5 Tips to Increase Your Confidence
Confidence as it pertains to others: “the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.”
Confidence as it pertains to YOU: “a feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.”
We’ve all seen acts of extreme confidence – the singer performing on stage in front of tens of thousands of adoring fans, the Olympic athlete who has trained for years for this one shot at obtaining a gold medal in an event that may last only a few seconds or minutes – with the world watching no less. Then there are the more “everyday” acts of confidence we observe: colleagues giving empowering speeches or presentations, your child performing in their first ballet recital, gymnastics meet, piano recital, or sporting event. All these acts require confidence!
Is confidence something a person is just born with? Either you have it or you don’t? Or is confidence something you can work on? Something you can improve, increase your level of, with time and practice?
I believe it’s the latter; something you can definitely work to improve.
Here are 5 tips to increase your confidence!
Have a deep understanding of your personal values. If you haven’t already done so, take some time to think about (journaling may help here) what values are truly important to you. I didn’t spend much time thinking about this until well into my adult life. Up until then, I was just working off a blueprint of values that were passed onto me as part of my upbringing (parents, school, church, etc.) Then one day I took a hard look and spent some time analyzing whether or not certain values and commitments really mattered to me, or if I was just going through the motions. When you are firm in your beliefs, what you truly care about, your confidence level pertaining to those beliefs will increase and you will find speaking about and standing up for those beliefs and causes to be much easier.
Be prepared! Do your homework, research, make notes, jot down a “pros vs. cons” list if you find that helpful, rehearse. Whether it’s a presentation for work, a thoughtful conversation you’ve been wanting to have with a loved one, a big ask on your part…whatever the case may be, the more prepared you are for the occasion, the more at ease and confident you are going to feel.
Play out the “worse case scenario” in your head. I mean really! In most cases, what is the worse that can happen? Somebody tells you, “no”? You try out for the part or promotion, ask somebody out, ask for the raise, apply for a new job, and you receive a “no” in response. You can survive that, am I right? You will not always get the response you hope for. The more comfortable you get with hearing the word “no”, the more confident you will become; realizing it is not a big deal, and you will continue chasing after the goals you want to achieve more confidently.
This may seem silly but update your look! In need of a haircut, hairstyle change, new outfit? Do it! You can’t help but feel more confident when you feel as though you are looking your best. Think back to a day when your hair, makeup, and outfit was on point versus a day when you rolled out of bed, threw on some sweats and went out to face the world. The day you knew you looked your best; how did you feel about yourself? How did you show up? Didn’t you just walk into the room exuding more confidence? …Point made.
And from the “mom” in me:
Stand up straight.
Push your shoulders back.
Look people in the eye.
(Put your phone down.)
Take a deep breath.
Guess what? You already feel more confident! Don’t believe me? Do this in front of a mirror and evaluate how you look and feel.
This world can be daunting at times and showing up how you want to show up takes courage and confidence! ✨ Put these tips into practice to increase your confidence. I believe in you. 🌻
