Your brain will often tell you that you can’t do anything. Learn to fight those instincts by challenging your brain. Run “experiments” where you see what will happen if you fight your brain’s messages and your own negative self-talk. Face those challenges with as much positive thinking as you can.
If you have trouble working up the nerve, really lean into the “experiment” aspect. You’re just curious, and you’re just trying it out to see what will happen. You might surprise yourself by how well it turns out, or how little a couple of errors really matter in the end, or how much you’ve learned in exchange for a minor failure.
Here are some great ways to experiment with challenges:
· Stand At Your Comfort Zone’s Edge
Stretch your way towards the outside of your comfort zone – far enough to feel a little uncomfortable, but not enough to overwhelm yourself.
· Face Fears
What are you afraid of? Try challenging those beliefs and overcoming those fears with slow and steady exposure.
· Try New Things
Learn new skills, take classes, and let yourself be bad at brand new experiences. It’s okay to be a beginner again, and a learner’s mindset is an ever-growing one!
· Question Beliefs
What values and beliefs do you hold at your core? Examine them closely. Do you still really believe them? Have you outgrown them? Is there more to be learned?
8. Help Others
Helping others is a fantastic way to build confidence because it shows you that you’re capable of making a difference in someone’s life. It allows you to utilize the skills you have to solve a problem and make someone smile.
If you really want to challenge yourself, you can become a mentor or teacher to someone and help them that way. This will allow you to hone your leadership and guidance skills while gaining confidence through your hard work bearing fruit in the person you’re teaching.
You can also offer support to others. It’s powerful to see how just being there for someone can make someone feel so much better. How can you not get a little self-esteem boost when you see that such power lies within you?
9. Care For Your Physical Health
If you aren’t making sure that your body is in good health, it’s easy for your self-esteem to drop. Studies indicate that caring for your body can improve positive thinking regarding body image, thus increasing confidence levels.
You don’t need to turn into a total gym rat to benefit from self-confidence from physical health. Just:
- Perform moderate exercise regularly
- Get enough sleep
- Eat a relatively balanced diet.
- Take care of yourself when you get sick.
10. Become Comfortable With Self-Doubt
Many times, your self-doubt will get in the way of you doing what you want to do. You may tell yourself something like, “When I’m more confident, I’ll do this!”.
But here’s a little secret: even the most confident people face self-doubt. They have to power through it with courage and the confidence that they will handle any challenges. They’ve become comfortable with moments like this and are happy to face challenges head-on.
The truth is, oftentimes, the most positive ways to gain confidence involve facing your self-doubt and running with it. It’s good to prepare before jumping in, and practicing can help you gain the confidence to conquer the doubt. But at the end of the day, you’ll never know what you’re capable of if you don’t go for it!
11. Celebrate Your Successes
Have you done well at something, achieved a goal, or found some form of even very minor success? Celebrate it by talking yourself up! Your confidence will get a huge boost when you actively acknowledge the good parts of you as much as you naturally focus on the bad.
It can feel a little odd to pat yourself on the back when you first try getting into the habit but don’t worry. Before long, you’ll start doing so more naturally. Here are some examples of what to celebrate.
- Compliments that someone gives you
- Reaching a certain accomplishment.
- Noticing positive changes in yourself
- Finishing your to-do list
- Handling a difficult situation
Final Thoughts On Some Ways To Boost Your Self-Confidence To Stop Seeking Reassurance From Others
Confidence is a beautiful thing, and it’s not to be taken for granted. Building your self-confidence allows you to feel assured and happy with yourself, even without anyone else’s approval.