The world is always telling us to love ourselves, walk like we’re runway models, and cut out anything (or anyone) that brings negativity into our lives. But, these tips are difficult to put into practice, especially when we’ve got the media setting unrealistic expectations of everything from success to beauty.
As a result, we tend to undervalue ourselves in relationships, forget to take compliments seriously, and get uncomfortable when the spotlight is on us. If you relate to any of these things, here are 5 steps to boosting your self-confidence and make you feel like you can conquer the world.
1. Compliment Yourself Every Day
We’re often almost too focused on our weaknesses and failures. And, this lack of self-appreciation then translates to us needing validation from external sources.
Studies indicate that basing our self-worth on our academic grades, people’s opinions of ourselves, or our appearance can cause more stress, anger, academic problems, and relationship conflicts in our lives.1
So, it’s important to take the time out to appreciate all the things that we love about ourselves, every day. Start with standing front of a mirror and complimenting yourself.
It doesn’t have to be something complicated or elaborate. You could be great at solving people’s problems, working hard, cracking puns, or making friends. You could also compliment yourself for all of your achievements. Each of these things makes you special and you should remind yourself of it every day.2
2. Set Realistic Goals For The Day
Setting impossible goals can leave you frustrated and make you doubt your own abilities. Instead, every morning, write down a realistic set of goals for the day. This could be anything from starting a new exercise routine to getting groceries.
Be sure to start small and work your way up. Every now and then, incorporate certain skills into your list, like learning a new language or running that extra mile. This will keep you motivated, build your skill set, and get you to look forward to something every day.3
3. Talk To A Friend
Keep in touch with friends who make you feel good about yourself. Head out for a quick cup of coffee with them when you’re free or pick up the phone and talk to them for a few minutes.
Better yet, sign up for something fun and challenging with a friend. This will help you expand your skill sets and be proud of yourself.
Having a supportive group of people around you can help you stay positive and remind you that you’re loved. And, this “friend” could be anyone from a cousin or a parent to someone from work.4
4. Limit Your Time On Social Media
If you tend to spend hours browsing through social media sites, then you might be doing a lot of harm to your self-worth. Studies show that spending too much time on social media can hamper your self-esteem. And, if you tend to compare yourself to people on social media, then that might make things worse.5
Instead, turn off the notifications for all your social media apps and give yourself a limited amount of time to browse through your feed. If you catch yourself comparing your physical appearance or skills with someone online, do remind yourself that pictures are deceptive and that every single person has their own set of strengths and weaknesses.6
5. Visualize Your Tasks
Often, we get so overwhelmed by a difficult task that we talk ourselves into failure. This could be anything from an important presentation to participating in an upcoming marathon.
When you set your goals for the day, visualize your tasks. Imagine that you’re performing these tasks. If you have trouble being assertive, visualize yourself being a boss. Neuroscientists state that visualizing a body movement activates exactly the same areas of the brain as does the actual movement.
In addition to this, picturing yourself doing something in the future serves as a sort of a “rehearsal” for that activity and might help reduce some of the stress that you might be feeling.
This process might also give you a chance to imagine how you might overcome certain obstacles that could arise. Just be sure to visualize positive things and leave your house with a smile on your face.7
Besides this, you could volunteer at a shelter near you and forgive yourself when you fail. While these tips can’t turn you into a self-confident person overnight, they will definitely help you get there. However, if your struggle with self-worth has led you to cause harm to yourself in any way, do reach out to a professional. With their help, you can take the first step to loving yourself.
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