Self-confidence can best be defined as a feeling of near-certainty or clear-headedness regarding a topic. Whether it involves skill level, knowledge predicted outcomes, or yourself. Being confident in yourself is a massive benefit to your overall self-esteem and self-perception, and it’s a valuable trait that can open doors and help you grab opportunities.
For many people, self-confidence is challenging to come by and hard to build. Thankfully, there are things you can do in your everyday life that boost that feeling. Here are ten habits that skyrocket your self-confidence.
1. Reading
Reading is a lot of fun, but did you know that it may help your self-confidence on top of that? Whether you read fiction, non-fiction, or even non-traditional books, you can aid your self-esteem through reading. Here are some ways that this works:
· It’s Escapism
The task is a beautiful method of escapism. It’s almost akin to meditation – it transports you to other worlds, allowing you to stop thinking about your worries and stress. While you shouldn’t simply ignore all your negative feelings, sometimes a little time away from them can grant you new insight or reduce those feelings.
· It Breaks Cycles
Negative loops of thinking are a widespread cause of decreased self-confidence. Reading is capable of taking you out of that mindset, bringing your mind elsewhere. When you return to groundedness, you’ll have broken the negative cycle and can revisit your thought patterns anew.
· It Teaches
Non-fiction books can teach you all sorts of new skills and knowledge, and what you learn can be carried forward into your everyday life. This boosts your self-confidence in your abilities and skills.
2. Seeking Discomfort
It can seem strange to seek out discomfort. Why would you want to actively leave your comfort zone and give yourself more anxiety and stress? What a wild concept! But, as it turns out, a reluctance to go anywhere beyond a safe little bubble is actually very, very bad for you.
You won’t be able to grow for as long as you stay within your comfort zone. This sounds nice, but it also means that any unplanned-for situation that puts you outside of what you’re used to can send your self-esteem plummeting. You’ll be out of your depth with no practice in managing anything out of the ordinary!
This is why confident people challenge themselves so much. Putting yourself at risk by seeking discomfort seems daunting, but it also ensures that you’re continually moving forward. It allows you to:
- Sharpen new skills and learn new things
- Realize how much you’re capable of and what you’re able to do
- Have new experiences that broaden your perspective of the world
- Get comfortable with less-than-ideal situations.
- Get better and smarter at taking intelligent risks.
There’s no feeling quite as confidence-boosting as the ability to climb out of a difficult situation with your head held high. So go out there and seek a little bit of discomfort in your life!
3. Meditating
Meditation is often ridiculed for being some weird form of spiritualist habit, but it’s scientifically proven to have positive results on your mind, body, and confidence. It can reduce anxiety, stress, and more by merely lowering resting heart rate and blood pressure.
For many people, stress and anxiety are the fundamental causes of drops in self-esteem. It’s hard to feel good about yourself when nothing feels good anywhere. Meditation allows you to get in touch with yourself, letting you confront your problems safely and mindfully while building your confidence through introspection.
4. Socializing
There are endless jokes about how introverted people hate socializing or how social activities are scary to the average person. But if you continue to perpetuate the idea that you shouldn’t socialize, all you’re doing ruin your self-confidence even more.
There are many different ways to socialize, and each method brings you closer to others and allows you to practice your relationship skills. Finding people you connect with boosts your confidence thanks to your support system while interacting with anyone keeps you in touch with the world, so your spirit stays up. You can socialize by:
- Joining online communities for things you love
- Networking with people in your industry
- Being active on social media
- Contacting friends and family regularly
- Going on outings with friends and family
- Meeting new people
5. Celebrating Differences
A lot of times, your differences could be what make you dislike yourself. You compare yourself to others, see where you don’t meet arbitrary standards you’ve set in your head based on others, and then hide what you perceive as your “flaws.”
It’s easy to see how this kind of thinking would slowly but surely ruin your self-esteem. You always chase after unfair ideals and fall short, so all you can do is wish you were like other people. It’s a toxic way of thinking and doesn’t help anyone.
