Mix with positive people
Being around positive people will rub
off on you and will get you in a positive frame of mind — as well as
brimming with confidence! If you’re surrounded by happy, smiling faces
and laughter, then isn't that going to be infectious?Being positive is
all in the mind — so you have to make yourself think positively. But if
there are positive people around giving you advice, building you up,
and pushing you in the right direction, then thinking positively will
come more easily and your confidence will naturally increase as a
result. So, if you are aware that the people you mix with tend to bring
you down a lot, then do something about it by getting some new friends.
Write out a list of all the things that
you are good at, to act as reminder to yourself that you are least good
at some things! Then, when you’re feeling that your confidence is on
the wane, take the list out, read it, and add something new to it. If
you’re struggling to think of things to add to your list, then
it’s possible you’re missing the obvious or being too harsh on
yourself. It’s also worth remembering some of the things you have
achieved so far in your life. They don’t have to be earth-shattering
achievements, but could still be something to be proud of — such as
passing your driving test, raising a family, getting fit, or
successfully saving up for a trip away. Boost your confidence, tip 5:
Work on your small talk. Some people really struggle in social
situations such as parties because they feel they lack the confidence to
engage in small talk with people they do not know. They constantly
avoid these situations and therefore their confidence does not improve —
and nor does their circle of friends.Our advice is: if you get invited
somewhere, make sure you go! The more social situations you get in, the
more comfortable you’ll feel making small talk to people you've only
just met. Remember: most people probably feel the same way, and will
probably be so relieved when you break the ice that they’ll open up and
talk to you in kind.
Get a new image
It doesn't matter whether you are male
or female — what you look like will always affect your confidence. Your
everyday appearance — including what clothes you’re wearing, how your
hair looks and what make-up you’re wearing — will make a
massive difference to how you feel. All of us know how much our
confidence can be knocked when having a bad hair day, or by having
unsightly spots appear overnight smack bang in the middle of our
faces! It’s well worth investing in your appearance with new clothes or a
new hairstyle, as this will really boost your confidence. Wear
some colors that cheer you up and make you feel good about yourself, or
go for a smarter option if you think this will make you feel more
confident.
Get a new job
It might be your job that is causing
you to lack confidence. If you’re in a place where you’re constantly
undermined or lacking a challenge, then your confidence is hardly going
to be sky high. If that’s the case, then it’s probably time to move on
and find a more challenging role.Look for that job out there that you
really want, and then apply for it — rather than constantly thinking
about going for it and then doing nothing. If you get the job then
you’ll feel extremely uplifted and much more confident. Admittedly,
there is always a risk that your level of confidence will go down if you
don’t get the job, but don’t let that bother you; instead, be proud of
the fact that you tried — and then try again.
Get fit and eat healthily
Your body shape and weight can have a
major impact on your confidence levels — although we’re not saying that
everyone who is overweight, underweight or needs to tone up is always
lacking in confidence, of course. But getting more exercise
and following a healthier diet will boost your sense of well-being — and
this in turn will have a positive effect on your confidence. Getting
fitter and eating more healthily will definitely make a difference to
your confidence levels — no matter how much or little you improve.
Remember the saying ‘healthy body, healthy mind’? Well, it’s true!
Take on a challenge
Doing something new — such as learning a
language, learning to play a musical instrument, or taking a class in
some other discipline. Learning anything new is great for your
confidence — and the added bonus is that you’ll meet lots of people who
you’ll have at least one thing in common with. If you are in interested
in taking on an extreme challenge, why not consider running a marathon,
or doing a sponsored bungee jump? Overcoming any major challenge will
give you more confidence and will improve your self-esteem too. You will
always have a sense of, ‘If I can do that, then I can do anything!’
after overcoming a personal challenge such as those suggested here.
Be assertive
Assertiveness breeds confidence in
yourself and gains the confidence of others around you. If you take
control of a situation, you will gain confidence from that, and any
positive feedback you get from others will surely help with your levels
of confidence too.Being assertive doesn't have to mean being rude or
bossy. You could start by making yourself stand tall so that people take
notice of you and your oozing confidence. Then decide that each day
it’s going to be you that makes everyday decisions at home and in the
workplace, rather than waiting to be told what to do or being passive.
Keep a diary
Do a ‘Bridget Jones’ and keep a diary
that you can go back to and read or add to frequently. Diaries are a
great way of raising your sense of self by reinforcing the fact that you
and your opinions count.Reading about what you've done in the past can
help you realize what you've managed to overcome and how you've dealt
with situations in your life — and you should be able to take some
confidence from the fact that you survived or that you handled something
in a positive manner. We can all learn things about ourselves
by looking back; after all, experience breeds confidence.
Be philosophical
Being philosophical about things means
that if things don’t quite go the way you planned, you can put events
into perspective and you won’t let the experience knock your confidence.
For example, if you don’t get that job you had hoped for, then why not
think about what else is round the corner, rather than ruminating
too much on why you failed? Also, you should remember that failing to
overcome a problem rarely means that it’s the end of the world!Being
positive and philosophical about things can be an attractive trait to
have, because having a negative outlook can make other people want to
shy away from you. It’s best to try to turn negatives into positives and
not be too self-critical.
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