10 Ways to Boost Your Confidence

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I’ve always kind of struggled with low confidence and self-esteem issues.

It can get pretty bad and affect multiple areas of my life – a lack of confidence in my appearance, my purpose, my blog, my art, and the list goes on.

Sometimes it goes away but it always seems to come back. And I’ve gotten pretty damn sick of it.

A lack of confidence can really hold you back. You’ll be left doubting your own abilities, whether that doubt is warranted or not. (And it’s probably not!)

So with all of this in mind, I created a little list of things that I KNOW help me to boost my confidence.

I hope that this list helps you too!

Here are 10 ways to boost your confidence:

1- Journal about it.

Journaling can be a lifesaver when it comes to many things that plague our minds, including low confidence. Here are some things to journal about that can help you boost your confidence:

Vent and let go of negative thoughts
Make a list of things you love about yourself
Make a list of positive affirmations
Make a list of everything you’ve accomplished
Reflect and explore what is causing your lack of confidence

2- Avoid the comparison trap.

I’m just going to copy and paste something here that I shared on Instagram recently:

“I’m constantly seeing people talking about how comparing yourself to others is a GOOD thing, and you should do it regularly.

This may be a hot take nowadays but I couldn’t disagree more – specifically when it comes to people with low self-worth, mental illness, etc.

We all grow in our own way, we’re all talented in our own way, and we all have our own special gifts. Comparing your weaknesses with someone else’s strengths is pointless. Comparing your progress to someone else’s is pointless.

Yes, it’s a good thing to be inspired by others. Just remember that you are growing beautifully in YOUR OWN way🌻🦋✨”

3- Do challenging things.

Doing challenging things can obviously be scary sometimes, but that’s why we need to step out of our comfort zones and do them! Whether this is facing a fear, trying something new, learning a new skill, or saying “yes” to something we’re kind of scared to do.

I try to do something challenging once a week. Something that makes me uncomfortable and stretches me. This not only helps me grow a little bit, but it also helps me feel more confident about myself. You get a sort of high from facing fears or doing something challenging, and the feeling is great!

4- Set & achieve goals.

Confidence is mostly based on accomplishment, in my opinion. So set yourself goals – big and small – and work towards achieving them.

Progress is built on the small choices we make each day. So make a to-do list each day with tasks that will move you closer to reaching your goals and getting to where you want to be in life.

And while you’re working on your goals, remember to celebrate yourself and reward yourself for a job well done! Rewards are important because they boost your confidence and motivate you to keep moving forward.

5- Get regular exercise.

Obviously, regular exercise can improve your overall physical AND mental health and that’s something most of us know. But it can also do wonders for your confidence level.

Exercise releases happy chemicals in us that helps us to feel less anxious and depressed. If we exercise regularly, we’ll feel more confident in our everyday lives. Improving our physical health also helps us feel more confident and strong in our bodies.

6- Stand up straight.

I learned this tip from the book 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson. It seems like such a simple thing, but there are actual studies behind this!

Stand (or sit) up straight with your shoulders back. You’ll not only look more confident and poised, but this “power pose” can boost your confidence and your mood!

7- Learn to love your appearance.

When we live in a world that’s obsessed with physical appearance, it can be easy to feel bad about your own appearance. So learn to love your body and all that it does for you because our bodies are really amazing machines when you think about it!

Here are a few other tips for learning to love your appearance:

Take care of your skin, hair, and hygiene
Dress in a style that makes you feel confident
Change things up and express yourself through your appearance

8- Align with yourself.

It’s so easy to fall victim to the pressures of society. The pressure of what life “should” be and what we “should” be.

You should look like an Instagram model, you should have a high-paying job, you should travel all the time, your house should look like this, you should have kids by this age, etc.

Carrying around someone else’s idea of the right way to live can be a heavy burden!

Instead of focusing on this, align with yourself. Figure out who you are and what YOU want/need. What do you truly want to do with your life? Ignore all of the “shoulds” and make decisions aligned with your goals and values.

If you do this, you’ll feel much more confident and at ease with yourself.

9- Stay close to someone supportive.

The people you surround yourself with can have a big impact on your confidence levels. Toxic people are contagious. Ideally, you would only spend your time around supportive, uplifting people. But that’s not always possible.

So it’s important to have at least one supportive person with whom you’re close. Someone who makes you feel good, someone who affirms your positive traits, someone you can be your true self around. This positivity will be contagious too!

10- Never give up on yourself.

Sometimes life is hard and it can destroy our self-confidence. So make a pact with yourself right now, and promise that you’ll never give up on yourself.

Promise yourself that you’ll continue working on your goals and your confidence, no matter how many trials and errors it takes.

Next time you’re knocked down, remember this pact and it will help you get back on your feet faster. Never give up. And always love yourself.

Good books about building confidence: