means you believe in your judgment and your abilities. Your level of self-confidence affects your mindset and behavior. Lack of self-confidence often leads people to behavior that is destructive to them and others.
An example of self-confident behavior will be doing what you believe to be right even if others criticize you for it. Low self-confidence will cause the person to do only what they think others will approve of whether it is right or wrong. Another example of self-confidence will be admitting your mistakes and learning from them. A person with low self-confidence may blame others or quickly try to cover it up so as not to admit their mistakes.
Self-confidence is very important for success. It helps you to believe you can succeed in spite of setbacks. Self-confident people are resilient and persistent. Self-confidence inspires people to believe in you and your ideas. No one wants to back an idea when the founder is not confident in his ability to make a success of it.
The great thing about confidence is that it's a skill you can develop. You might need to fake it sometimes, but gradually you’ll accept and trust yourself more.
How can I improve my confidence on a daily basis?
1. Review your achievements. It’s easy to forget how far you’ve come. Give yourself credit for your major accomplishments and the incremental progress you make each day.
2. Set goals. Keep adding to your track record by creating specific and compelling goals for the short and long term. Making an effort is just as important as the end results.
3. Change your inner dialogue. How do you talk to yourself? Choose words that lift you up and inspire you to try harder.
4. Continue learning. Maybe you need additional resources and qualifications to pursue your passions. Take courses online, read books, and talk with others about their areas of expertise.
5. Think positive. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude and hope. Start your day with a smile, and savor small pleasures.
Taking Care of Yourself
Your daily choices reflect how much you value yourself. Adopt habits that protect your physical and mental well-being, such as:
1. Exercise regularly. Physical activity reduces stress and increases hormones that help you to feel calm and happy. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week.
2. Eat healthy.
It’s easier to have confidence when your energy levels are high, and your blood sugar is stable. Enjoy a diet rich in nutritious whole foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Avoid excess salt and sugar.
3. Sleep well.
Your body and mind need 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep each night. Stick to a consistent bedtime and keep your bedroom dark and quiet.
4. Manage stress.
How do you deal with daily tensions? Learn constructive coping strategies. In addition to working out, you could develop a daily self-care practice or listen to soft music.
5. Reaching out for Support.
Believing in yourself also means being realistic. Relying on others can sometimes be a sign of wisdom and strength.
Try these strategies:
1. Advocate for yourself.
Mutually supportive relationships are based on healthy boundaries and asking for help when you need it. Communicate tactfully and directly and allow yourself to be vulnerable.
2. Network actively.
Build a strong system of personal and professional contacts. Join clubs and go to places where you can meet others who share your interests. Nurture your relationships by staying in touch and being willing to communicate on a deeper level where you share your thoughts and feelings.
3. Find a mentor.
Working with a trusted advisor is a great way to gain guidance and valuable feedback about your career path and other aspects of your life. Look for someone you can relate to and be respectful of their time. You can start with someone you know or ask your contacts for introductions.
4. Be generous.
Giving to others can increase your regard for yourself in many ways. In addition to receiving the joy and fulfillment of giving, you’ll see proof that you have strengths that can make a positive impact on the world and your community.
How do I build confidence in a specific area?
Most people have at least one area in their life where they lack confidence. For some, it could be speaking in public, for others, it could be meeting new people and developing relationships. Identify that specific area in your life right now.
You have to identify a major goal that you would like to achieve
You have to identify where you lack confidence in terms of the obtainment of this goal. I assume you lack confidence in this area because if you did not lack confidence then you would have achieved this goal by now. Examples could be:
If you’re an entrepreneur, maybe you lack confidence in presenting funding proposals to other business owners or financial institutions.
If you are in sales perhaps you are limiting your success by not pursuing large accounts.
Maybe you are in a relationship and you‘re not happy with the behavior of your partner, do you lack the confidence to ask for what you want?
Maybe you want to lose weight and become stronger.
Write at least one paragraph that describes your confidence block and your current state of mind. When you imagine yourself in this situation of low confidence, what comes up for you. Are you anxious, nervous, upset, etc… Describe your state as accurately as possible
Now that you are aware of your confidence blockages, you can begin to redevelop them. Define one major activity that you can implement ASAP that moves you towards your goal
If you have a fear of speaking, your activity could be to rehearse a 10-minute power speech in front of the mirror
If you struggle in sales, you could plan to practice and refine your sales presentation with a manager or senior colleague.
Start walking for 30 minutes every day.
Write a commitment to yourself to practice this new activity every single day for the next 30 days. If you really want to commit to this, find an accountability partner and perform the activity with them so that you have a witness.
At the end of 30 days, repeat step 3 again and analyze where you are in terms of confidence. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10
