As women, we want to feel confident in ourselves but finding inner strength can be hard – especially when we need to build self-belief fast. Whether you have an impending interview or a hot date, these simple belief boosting tips will help.
- Mirror affirmations. People don’t just talk to themselves in films. Plenty of successful individuals swear by spoken affirmations – the act of reciting positive statements about yourself while looking in the mirror. Affirmations work best when they’re used to try and change a negative belief. So, if there’s a blocker in your way, try to speak it out.
- Solo travelling. Although this task takes a little planning, you don’t need to jet around the world to see results. Going on a day trip as well as a weekend city break both counts as a solo adventure making this a quick yet effective way to regain confidence. If you’re nervous about taking a trip alone, the key is to fake it until you make it. Soon, you’ll be feeling like the world is your oyster making your usual concerns feel that much smaller.
- Spiritual exploration. Getting to know yourself, your principles and your desires is a huge step in your journey to total self-confidence. With this in mind, slow intimate practices like yoga, meditation and tantric massage can work to reshape your identity and improve your relationship with yourself. If any of these activities feel too close for comfort – remember, growth always happens outside of your comfort zone.
- Build habits. If your lack of self-belief stems from feeling incapable of doing something, building habits can be a great way to get back on track. Start with the small things and build up to the bigger, more overwhelming goals. Do each habit for thirty days to make sure it sticks. Small rituals will show you that you’re able to tackle the larger things in life with consistency and confidence.
- Talk it out. Often confiding in someone is the best way to overcome self-doubt. After all, there’s nothing a bit of girl talk can’t fix. If you think your insecurities are TMI and embarrassing, that’s probably a good sign that other people are experiencing similar issues and may have found solutions that they can share. Don’t want to open up in person? Don’t worry, try an online forum like The Women’s Room to ask anonymous questions.
- Return the favour. Helping someone else boost their confidence or resolve a personal problem can help to strengthen your self-belief. Even the NHS recognises that building positive relationships can be a great way to combat low self-esteem. So, be less introspective to recognise when others need help.
- Get moving. Excess energy can make us feel nervous, anxious and scatter-brained. Exercising can help to release some of this “buzz” and some good-mood endorphins in the process. After moving your body, you’ll have less negative energy to pull on leaving you feeling calm and with a sense of achievement.
- Practice power poses. Doing something as simple as changing your posture can help to improve your mood. Sometimes slumping can put us in an emotional slump. Listen to Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk on body language to learn which stances make us feel more empowered, confident and ready to take on the world.
- Accept criticism. Negative beliefs are often a result of past experiences and a tendency to latch onto something negative that was once said – even if we pull a thought or statement out of context. Accepting criticism and using it constructively prevents this from happening. When you stop taking criticism personally it becomes so much easier to take feedback as an opportunity to develop rather than self-sabotage.
