Let’s be real, I am not the most confident person in the world, but I’ve learned over the years exactly what I needed to ooze that confidence that I don’t naturally have. Do you feel the same way?
You might be saying in your head, “No Makaela, I’ll never be as confident as such and such person and I never will be.” and I want you to say to yourself, “Yes you can!”
Confidence is a feeling that you have about your talents, your skills, and about yourself as a package. For some people, confidence comes naturally while others it takes time to develop. These tips are simple tricks that you can do on a daily basis to improve your mood and boost your self-confidence.
Outfit Details: Dress-TJ Maxx | Handbag- a gift from South Africa | Necklace- a gift from South Africa | Earrings-Forever21
Tip #1: Speak Confidence and Happiness into Existence
Your mind is a powerful muscle and just thinking about how confident you are can really make a difference in how confident you feel. You may think I’m crazy, but I’m not. It’s a real phenomenon and it’s called positive affirmations. Every time you feel terrible or say something negative about yourself, turn it around and say something positive. Tell yourself that you are beautiful, confident, and strong. Tell yourself in the morning that you are going to have a good day and that you aren’t going to let negative people ruin it. Positive affirmations are a simple trick that you can do to make yourself feel more confident and overall put yourself in a better mood.
Tip #2: Get Rid of the Negativity in Your Life
Another great tip is to get rid of all of the negativity in your life. Do you have friends or family members that always talk down to you or say mean things about you to your face? Now is the time to get rid of those people from your life. You can’t expect to live a positive life and to feel more confident when the circle around you is plotting against those very same things. Or maybe your mind is the problem and you constantly tear yourself down. Throw out the negative mindset right out the window! If you need help understanding why you need to speak positive affirmations, then look at tip #1.
Tip #3: Build A Support System Around You
Curate your support system of people who inspire you, who lift you, and who make you feel confident. You know the quote that says you are the average of the top 5 people you spend the most time with? It’s true! You can’t expect to feel like a million bucks and be successful in life when the people who you hang out with don’t care about achieving their goals or don’t have a positive attitude about life. You are the company that you keep so make it count!
Tip #4: Get Rid of the Fear of Failure or Judgement
Everyone gets nervous or discouraged about applying to a new opportunity or taking a chance in life. Life is all about taking risks, taking chances, and the lure of the unknown. Sometimes we have to push through our fearful minds and do something that changes us for the better.
I’m terrified of public speaking and scared of being judged by others on stage, but this year I hope that I can push through that fear and do more of the things that scare me. Whether that be speaking in public or swimming with the pigs in Jamaica, I want to improve myself (mind, body and soul) and push myself to my full capacity.
Tip #5: Stand Up Tall and Proud When You Walk into a Room
It may sound silly, but just sit back and imagine the most confident person in the world. She stands tall with her head held up and her shoulders back. That’s what you should look like when you walk into a room. Naturally, your posture is going to be hunched over with your back curved. When you stand up straighter with your head held up high, your brain will take that as a sign to also allude confidence in your decision making.
Tip #6: Give Yourself Compliments Regularly
Who is your biggest hype man in your life right now? If it’s not yourself, then you’re doing life wrong. You should be your biggest supporter and should give yourself the most compliments. And it’s a hard change to make it if you’re not already doing this, but try this little trick:
Every time you see a mirror, like in a bathroom or in your closet, say something nice about yourself. It can be literally anything along as it’s something positive. You’ll be surprised about how saying something nice about yourself once or a few times a day will improve your mood and boost your self-confidence.
“The secret to self-confidence isn’t to stop caring about what others think of you. It’s to start learning how to care about yours. It’s to make your opinion more valuable than any other.” – Unknown
Tip #7: Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
In the world that we live in, full of picture-perfect Instagram photos, it’s only natural that we compare ourselves to those images on the internet. But you have to stop it right now! Those pretty images on the internet aren’t the full story nor is someone’s Instagram feed; it’s a split second in time of only the good memories. People aren’t going to show you the crappy days or tell you about their failures on the internet, which is why you can’t compare your everyday life to someone’s highlight reel.
Photos by Brailey Johnson Photography
One more thing…
Don’t forget that you are human and to not be so hard on yourself when you’re feeling a little down off your chair. Self-confidence is a mental muscle, which means it takes time and loads of practice before you’ll be good at it. Take the tips in this post to make small changes in your life and see what a big difference your mental attitude and surroundings can change your entire mood.
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