Without a shred of doubt, your path to success will be littered with negative people – the haters, the insecure, and the complainers. This I can guarantee. And to deal with all of them, you have to have confidence.

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self- confidence is preparation,”

Confidence is a key ingredient to a successful and happy life. You need it to feel more comfortable with the things around you – your work, relationship, finances, etc. Without confidence, you will find it hard to pursue your goals.

Here is a brief explanation about Low Self-Confidence from the Mynd.Works website.

Below are seventeen simple, yet great, tips to improving your self-confidence:

Be thankful.

On a piece of paper, write down all the blessings you have received for the past 24 hours. Can’t think of anything? What about the fact that you are still breathing, you are healthy, you have a job, or you have something to eat?

You just have to look around and you will see how blessed you are! Being thankful for what you have, instead of constantly chasing for those you lack will certainly boost your self-confidence.

The more you think about what you do not have and what you can’t have, the less confident you become. Simply thinking about your positive attributes, as well as your accomplishments and blessings, can boost your confidence.

Stop saying hurtful things to yourself.

Are you fond of blaming yourself for all the negative things that happen to your life? Do you call yourself ‘stupid’, ‘weak’, or a ‘failure’? Negative self-talk brings nothing but discouragement. It can significantly lower down your self-esteem as well. So avoid saying hurtful things about yourself. Instead, rephrase self-criticisms with constructive ones. For instance, instead of saying “I’m too stupid to fail in the exam”, just say “Yes, I didn’t get it. But next time I will!”

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?”

~ Marianne Williamson

De-clutter your space.

A messy environment can make you feel helpless and disempowered. It also drains your energy and your confidence. So make sure to maintain a clean and fresh environment. Before sitting on your desk, make it a habit to clean your room. Invest a few pounds on beautiful draperies, a comfortable chair, and cute displays. Feel like a CEO by revamping your working area!

Read a newspaper.

When you do, you will get to know real people who are in a much difficult situation than you are. Whenever you hear about less fortunate people, those who are having serious illnesses, those who can’t go to school, and those who are homeless, you will realise you are not really deprived. Thus, you will have more confidence to reach your goals despite any challenges.

Unwind.

Stress and anxiety are two of the biggest threats to our confidence. When you are stressed, anxious and emotionally not feeling well, you are less likely to have high self-esteem. Stress can take a toll on your level of confidence. So don’t forget to take a break from your stressful world.

Get up from your desk and take a walk outside. Play with your dog, watch those crystal-like snowflakes as they fall on the ground, listen to your favourite music, watch TV, exercise, attend a yoga class, and allow your mind and body to relax.

Hypnosis is one of the most effective modalities for alleviating stress and anxiety. It can be used to directly impact upon low self-esteem and low self-confidence. How does hypnosis boost confidence?

Your mind can learn new techniques to refocus on motivation, determination and positive outcomes. This new mindset, alongside a sense of direction and a plan of action can often bring about some amazing and often unbelievable results while at the same time lowering blood pressure and resting heart rate.

Find someone who inspires you.

There are many great leaders, entrepreneurs, and people from different fields who achieved success in a very inspiring way. Know more about them by reading their stories. You will surely learn a lot of things from these people. They can motivate you to build confidence and become the best you can be!

Recognise your insecurities.

It may hurt a little but it will certainly make you feel a lot better after. Write down everything that makes you feel ashamed, unworthy, or inferior – whether it is the small spot on your face, your belly fats, or the opportunities you’ve missed in your career. Once you know what they are, it can be easier to accept them and focus more on the positive aspects of your life.

Find someone to confide with.

Accepting and finally forgetting those insecurities is not going to be easy. It takes time as there are no ‘quick fixes’. It can be helpful to talk about it with someone you are most comfortable with, like your partner, sister or brother, or your closest friend.

Make yourself proud.

Think about the successes you’ve had in the past years. Think about your skills and talents. What are the areas you excel at? What are the things you do that not all people can? Once you’ve answered these questions, you will realise you are special.

Keep improving!

Another great way to boost your self-confidence is to learn about new things. Learning should not end the moment you graduate from school. Learning is an ongoing process. We all should strive for learning no matter what age we are, regardless of what point in life we are now.

Learning a new craft is a great way to build confidence. Mastering a skill gives us a sense of accomplishment which in turn, boosts our performance.

Maybe this is the perfect time to enrol in a cooking class or an art class. How about an online course in business management? You may also find it interesting to learn a new language. Identify the areas you want to be good at and never hesitate to try mastering them!

“I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you’ve done.”

~ Robert Downey, Jr

Work out.

This may come to a surprise, but working out does really benefit your self-esteem. Same with meditation, exercising can greatly reduce stress and anxiety, and boost positive feelings. Of course when you are feeling great, so is your self-esteem.

Speaking of exercise, lifting weights should be part of your workout routine. Lifting weights builds muscle and physical strength, which makes us stronger, mentally and physically. Also, losing excess fats keep us in shape and enhance our physical appearance, thus, boosting our confidence.

Look at the bright side.

Self-confidence starts in your mind. Don’t expect to become confident when your mind is flooded with negative thoughts such as self-pity, inferiority, insecurity. Positive thinking is crucial to a worth-living life. Even if things aren’t doing well, stay positive. There’s always a rainbow after the rain.

Look at the mirror and smile.

It’s not that you are going to be a narcissist, but looking at the mirror with a big smile on your face is going to enhance your self-confidence. The ‘facial feedback theory’ suggests that your facial expressions can actually trigger your brain to produce certain emotions. If you smile, you are likely to create positive emotions. If you frown, you make negative emotions.

There’s no such thing as perfect.

Perfectionism will only make it hard for you to reach your goals. And the more mistakes you commit, the less your self-confidence will be. You don’t have to be perfect to achieve your dreams or become the person you want. Accept the fact that flaws are part of life. By staying positive, you can actually use your imperfections to your advantage!

“I’m okay with having bad dance moves. I’m okay with having horrible lower teeth. That’s what makes me me, and, for some reason, it’s worked out all right.”

~ Katy Perry

Prepare.

It is hard to feel confident about anything when you are unprepared. Think about taking an exam. How would you be confident when you didn’t study? Now, think of life as an exam. How would you prepare for it?

You make lots of mistake. So what?

Remember, no one is perfect. Even the best scientists in the world make errors. What is more important is you learn from every mistake you make. It’s easy to get carried away by the failures we experience in life. But you just have to keep moving forward.

Act confidently.

Even if you don’t really feel that confident, act as if you are. Just as a fake smile can uplift your mood, behaving like you are a confident person is also going to benefit you.

“The World is Yours, Don’t Dream it, Live it”

~ Krystle McGill

There you have it – plenty of hints and tips that can help boost your Self-Confidence levels through the roof and catapult you to wherever you wish to go. You just have to take the first step…

I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments, please feel free to like and share this post with friends and those you think may benefit.

All the best,

Richard Scott