12 Proven Ways to Build Self Confidence & Self Esteem

Having low self esteem can cause us to sabotage our own lives, making it difficult to make any positive changes. When we are lacking self confidence, we are more likely to make decisions based on fear and unhappiness. If we don’t believe in ourselves, we feel that we are not worth others’ time or trouble.

It is possible to build your own self esteem and build self confidence. Taking the time to invest in yourself will pay off down the road.

Here are 12 great ways to build self confidence and boost your self esteem:

1. Take it One Step at a Time

No one expects you to be able to change your life overnight. As with many major life changes, it’s best to make small changes that over time will add up to positive change. Don’t be impatient with yourself when it is difficult to change your attitude.

2. Surround Yourself with Positive People

It’s very hard to have healthy self esteem when you are around people who are constantly bringing you down. Whether they disapprove of your life or your decisions, or whether they simply complain about their own lives to the point where they make you feel bad, it is worthwhile to limit the time spent with them.

2. Let Go of the Inner Critic to Build Self Confidence

When we build self confidence, it helps to turn off the constant critical voice in the back of our heads that tells us we are unworthy. When you are talking to yourself in your mind, think of the way you would treat a friend. Would you tell a friend their ideas were terrible and that they were not worth people’s time? You wouldn’t, so why talk to yourself that way?

3. Give Yourself Rewards

When you do something positive for yourself, give yourself a treat of some kind. A day trip, a special dessert, or an afternoon binge watching your favorite show are great ideas.

4. Learn From Your Mistakes

Instead of beating yourself up when you make a mistake, build self confidence by viewing your errors as learning opportunities. When you make a mistake, think to yourself what caused it and what you would change next time. Then move on.

5. Use Yoga and Meditation

Yoga and meditation are great for building self confidence. These put your body in touch with your mind and help you learn to understand the needs of your mind and body.

6. Visualize Yourself

To build a foundation for positive change, spend time imagining the person you would like to be. Take a realistic look at your strengths and weaknesses, then visualize the person you would like to become. This positive thinking will bear fruit down the road as you build confidence.

7. Have Persistence

When you run into an obstacle, don’t immediately turn away and think about what a weak person you are. Keep trying. You will find that you are more capable than you thought. Your persistence will help you build self confidence.

8. Avoid Comparisons

As much as you can, avoid comparing your life to others. For example, it is damaging to spend time envying others’ lives on social media. Everyone has their own struggles and battles. Understanding this will build your self esteem.

9. Have a Positive Attitude

This one can be more difficult than it seems. When you have low self esteem, you often spend time thinking of your life in negative terms: your personality flaws, your shortcomings, and your failures. Try to turn your thinking around and think of the obstacles you have overcome to be where you are.

10. Take Time to Volunteer

Volunteering in the community can build confidence by giving you a positive outlet for your energy. Helping to build your community benefits not only the organization you are helping, but yourself as well.

11. Challenge Yourself

Don’t sit back and coast through life. Boredom will make you feel stuck and will drag down your self esteem. Give yourself small and manageable challenges at first, then work toward bigger and better things. This will reinvigorate you.

12. Learn from Friends

Learn assertive behaviors from the people around you. It’s great to have role models to look up to as you build confidence.

In Closing

Building self esteem and self confidence is something that needs to be done in changes. Begin by making small, positive changes in your life and build on these. Take the time to remove unnecessary negative influences from your life.