4 Easy Ways to Boost Your Confidence

It’s very easy to overlook the wonderful things about ourselves when the world is constantly showing us images of perfect families or pictures of celebrities who have been airbrushed. You are in charge of your self confidence though, you can choose to actively work on becoming more confident or you can believe that your lack of confidence is just something that you have to accept.

Here are some ways to boost your confidence:

1 | Be aware of your successes.

Keep track of your successes. Literally write them down in a journal. Keep a record of all successes, no matter how big or small they arel. By writing them down you can look back on them. This way when self-doubt sneaksup, you can review your successes and reframe your current challenges in a more positive light. Every time you do something right, make sure you reward yourself. A reward can be anything from a 5 minutes with your feet up and a coffee or as big as a formal celebration depending on the achievement. Get in the habit of recognizing and rewarding yourself for succeeding in life rather than punishing yourself for coming up short.

2 | Be aware of your abilities.

What are your abilities? What are the skills you have gained through training and experience? Keep an “I’m good at” list as a reminder of what you are capable of on those days when you feel like nothing is going right. One of the exercises in my 30 days to calm, confident and in control programme is the “Why I’m awesome” exercise. We can feel insecure about our self-worth when we give too much attention to our flaws. So change your focus by reminding yourself about all of the different skills and abilities you have.

3 | Be aware of your talents.

What are your talents? What comes naturally to you? Talents, which you are born with, are different to abilities, which are learned. The next time you feel a lack of confidence, remind yourself of the talents you naturally possess. Talents don’t come and go; they are with you all of the time. You have every reason in the world to feel confident knowing that you always have talents that not everyone has.

4 | Be aware of the compliments others give you.

Truly listen for the compliments given to you by others. Compliments show the value that others see in us. When you hear yourself saying, “I don’t have what it takes”, or “I never do anything right” stop listening to that voice and replace those thoughts by remembering the compliments others have given you. Don’t discount compliments, accept them gratuitously. Next time you hear your inner critical, voice stop it by consciously reminding yourself about the good things that others say about you.

Why not treat yourself to a pretty new notebook that is small enough to keep in your handbag. Not only can you keep a note of your successes as you think of them but every time you think of a talent or an ability make a note. Also write down all of the compliments you get before you forget about them. That way if you start lacking confidence or feel a little bit down you can have a read of the things you have written for an instant boost