How to Improve Your Confidence

Good health is not just built upon putting nutritious foods into your body, or making sure you're getting enough exercise. Building a positive mental state through relaxation, practicing how to be more present, placing more value in experiences rather than material items, and in general working towards a less-stressed life greatly impacts your ability to get (and stay) healthy.

There is a noticeable difference between people who lack confidence, and those who feel good about themselves no matter what they may look like. The people with confidence stand a little taller, glow a little brighter, and are a little easier to laugh off conflict. Whether you realize it or not, you are probably unknowingly drawn towards people like this.

Love who you are, embrace who you are. Love yourself. When you love yourself, people can kind of pick up on that: they can see confidence, they can see self-esteem, and naturally, people gravitate towards you. - Lilly Singh 

There are some tactics you can use to gain more confidence in yourself and acquire that same radiating energy.

Face your fears.

The first step in gaining confidence is understanding what holds you back. Often, lack of confidence comes in the form of nagging fears that do nothing but hold us back from growth. Some examples: fear of someone seeing your tummy, worry about how others will judge your clothing choices, fear that you cant perform as well as someone else in your gym class, etc. Take a look in the mirror and ask yourself what your fears are. Then assess what aspects you love about yourself, shine light on your strengths, and think about ways that you can continue that positive thought throughout each day.

Prepare yourself.

It's not always easy to leave the house every day feeling that spring in your step. Get in the right mindset by going through a checklist of items to remember: stand tall, speak clearly, make eye contact, don't hold back! Look at yourself in the mirror and say an inspirational quote that is meaningful to you. Try this: you're an amazing, strong person, and you're going to have a great day today! Going over these reminders will help make sure that you are setting yourself up for success.

Understand that failure is possible, and inevitable.

Yes, sometimes you will fail. Someone will do something or say something that makes you doubt yourself. One sideways glance will shake your confidence and make you worry. Understand that these things will happen, and do your best to let them go. You cannot control what others think of you. You only have the power to control how you feel about yourself, and accepting this will turn any failure into a success when moving forward.

Get to know yourself.

Take time to understand who you are and what you want out of life. When you're passionate about your relationships, your personal health, your career, it fuels your confidence by creating a foundation of stability. Find what truly drives you and what makes you happy and confidence will come naturally. Eating healthfully and exercising your body are two aspects that go a long way in improving your health. However, taking the additional step to care for your mental health is just as important! Seeing yourself as a strong, confident, and powerful creates a positive energy that emanates health throughout all facets of your life.

[Credit: Edberg, Henrik. How to Build Self Confidence: 6 Essential and Timeless Tips. Positivity Blog.]