You need to stop thinking that differences are bad things! It’s okay to be different, and in fact, it’s usually better that way. The world needs all sorts of diversity to function in any exciting or workable capacity. Your weaknesses are someone else’s strengths, and your powers are someone else’s weaknesses. Instead of driving each other apart due to comparison, working together is the real way to live more fully!
Celebrate your differences and the differences of others. You’re unique, and one-of-a-kind and your variations should be embraced and showed off. Use your positive thinking and focus on all the ways that your differences make you great!
6. Being Prepared
Some people believe that being unprepared is a sign of confidence. They think that coming in with nothing and showing off how well they can improvise proves just how much confidence they have. It’s an appealing idea, but it’s also not one that’s recommended, especially if you want to improve your self-esteem.
Self-confidence is not about ignorance, arrogance, and immaturity. No one has all of life figured out, and no one is invincible. While over-preparing isn’t good, under-preparing is arguably worse, and you’ll find yourself confronted with enormous problems you’re not equipped to solve. If anything kills confidence, it’s too out of your depth too quickly.
Confident people are those who do have a plan. They collect information, practice their skills, and get ready for potential challenges. This preparation gives them their confidence, as they know they’re sufficiently equipped to handle most hurdles and will only be met by worthy challenges.
So don’t try and become a master improviser (unless that’s your line of work!). Instead, focus on learning and growing in the background, so you’re always picking up new tips and tricks that you can use in your endeavors. You’ll feel empowered by that knowledge.
7. Exercising
Exercising is often over-hyped as the one right way to solve all problems. While it isn’t a miracle cure, it’s also scientifically proven to have its fair share of benefits. When it comes to confidence, exercising gives you:
· Positive Hormones
Feel-good hormones are released whenever you exercise that boost your positive thinking and make you feel happier and better about yourself. It’s a great way to lift your mood without using unhealthy or toxic habits quickly.
· A Healthier Body and Appearance
Many confidence issues are tied to body image, and exercising can change the way you look. Even if you don’t wind up losing weight or reaching your “ideal” appearance, you’ll see remarkable changes in your posture, stamina, and strength that will make you feel more confident.
· Openness To Challenge
Exercising is all about pushing your limits. The more you work out, the more comfortable you’ll feel with the concept of going above and beyond to improve yourself. This is sure to boost your confidence levels as you use those principles in all sorts of other areas in your life.
8. Positive Sleep Routines
Getting enough sleep allows you to feel rested and alert the next day. You’ll make fewer mistakes, perform better in all areas of chores and work, and have a clearer head with more positive thinking in general.
Your routines should give you the right conditions to benefit from REM or the deep sleep cycle. This sleep phase is highly restorative and will make you feel much better when you wake up the next day. Sometimes, if you feel especially low in confidence, a good night’s rest is all you need to perk up again!
9. Maintaining Good Posture
Have you ever noticed that people who have their backs straight, shoulders pushed back and down, chest puffed, and head straight look more confident? It’s not just a random impression – it’s because they genuinely are more confident.
Studies have found that individuals who sit up straight and maintain good posture aren’t just viewed more positively. They also feel better in general. As it turns out, the way you hold yourself and position your body changes your brain’s chemical activity.
Open postures and “power poses,” instead of closed and constricting postures, change the way your hormones move. You feel more energetic and become less stress reactive, and within just two minutes, you’ll feel better and much more confident. So straighten your back, put on good posture, and let your body work its magic.
10. Contributing and Volunteering
For many people, a sense of self-confidence is tied into feelings of self-worth. Though there are many ways you can raise your self-worth, one of the best and healthiest ways to do so is by performing acts of kindness. You can:
- Volunteer for a cause you believe in
- Do a favor for a friend, family member, colleague, or loved one
- Pay someone a heartfelt, genuine compliment
- Go out of your way to do something nice for a loved one
- Donate to charity
Getting involved with good causes for a community benefits them and you at the same time. You feel good about giving to others, which boosts your self-esteem, and you can see the impact that your actions have on the world around you. Your positive thinking will skyrocket with your self-confidence all at once!
Final Thoughts On Some Habits That Will Skyrocket Your Self-Confidence
Confidence is key to many positive emotions, and without it, you can feel stuck or lost. Learning to boost your self-confidence through positive habits will allow you to reach your best potential!
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