10 Tips To Improve Your Confidence

Are you nervous about starting a new job, or anxious about an upcoming social event? Maybe you’ve got a secret ambition that you haven’t voiced to the world yet. For many of us, the fear of failure can hold us back from following our dreams, and achieving our goals. Whether it’s a work presentation, a first date, or a tough conversation, we’ve got 10 top tips to help give your confidence a boost.

1. Practice makes perfect

Increase your confidence by increasing your competence. Break things down into small steps to practice regularly, and you’ll soon find your comfort zone expanding. Are you nervous about public speaking? Try practicing in front of a mirror, or asking a trusted friend to listen. Feeling prepared will help you banish nerves on the day.

2. Fake it ’til you make it

Until your confidence grows, you can use your body language, and demeanor to help you feel more confident. If you’re feeling shy, smile, look people in the eye, and stand tall. You’ll appear more self-assured, and you’ll soon feel it too.

3. Strike a pose

Similarly, power poses are a great way to trick your mind into feeling bold. Studies suggest that by standing in a superhero pose for a few minutes before a big presentation or intimidating task, you’ll not only feel more confident, but you’ll perform better too.

4. Imagine the best-case scenario

Are you anxious about a difficult conversation? Rather than anticipating awkward moments, try imagining yourself feeling relaxed and comfortable, and you may just feel a little more confident. Sports people use positive visualization all the time — picturing their success in detail is thought to help those positive outcomes become reality. Maybe it can work for you? (Read our 7 steps to more positive thinking here.)

5. Try some practical pessimism

You can also fuel your confidence by asking yourself, ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ This seems counter-intuitive, but when you ask yourself how you’d respond in that situation, you suddenly find yourself realizing that the worst-case scenario is often not THAT bad. Knowing you can handle things if they don’t go as planned will give you the confidence to move forwards.

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6. Try meditating

Meditating can be a great way to push through self-limiting beliefs, or simply calm the mind. Practice affirmations that nurture feelings of abundance and confidence. Feeling nervous about an interview, or exam? Use meditation to reframe those feelings as excitement rather than nerves. You can do this yourself, or use an app to guide you.

7. Surround yourself with people who support you

While positive self-talk is crucial, nothing is more confidence-boosting than some encouraging words from someone you love, or respect. Actively seek out people who have your back, and make you laugh, and the good vibes will flow.

8. Look after yourself

Eating well, and being active can help you feel good about yourself, and boost self-esteem. Not only is exercise great for physical health, the release of endorphins is wonderful for the mind too. What’s more, feeling fit and strong is empowering, which carries over into other areas of life.

9. Recognize small wins

Go easy on yourself! Even if you feel like you’re not as close to your goal as you’d like, acknowledging all the amazing things you have achieved, and accumulating these ‘small wins’ can really boost your confidence. Set yourself up for success by setting small achievable goals, and watch your confidence bloom as you complete them. See our article on accepting yourself, just as you are.

10. Take a helping hand

Increase your confidence by increasing your competence. Break things down into small steps to practice regularly, and you’ll soon find your comfort zone expanding. Are you nervous about public speaking? Try practicing in front of a mirror, or asking a trusted friend to listen. Feeling prepared will help you banish nerves on the day.

With these 10 confidence-boosting strategies, we’re sure you’ll be feeling on top of things in no time. What action will you take today?

Scroll down for more articles or learn more about how emotions affect decisions, how emotions affect learning or our physical health, and 10 ways to improve your emotional health today.