Be Your Best Self: How to Gain Confidence
Did you know that only 14% of Americans say they’re very happy with their lives?
The truth is that life is tough and most people struggle to stay positive all the time, especially when it comes to themselves. Low self-esteem is a huge issue around the world and insecurities are incredibly common, so if you’re struggling with low confidence know that you’re not alone!
But, just because you’re not the only one doesn’t make it easy. Not feeling strong, secure, and confident can wear on you over time and seep into almost every aspect of your life. Luckily though, you can turn the feeling around and learn to love yourself.
Find out more in our guide on how to gain confidence.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
In a world of influencers and gossip magazines, it’s hard not to compare yourself to others. It seems to almost be human nature! But, if you find yourself frequently comparing yourself to the people you see around you, you’re going to have to stop.
If you want to learn how to build confidence, you have to stop caring so much about what everyone else is doing and realize that your life isn’t measured by others, it’s only measured by you. It’s so easy to think you should have a partner because all of your friends do, or that you’re not successful enough because you don’t live in a huge house, but you’re only focusing on what you don’t have. Instead, look at what you have done and you do have, and be proud.
It’s also important to remember that you probably see other peoples lives as much better than they are. Everyone – literally everyone – has bad times, insecurities, and things they feel they’ve failed at, and they don’t always share them with the world. If you want to feel better about yourself, stop comparing your life to the sunshine and roses, filtered lives you see around you, because it’s an unfair competition.
Surround Yourself With Good People
When it comes to how to be confident, the people you surround yourself with are going to make a huge difference! Spend your time with people that make you feel good and support you, not people that tear you down or are self-absorbed. If you’re surrounded by toxic people, your confidence will undoubtedly take a hit.
Don’t be scared to remove people from your life if they make you feel bad; it’s not nasty, it’s just putting yourself first for a change. If there are people in your life who you value and feel love from then put more of your energy into growing those relationships.
Work Out What’s Important To You
How to build self-esteem is a completely personal journey, and working out what’s important to you is a big step. If you’re only doing something because you feel like you should but you don’t actually want to, then stop! The path you choose should be entirely your own.
Work out what makes you happy, makes you feel fulfilled, and what you’re going to be happy you did when you look back on your life. Everything else you can ditch.
Work on Your Insecurities
If you have low confidence, there might be some physical insecurities you have with yourself that you want to change, and you shouldn’t feel bad for doing that. For example, if you’re not happy with your weight then there’s nothing wrong with working out, or if your starting to experience hair loss and your confidence has taken a dive, then get out there and find the perfect hair solutions for you! There’s nothing wrong with doing something about an issue that’s ruining your self-esteem.
Having said that, make sure you’re being healthy on your journey to how to gain self-esteem. If you’re obsessive about your weight or really struggle with your appearance, talk to a professional about the root of your issues. There could be something deeper going on that you need to resolve to regain your confidence.
Be Kind to Yourself
Learning how to gain confidence in yourself is hard, so remember to treat yourself kindly. It’s so easy to beat yourself up when you’re not perfect, but remember that no one is! Something you can do to improve your wellbeing and retrain your brain to be kinder to yourself is positive affirmations.
Every day, take time to stand in the mirror and repeat some affirmations that are kind to yourself. Things like I am strong, I am living a life for me, and I am a beautiful person can really help you to start switching out those negative thoughts for ones that are kinder. Whenever you feel yourself have a negative thought or start being too self-critical, repeat your affirmations and reset yourself.
Embrace Your Fears
If you’re lacking in confidence, it’s easy to put off challenges until you’ve boosted your self-esteem. But it’s actually better to embrace them right now! If you’re scared to ask someone out on a date, or you’re nervous to go to the cinema on your own, just acknowledge and embrace the fact that you’re worried and do it anyway.
You’re never going to become more confident until you start doing things that scare you. Every time you feel the fear and do it anyway, you’ll be building up your confidence and growth, and eventually, those tasks that used to make you want to run and hide will be a normal part of your life.
Learn More About How to Gain Confidence
There’s no simple, one size fits all approach to how to gain confidence. What works for one person might not work for you, but the important thing is to start practising different techniques in your life and you should start to see some improvements. Remember, building confidence takes time and there are a wealth of other tips out there that might help you, so keep on researching, learning, and practising and you’ll get there!
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