Confidence is something that a lot of people struggle with. With constant bombardment from media telling us that we should all be thin, pretty, rich and amazing. It’s pretty easy to see why we struggle. Trying to attain and live up to an impossible standard is ridiculous. And something that nobody should do. But there is another side to this. One that affects us in our personal and professional lives. So here’s a few tips and tricks to improve confidence and give you a boost, just when you need it.
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What’s the worst that could happen?
This is a question I tend to find myself asking more the older I get. And it’s one that you should too. You can sit and wonder if you will make a fool of yourself in the public arena. Maybe your speech will bomb, maybe you forget your words, but at the end of the day, what’s the worst that could happen. Until you try, you never know. And if the worst that can happen is a little social embarrassment, go for it. The trade-off, the good side is that it goes well. Just think how proud of yourself you will be then.
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Music is Key.
Upbeat music is an amazing tonic for confidence. Before having to speak publicly or attended that important meeting, listen to a few of your favorite uplifting songs. It will get the blood pumping and build you up. So put on your favorite tracks and boost your esteem.
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Power Posing.
What do I mean by power posing? What is boils down to is striking a superhero esq pose. Could be hands on hips, shoulders wide or arms flexed in the air. Or you could use the pose demonstrated below by Iron Man. Does not matter. Just make it big and hold it for two minutes. Studies show that doing this gives a great boost to your confidence. Just make sure you do this somewhere private!
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Exercising.
This one is more of a medium to long-term strategy. Regular exercise will not only improve your fitness levels and give you more energy, it also boosts your confidence too! And not just from the fact that you look better. Exercise releases endorphins, a wonderful feel good chemical that naturally boosts your confidence. So what are you waiting for? Instead of watching tv, get off your ass and get moving! Or at least put the elliptical in front of the tv!
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Fake It.
This is a well-known technique that works surprisingly well. Unfortunately most people don’t take advantage of it. Fake your confidence. Get involved, pretend to be a confident person. Soon enough it will start to come more naturally until you can’t believe you were anything but. Playing a role will help you to break out of your comfort zone and begin to build a more confident you.
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Think Positive.
You want to improve confidence within yourself? Stop with the negative thoughts. Seriously. Within a few days you will see massive changes to yourself and your outlook on life. Big speech coming up? Before you would have been worried about the myriad negative outcomes, but the new positive you will knock it out of the park. Stop worrying and go for it! Try it for 2 days. No more negative thoughts. A guarantee you see a difference.
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You Did Not Fail.
Seriously, redefine the terms. Failure is such an ugly word. You gained experience. You learnt valuable lessons. It is very rare for any successful person to create something and become successful with it the first time. Usually it takes a few times. The difference is in how they understand failure and rejection. They see it as part of the process. And you should too. Don’t give up after the first knock back. Keep going and reach your goals.
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Don’t Compare Yourself To Others.
This is something most people do. And it’s a killer for confidence. I love this saying “comparison is the thief of joy”. Stop worrying about that person who got a promotion, the guy with a nicer car, the girl who is better at yoga than you. It doesn’t matter. You are on your own journey. Remember, life is not a race. People start from varying points and have different destinations. You do you.
That’s it for our list! Use our tips to improve confidence and gain self-esteem. But I think the most important thing to take from all of this is just to be yourself. You will encounter setbacks, you will meet people you fundamentally do not like, you will make mistakes. But it’s all part of life. We spend lots of time wondering how other people have everything figured out. The reality is they don’t. They’re probably looking at you thinking the exact same thing!
Go out there and have as much fun as possible. We are only here once.
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