A How-to Guide: Building Confidence from the Inside Out | Guest Post

Strong, long-lasting confidence comes from the inside-out. Put simply, building durable confidence starts with you and your ability to believe in yourself no matter what the circumstance is.

Unfortunately, however, feeling confident continues to be an issue in today’s society, causing many people, especially women, to miss out on certain opportunities that would otherwise benefit them and their overall wellbeing. In fact, a National Report on the State of Self-Esteem commissioned by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund found that more than half of the female population feels insecure or unsure about themselves.

Needless to say, it’s time we take steps to make a change.

While it can be difficult to achieve, feeling self-assured and empowered can come naturally with just a few basic techniques and daily practices. If you’re unsure of where to begin, look no further. Our how-to guide is here to help!

Do Things That Make YOU Feel Good

Start with the things that make YOU feel good. You know yourself better than anyone else. YOU know what brings you happiness and satisfaction. YOU know what helps to keep your mind at ease. YOU know what makes you feel your best. Use this information to guide you in your journey to self-confidence by turning them into daily self-care rituals.

Practicing self-care looks different to everyone. For some people, self-care means performing an extensive beauty regimen using premium skincare products followed by some high-quality makeup. On the other hand, some people may prefer to curl up with their favorite book and relax with a tall glass of wine when it comes time to practice self-care. That said, try not to think too deeply about how you’d like to spend your “me-time.” There’s no wrong way to take care of yourself. Remember, you know yourself best.

Practice Positive Self-Talk

Affirmations— a fancy term for positive self-talk— are helpful phrases that work to encourage you to think optimistically about the most important aspects of your life. Whether it be your friends, family, career, or personal development, affirmations are designed to challenge your negative thoughts and motivate you to make positive changes in your life. Thus, improving not only your mindset, but also your sense of self-worth.

If you start getting caught up in negative self-talk, try speaking or writing down a few self-affirmations every day. Regardless if you believe in these phrases or not, it’s essential that you repeat this process day in and day out as this will help to combat your subconscious patterns and replace them with narratives that are more adaptive to your true self.

Fake it Til’ You Make It

Similar to the psychological theories related to practicing affirmations, it’s critical to

fake it til’ you make it while working to boost your self-esteem. This doesn’t mean lying to yourself about who you are, but rather, carrying yourself in a way that matches the mannerisms of a confident person and exploits the best version of yourself, even if that version isn’t in alignment with how you actually feel.

Smiling, dressing up, keeping your chin up and shoulders back— are all external factors of a seemingly confident person, right? So, why not frame yourself in that same way to conform to the given aesthetic?  Although it can be easier said than done, acting in this way will allow you to project the attitude you strive to have in any given situation. In turn, these practiced behaviors will provide you with subtle support from the people in your everyday life, thereby offering reassurance, making for a more effortless approach to confidence.

The Takeaway

Let’s face it; building confidence isn’t always as easy as it seems. Naturally, we are all our own worst critics, and while a little self-criticism can be beneficial, too much of it can wreak havoc on our health and well-being. From reducing your quality of life to the development of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, having low self-esteem has proven to be negatively impactful in more ways than one. Not to mention, now, with the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of confidence, mood, and overall sense of self has become even more of a pressing concern. That’s why it’s so important to incorporate self-confidence techniques like the ones mentioned above in your everyday routine.

So, next time you’re feeling low or need an extra pick-me-up, refer back to this how-to guide. Between doing things that make you feel good, practicing positive self-talk, and faking it til’ you make it, you’re bound to start feeling good from the inside-out. As you continue to repeat these methods, you’ll be able to attain strong, long-lasting confidence in no time and ultimately reach your full potential.