7 Best Tips You Can Do to Boost Your Confidence

Growing up, I used to be so shy and all I wanted to do was hiding. I didn’t like to stand out in class or just express my opinion over something that I understand fully.

There were so many moments back then where I felt angry with my self for not standing up or at least letting people know how I felt.

Today I feel more comfortable with speaking up my thoughts because I no longer need the feeling of being invisible.

What I noticed is that sometimes people don’t realize they crossed the boundaries but it’s your job to let them know and you wouldn’t be able to do it if you have really low self-esteem.

What if they think I’m nosy? or wait, who am I in the first place asking them to respect my boundaries? — and other millions of unnecessary thoughts that will just end up draining your energy.

While building high self-esteem seems to be a life long process, you can start from doing small practices and apply it on a daily basis.

Here are the things you could do to improve your self-esteem:

Know Your Worth

This might sound so obvious but you may not believe that there are many people out there who don’t think they are worth it.

From a great loving relationship, genuine friendships to money and fulfilling life, you are worth to have them all as long as you believe in it.

Knowing your worth will make a huge difference in how you see yourself and your life in general. You no longer play small and know exactly what you can do to reach any goals you have on your list.

However, acknowledging your values and worth isn't enough. You need a daily reminder in the beginning so you’ll most likely get used to the new believes.

Here’s one thing you could do:

Every time you catch yourself talk low or say something that you aren’t worth this or that, stop and redirect your energy into thinking something more positive and tell yourself that it’s untrue and repeat some uplifting words.

Practice Daily Gratitude

Practicing gratitude every day helps you track your wins and at the same time, it makes you aware of where you are exactly in life.

When your self-esteem is low, you tend to focus on the things that you don’t have, and feeding those thoughts wouldn’t serve you any good purpose.

It’s better to count what you already have. I found it really helpful to practice daily gratitude when I feel so low because then it reminds me of how much things I actually take for granted.

Here’s one thing that you could do:

Set a time in a day to sit down and write down things you feel grateful for. It doesn’t have to be something big like; getting a new car or moving to a new house.

You get more time to cook for the family this week? write that down, or the weather is pretty warm today so you could spend more time on the beach? write that down too.

It’s the small things that matter sometimes.

Protect Your Energy

By the time you wake up, lots of things from the outside are fighting for your attention. It’s important to set your focus on something that matters to you because otherwise, you’ll get drown and live someone’s life.

I like to be selective about what I’d go dive in the thinking. Though we all have a different viewpoint of what matters and what don’t, you are probably aware of things that might drain your energy.

Caring about what other people think of you is one of the examples. Instead of having your energy wasted on such things, it’s better to fulfil your mind with positive thoughts instead.

Here’s one thing that you could do:

Get off social media as much as you can. While this could be hard if your job has everything to do with social media, it’s still important to set a time and take a break. Even if it’s just for a couple of hours a day.

I’m saying this because by consuming social media too much, you’ll start comparing your life with others without you realize it and that’s right there is when the problem arises.

Teach Yourself Something New

Do you remember the last time you learn something new and felt great about it? I’m sure you can relate to that good feeling.

Even if you didn’t become the master but the fact that you’ve put in the work and made progress is more than enough to boost your confidence.

By learning something that you’ve never done before, you’ll come to a place where you would challenge your old beliefs, especially when you encounter big problems in the process.

Teaching myself something new has been my best way to keep my confidence stable. I aim to learn something new every day, even if it’s a small thing like trying out a new recipe and making better meals for dinner time.

Here’s one thing that you could do:

I recommend using Pinterest and Medium as the main sources. You can find anything you’d want to learn. Depends on what you are interested in, making it a habit every day to google up and dive into the topics could help to keep the momentum going.

However, sometimes things can get a bit overwhelming especially when you are excited and can’t wait to master certain skills. I would suggest making a small list in your journal/phone so you don’t have that feeling of ‘gotta do it all in one go’.

Work on Things that You are Most Insecure About

First, it’s okay to express your feelings about certain parts of your life that you feel insecure about. I genuinely think by being open and aware of our own insecurities, it’s going to help us decide any practical ways to resolve them.

For example, if you are insecure about your body, then maybe it’s worth to start hitting the gym or going for a run regularly.

For me personally, I used to feel super insecure about my financial situation — and I still am, but only to some extent. I then set a clear plan to reach my financial freedom goal and find my ways to have a higher income.

Although I’m still far from reaching that financial freedom state, my insecurity about money has been less because I know I’m working on it.

Here’s one thing that you could do:

Depends on what you are insecure about, but first, you need to write it down somewhere and start doing your research on the matter.

Somehow I believe everyone is aware of their own insecurities but not lots of them take a step further and analyze them deeper. Putting them in the back of your mind wouldn’t help you.

If you make time to work on your insecurities, there are hundreds of people out there who have the same problems and have resources to help you out. Especially nowadays when everything is accessible.

All you need is your willingness to put in the work.

Always See the Good in Others

Once you practice it long enough, it’s easier to see the good in people. Even if they’ve hurt you before.

While it’s not possible to be positive all the time especially when you are in bad times, it’s still important to be aware of what’s going on in your mind.

People can feel it when you are bringing bad vibes. If at worst, you couldn't say something positive, it’s better to say nothing at all.

I know it can be challenging to be kind to people who don’t treat you well, however, think of it as you are doing yourself a favour by staying calm because what comes out from you when you are angry says a lot about you.

There are more benefits that you can reap if you implement this approach. Your self-esteem will improve because you know who you are and you know that you have full control of your reaction.

Here’s one thing that you could do:

Don’t jump into a conclusion so quickly every time you see something that doesn’t align with the way you think. Try to see any problems with others from different perspectives.

Trying to put yourself in their shoes can also help you gain a more understanding of what other people going through.

Focus on Your Own Journey

We all know comparing yourself with others will only kill your joy. People who have high self-esteem wouldn’t waste their energy on such things because they know they feel content with what they already have.

Everyone has a different journey and you should focus on yours because that’s the only thing that you can control.

Here’s one thing that you could do:

Remind yourself every time you see your peer earns more or achieve more in life, that doesn’t say anything about you because you are on a different journey altogether and most importantly, you aren’t in a competition with anyone.

If you struggle with this one, I’d recommend to put the reminder/quote on your phone and make it as your wallpaper so then you can always get a quick glance at it.

The Takeaways:

Building high self-esteem requires a lot of work however, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you to reach that state.

I’m a firm believer that nothing great comes easy and while you might not see it instantly, the progress will gradually showing.

So bee more patient with yourself and do one thing at a time.

This story has appeared on Medium.