Wouldn’t it be amazing to have the kind of self-confidence that could take you places, help you achieve your goals and erase all those self-effacing thoughts from your mind? Guess what? You can have it. Yes, self-confidence can be learned, practiced, and mastered just like any other skill in the world.
Here are seven tricks and tips to boost your self-confidence:
1. Maintain good posture throughout the day
Sitting with good posture can elevate both your self-esteem, and, by extension, your mood. According to research, sitting up straight helps you attain more control over your thoughts. That’s mainly because when we slouch, we compress our lungs and reduce their capacity by up to 30 percent. That decreases the supply of oxygen to our brain and make us feel less assured of ourselves.
2. Smile more Often
If there’s an instant way of giving your self-confidence a shot in the arm, that is undoubtedly having a smile. But the effect isn’t just external: Science suggests that smiling can actually reduce stress, which may pave the way for a happier self. Smiling will not only lighten your mind and heart but will make others feel more content around you.
3. Be prepared for what comes next
Get the essential knowledge that is needed to have about your field, job, next project, whatever is next on your “to be accomplished” list. If you are prepared and have the knowledge to back it up, your self-confidence will rise like the battery of your smartphone after placing it on the phone charging station.
4. Create a list of your accomplishments
The deck of life does not always pull the best waves to sail on. There are times when it seems extremely difficult to maintain self-confidence. For those trials, make a detailed list of your accomplishments you are proud to have achieved.
Post that lists on your walkway mirror, besides charging station for phones or somewhere where you can see them without making too much effort. Now whenever you feel your self-confidence dwindling, take a look at the list and let yourself get motivated all over again.
5. Stop comparing yourself to others
Comparisons aren’t healthy in any way. In fact, a study published in Personality and Individual Differences found a direct link between envy and the lack of confidence individuals faced.
Researchers found that people who compared themselves to others remain in a constant struggle of rivalry that exhausts their mind as it tries to combat those thoughts. And the more envy they experienced, the worse they felt about themselves.