Dr. Joe Rubino, author of The Self-Esteem Book, concluded, “85 percent of the world’s population are affected by low self-esteem.”
Self-confidence fluctuates throughout life. In times of high anxiety or depression, confidence is replaced with defeat. When days are fulfilling and calm, self-confidence is again restored.
Each time you achieve a goal or deal with an issue in your life, self-confidence is built. Let us look at the top ten tips to boost your self-confidence starting today:
Get Dressed Up
While it's expected and habitual to shower and dress each day, often when confidence is low, daily care routines suffer. Dr. Amanda Allen, a clinical psychologist in New York reported, “It is a process of rebuilding structure and routines with the idea that mood and motivation will return, including beauty routines.”
Start with a long shower. Brush your teeth. Then, if you still are not feeling like dressing up, pick one item out of your closet you love. Put it on, look in the mirror, and smile back at yourself.
Keep Your Thoughts Positive
Nothing can set the tone of the day off like negative vibes. Maybe you did not get enough sleep and now feel cranky or the coffee lady who was rude to you this morning can cause the rest of the day to be filled with anxiety and anger.
Next time the coffee lady seems unfriendly, do the opposite. Be patient and calm. Keep a smile on your face to show friendliness. Wish them a good day and get on with yours. It is always best to take the higher road, be proud of yourself.
Check In With Yourself
When was the last time you asked yourself how your feeling, both mentally and physically? Checking over your body for any concerning changes is just as important as checking in with your brain. If there are certain moods you are noticing more often or physical pain seems to be more present, this is time to check in with your local doctor.
After making a check-up with yourself, write down the things that are bothering you. If your right leg seems be bruising more often, this is important to mention to your doctor. If you are experiencing more mood swings lately, tell your doctor.
All of these can be addressed by professionals who will how to best treat you. Work with their guidance to start feeling good again.
Utilize Kindness
With multiple personalities you come across in a day, being kind to all of them, seems unattainable. Kindness does not have to be about making friends and changing their behavior. This is only about your demeanor towards others.
Though schedules are filled with never ending tasks, being kind to others around you can make a big difference in both your days. Next time you are at the grocery store and see someone with fewer items, offer them to go ahead of you. You will find that most people are grateful. Rewarding you with a returned smile.
Prepare Ahead When You Can
Most decisions are made instantly by repeated outcomes and long-term knowledge. Bigger life decisions require a bit more of your time. This can sometimes lead to unwanted anxiety and restless sleep. When the body and mind are working on overdrive for too long, your rational decision-making part of your brain shuts down. In the end, the emotional side of you makes the conclusion.
A new position has opened in your company. You know you are qualified except a few programs. Spend some time learning how to use the software if available before applying. If an employer has seen that your enthusiasm is genuine, you will be more likely to secure the job.
Acknowledge and Live By Your Values And Morals
Most people are taught to live by certain standards starting in school. Being told how to behave during classes and where to be always. While most children engage this routine, some go against the grain. This does not necessarily set the stage for morals in adult years. Multiple changes occur after high school. We tend to adapt, instead of standing up for personal morals.
This is a good time to grab a piece of paper and pen. Write down all your morals that you feel deeply about. Look over each one and decide if you feel you honor that principal. If you do, give yourself a star.
If not, write below that moral all the reasons why you do not believe it. You will begin to see a pattern of reasons why. Accept that information but strive for a better outcome. Then begin the process of standing up for your morals. Leaving you feeling more confident in yourself.
Stop Slouching
When our confidence gets overwhelmingly crushed, the body is often the first to begin slouching. It is a natural reflex built into us. Multiple studies have shown that the position of slouching is the mind and body's way of protecting itself in times of high stress.
Yet, slouching has a real effect on the body. A recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Health reported, “Poor posture is known to be a major culprit in back problems, striking more than 80 percent of all Americans at some time in their lives.”
Check your posture in the mirror. Gage how much you need to adjust to appear straight. It should look relaxed but engaging. Start practicing and go about your day. Remind yourself of all the benefits if you find your slouching again. Your body will condition itself.
Learn Something New Each Day
This is where forgotten hobbies can be revisited. When life is so busy and time is too short, the things that you enjoy are put aside. The confidence in that craft fades away with time. As the years go on, the brain becomes bored. With no new information to process, the mind lays dormant instead of active.
Invest in a small hobby that requires your full attention. If a garden is a small dream for you, but you reside in an apartment, think outside the box. Create a mini garden indoors. Study up on the right type of plants for your home and others health. Enjoy the process of bringing new plants to life.
Set up hourly goals and reward yourself – Looking over life goals, the reality of achieving some of them seem unattainable. Maybe the sports car will have to be put aside, but the goal of traveling cross country can still be achieved.
Break down the goals to timed targets. This keeps the mind motivated to complete the task and less focused on the vacation costs and time as one. Each step reassuring your confidence.
The goal is to see the country coast to coast. Take the trip one day at a time. Write down the number of miles, where you will stay, costs to eat, etc. One day at a time. Give yourself three hours to complete each day’s information. Take a break in between to refocus on the day and the mind time to process the information and feel confident in the final decisions.
Choose A Small Habit And Change It
Habits can be our biggest nemesis or our best asset. Maybe fast-food weekends are beginning to deplete your bank account, but you are too tired to cook. The decision to change your behavior is the first move to making that routine a healthy choice.
Allow yourself to have one night out per week but choose healthier options. Think salads, or baked chicken. On the second night, cook with your family on a healthy recipe. Try a new option each week. This not only saves money but gives you time with your brood.
Check in with yourself in a month and see if this new way of thinking is working or are there changes still needed. Adjusting will come easier.
In Closing
Remember that confidence is built and if not maintained it can crumble. While everyone expects to have some rough days, the punishment should not be to you as a person.
When you feel more confident, you can achieve anything. As famed painter and author Peter T. McIntyre once said, “Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”
