There are a lot of things that affect your self-confidence, including everything from diet and exercise to negative self-talk and relationships.
In this post, you will discover how to build self confidence this year.
How to Build Self Confidence This Year
Eating disorders. Poor relationships. Engaging in negative behaviors such as drinking and using drugs.
These are a few of the problems that can be related to low self-confidence.
The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report found 85% of women opt out of potentially fun activities when they don’t feel good about the way they look. This low self-confidence also affects their assertiveness, pressures to be perfect and avoid showing weakness.
While this study focused on female participants, guys have self-confidence issues too. Although it may seem as if most men have higher levels of confidence, this is not always true. The difference may be that men don’t let their doubts about themselves stop them from doing things as much as women do.
One study found that men will apply for a job if they meet at least 60% of the qualifications. Women, on the other hand, will not apply for the job unless they feel they meet 100% of the qualifications.
One difference is that women’s self-confidence increases more with age than men. According to a study done on one million men and women, unless there are extraordinary circumstances, self-confidence begins improving in adolescence.
This improvement has nothing to do with how much money one earns. Cultural influences may be one of the biggest factors in self-confidence.
The best possible outcome is that both men and women learn and implement tools that will increase their self-confidence and improve mental health. Replacing both overconfidence and under confidence with a balance of realistic, positive thoughts, feelings and actions can help men and women achieve personal and professional goals.
Because it is the beginning of a new year, this is the perfect time to learn how to build self-confidence, which is defined as believing in your abilities to be successful.
Below are several proven methods you can start today.
Work with an Individual Therapist
This tip is the first tip because improving your self-confidence should start with gaining the right tools and techniques, ones that will do no harm.
Many therapists are coaches or teachers. They help you understand the importance of improving your self-confidence, and can instruct and guide you on methods that can help in finding and appreciating yourself.
The time you spend with a therapist can be spent by practicing the techniques that work so you can refer to them when needed for the rest of your life.
Sometimes trying to do everything on our own can feel overwhelming. You may start to let doubts creep back in. You may unintentionally allow yourself to feel defeated, lowering your self-esteem.
Working with a therapist is like an insurance policy, giving you access to the things that help improve the way you think, feel and act.
Believe in Your Strengths
You probably get compliments from many individuals. Teachers, co-workers, bosses, family members, friends and sometimes-even strangers offer you a sentence or two describing something they like and admire about you.
It’s time to start believing the compliments you receive. Most people will not lie to you.
It’s hard to accept compliments sometimes when trying to build self-confidence. You don’t want to come across as arrogant or cocky. You don’t want to feel like you owe them a compliment too. You may even feel suspicious of why someone is complimenting you, like they have an ulterior motive.
Let’s face it, your self-esteem may not be where it should be.
Many who need to learn how to build self-confidence find themselves deflecting a compliment, or ignore, deny, or even argue about it. Some find a way to devalue the compliment and in doing so, devalue themselves.
This is not okay. You are every good description ever given to you. You deserve to be complimented. Plus, when you don’t accept the compliment, you could offend or hurt the feelings of the giver.
Starting today, try saying, “Thank you” after receiving a compliment and accept it as truth. Enjoy the positive words.
Don’t Try to Be Perfect
Perfect does not exist anywhere on the planet. Instead of striving for perfection, which will only lead to stress and disappointment, start striving to find the meaning and lesson behind mistakes that are made. You can experience great growth in confidence when you recognize you have faults, just like everyone else.
Be proud of the “bumps in the road” because it is with those you become a stronger person.
Acknowledge What You Have Accomplished
Now that you are okay with the fact that perfection is unattainable, let’s look at all the great things you have achieved so far.
Look at your relationships, job accomplishments, education obtained and skills you have learned through hobbies or trades.
Write down all the things you have done to get you to this place today. Even if you aren’t in your ideal space today, you have done many things the right way. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.
Your list may include parenting skills, college degree, fitness, baking skills, taking care of family, surviving an abusive relationship, helping someone else survive an abusive relationship, rescuing an animal, paying your bills on time, or holding down a job.
Build your self-confidence knowing you have a lot to be proud of.
Take Care of Yourself
If you are not in good physical and mental health, it will be hard for you to learn how to build self-confidence. When you are unhealthy, you only focus on what is hurting, ailing or injured.
Don’t be the person who makes everyone else take care of themselves but doesn’t follow your own instructions. You cannot be a friend, parent, employee, daughter, son, volunteer, or anything else 100% if you are not taking care of your own needs first.
In conclusion, learning how to build self-confidence doesn’t have to happen overnight. It takes time and practice implementing smaller goals like the ones discussed here. In the end, confidence is connected to your thoughts.
If you believe you can build your self-confidence, then you can, and you will.