Do you feel insecure and lack confidence at times? Sure, everybody has moments when they don’t feel on top of the world. Part of living is learning lessons and those experiences come during the hard times.
Those lessons will mold you into the person that everyone loves. When life hands you a devastating blow, like a job loss, death in the family, or other turbulent times, it’s easy to feel shaken to your core and lack confidence in yourself and your future. However, things don’t have to be this way.
No matter what’s going on around you, you can learn how to nip those insecurities in the bud. The more secure you’re within yourself, the more attractive you will be to suitors and potential employers. Would you want an insecure doctor or lawyer working for you?
Of course not; you want someone who believes enough in their abilities to have a secure nature. It would help if you got to the place where you can be as confident as a brain surgeon about to make the first cut. Do you have that kind of security within yourself?
Ways to Boost Your Confidence and Stop Being Insecure
1. Look Forward, Not Behind
When you look behind you at all the years and tears, you may see discouragement and heartbreak. Stop looking at all the failures of your past and focus on the present. You may not have tomorrow, so you need to treat today as the gift you’ve been given.
When you feel insecure and your self-esteem is plummeting, don’t revisit past failures as they will only make things worse.
2. Practice Self-Care
When’s the last time you treated yourself to a manicure, pedicure, or shopping spree? Whatever it is that you like to do to treat yourself, you should indulge on occasion.
If you feel insecure and like you’re a failure in life, then you can change your whole outlook by spicing up your look a bit. When you look good, you feel good, so why not give yourself a treat?
3. Practice Positive Affirmations
If you suffer from low self-esteem, then you should try using positive affirmations. There’s nothing that works wonders on your insecurities than telling yourself time and again all the wonderful things you love about yourself. You say things like:
- I am beautiful/handsome.
- My life is perfect.
- I’m blessed.
- I have a good support system.
- I can do anything I set my mind to do.
4. Replace Jealousy with Appreciation
Rather than looking at everyone around you and being envious of what they have that you don’t, why not be thankful for all the blessings that you’ve been given. It’s easy to think the grass is greener on the other side, but if you could change shoes with another person, the chances are that you would want your life back.
Money and material things are just one part of your journey on earth. There are so many other things that are so much more important. Don’t feel insecure because you think you have less than someone else because not all gifts are bought with money, and somethings that don’t cost one penny are priceless.
5. Quit Trying to Please Others
If you are insecure, you will spend your days trying to please everyone else to make yourself feel better. The truth is that the only people you need to please is you, your boss, and your spouse. Quit wasting all your time and efforts trying to make others like you.
You are uniquely you, and there will be people that love you and those that don’t. However, you cannot waste your time pinning after those who aren’t in your inner circle. Put your time and efforts into the ones that put their time and efforts into you.
6. Make a List of Your Accomplishments
It’s easy to forget just how far you have come and the things you’ve accomplished when you’re facing many battles. Most people have done more good things than bad in their life, and you need to remind yourself of these facts. Anytime you get depressed or feel down on yourself, it’s time to take out the list and remember all the accomplishments you’ve done in life.
7. Be Willing to Accept Constructive Criticism
Do you wear your emotions on your sleeve? You must be willing to accept constructive criticism when it’s done in the right way. A mentor wants to guide you and help you to be a better person.
Sure, some people want to criticize, but some people have genuine intentions towards you. To grow and learn and become a better you, you must accept some advice along the way.
8. Learn Your Triggers
If your confidence has taken a hit, then you need to identify the things that trigger your insecurities. When you start to feel those old feelings of self-doubt come rushing to the surface, hit them with some positive affirmations. Write down a list of the things that trigger you and be willing to combat them when the time comes.
9. Be Grateful for Your Blessings
Sometimes it’s just impossible not to feel down on your luck. Your confidence may be at an all-time low due to a job loss, relationship breakup, or another traumatic event in your life. However, remember that there is always someone that has things worse than you.
When it looks like everything is closing in on you, things are shifting to allow change. If you lost your job, you were looking for a job when you found the previous one. You will find another career and be back up on your feet in no time.
Sometimes, you need to be patient and wait until the next door opens, but you must never blame yourself for things outside of your control. Time and chance happen to everyone, but what you do within these times matters so much.
10. Use Visualization Tactics
When you feel insecure, you need to use tactics to make you feel more confident. Try creating a vision board so that you can see where you are right now and where you want to be in the future. It’s always good when you feel down on your luck to boost your confidence by setting some major goals and then to follow through with them.
The vision board is an excellent tool because you can see your progress by marking things off as you accomplish these goals.
11. Put Your Inner Critic in Its Place
Everyone has an inner voice that spews negativity into their mind. However, it’s your job to put this critic in its place. Remember the old videos where a good entity and a bad entity were sitting on someone’s shoulders?
Well, that concept is an illustration of a typical thought process that most people go through. It would help if you gained control over the negative thoughts that come into your head, as most of them are anxiety-based. When self-doubt comes rushing in trying to shake your confidence and security to the core, you need to combat it with the power of positivity.
Anxiety will fill your head will all types of noise, but you must kick it to the curb. Take control over the inner critic so that you can boost your confidence.
12. Talk to Your Inner Circle
Everyone needs people in their corner that can help them when the chips are down. When you feel so insecure, and your confidence level is zero, you need to call on your support system for help. This person can be a parent, friend, spouse, or therapist.
Where would your life be without people you can count on? A true friend can lift your spirits when you’ve hit rock bottom, and they can give you a reason to get up and keep fighting.
Final Thoughts on Boosting Your Confidence During Times of Insecurity
Life is full of challenges, and somedays it’s going to rain and storm. You can’t expect the sun to shine always, though it would be nice. When the storms come rolling in, you must stand on the firm foundation that is your friends, your past accomplishments, and your future goals.
It’s natural to lack self-confidence at specific periods as there is no perfect life. However, you can’t let those insecure feelings get you down. You must vow to yourself to get back up, shake the dust off your feet, and try again.
When all else fails, remember that this too shall pass. You will wake up tomorrow, and it will be a brand-new day, and the troubles of yesterday will only be a memory.
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