Need a Confidence Boost? Stop Doing These 5 Things
Self-confidence should not be underrated. Your self-confidence is what gives you the power to walk into any room with your head held high. It’s what gives you the courage to stand up for yourself and those around you. So, it’s important to do whatever it takes to make yourself feel confident. However, we often do things that decrease our own self-confidence without realizing it.
There are plenty of things that can shake your confidence. You could not get the promotion you’ve had your eye on or you could experience a rough patch in your relationship. Because outside factors can affect your confidence, you must put forth effort to build yourself up. And if your confidence could use a boost, you must stop doing these five things:
1. Comparing yourself to others.
Stacking yourself up against someone else to see how you compare is a recipe for self-pity. Other people will always have things you don’t – better hair, a bigger paycheck or a cooler job. But, when you compare yourself or your life to another, you’re not playing fair. You’re forgetting all of the things you have that someone else may not. You’re forgetting that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.
Spend less time comparing you to those around you and more time focusing on all the good things you have to offer. That is what self-love is. And, loving yourself is the first step to feeling more confident in your skin.
2. Believing negative thoughts.
Negativity is detrimental to your confidence. Those negative thoughts live in your mind, and overtime, you start to believe them. They are no longer just thoughts, but a realistic picture of how you see yourself. This negativity and self-doubt holds you back and drains your confidence.
Think about it – if you don’t believe in yourself, why would anyone else? You must be your own advocate, and to do so, you must think positively about yourself. Turn any negativity into motivation. If there’s something you don’t like about yourself, commit to fixing it. Otherwise, accept yourself, and focus on all the positive traits you have. It’s much easier to source confidence from positivity than it is from negativity.
3. Eating poorly.
To put it simply, an unhealthy, imbalanced diet will make you feel badly. Too many sugars or carbs can make you feel bloated and tired. And let’s face it – bloat makes you feel unattractive and lackluster. These are two things that will not boost your confidence at all.
Be mindful of the foods you’re putting into your body, and consume everything in moderation. After doing this for just a couple of days, your energy will increase and any bloating will decrease. Feeling energetic and comfortable in your body and clothes will help you feel more confident.
4. Pushing the snooze button.
Pushing the snooze button may provide extra sleep. But, it also decreases the time you have to get yourself ready for the day. I feel more confident when I take a few extra minutes to primp in the morning. And, it’s the little things that make me feel confident – like moisturizing my skin or fixing my hair. On the flip side, pushing snooze doesn’t really do much for me. I’m not getting good sleep. Instead, I’m just pushing off the inevitable.
Don’t be so quick to push the snooze button. Consider what you could do in those 15 minutes that would make you feel better about taking on the day. Whether it’s curling your hair or quietly sipping a cup of coffee, get up and do it. The few extra minutes that you put into yourself in the morning will boost your confidence.
5. Caring what others think.
There’s a fine line between caring how others perceive you and caring what others think of you. For example, I care a lot about other people’s feelings, so I never want to be perceived as inconsiderate or rude. But, that’s very different than caring what someone thinks of me.
You subconsciously stop yourself from being yourself when you’re afraid of what others think. Be you, and don’t worry what other people may think. Giving yourself the freedom to be yourself will instantly give you a new kind of confidence.
Self-confidence isn’t something you inherit. And, unfortunately, it’s not something you can just turn on when you need it. Self-confidence comes from choosing to love and trust in yourself every day. When you make self-love a habit, your self-confidence will strengthen each day.
