There are days when it can be hard to believe in yourself or when you feel doubtful. This can be a result of stress, a bad day or maybe there’s just no reason why you feel that way. Whatever the reason, we can go through periods where our self confidence is down. Lucky for us, there are things we can do to regain confidence. Here are some hacks you can try when you’re feeling down and need to perk up.
Get Energized
One of the reasons why you feel low is due to lack of energy. You can easily remedy this by taking a catnap to refresh yourself or by getting yourself energized through physical activity. Put some music on and get moving. If you don’t feel the beat, get out of the house or office and go for a short walk. 15-20 minutes of walking should be enough to reenergize you and get the creative juices flowing.
Make A List of Your Strengths
Need an easy confidence booster without leaving your chair? Spend 15 minutes and make a list of your strengths. Reflect on all the good and positive about yourself. Write down your strengths, goals, ambitions or passion. You can make a 5-star review of yourself so it’s like you’re selling yourself. After you have 2-3 paragraphs, read it out loud. The act of reading it aloud to yourself will help solidify the idea to your brain and make it more real.
Surround Yourself With Inspiring People
Build your self confidence by constantly surrounding yourself with people who inspire you or believe in you. If you have negative people around you, stay away from them or let them go. Spending time with people who uplift you will make you feel positive and help you regain confidence.
Celebrate Your Wins
What better way to feel self confident than by celebrating your victories? Every time something good happens to you or you’ve achieved something, take time to celebrate these wins and give yourself a pat on the back. Take it a step further by making this a ritual. Every Sunday before you go to sleep, think about all you have accomplished last week no matter how small it is. This habit is great for positive reinforcement.
Talk To Yourself
People who talk to themselves are smarter, have better memory, focused and perform better. According to the documentary The Human Brain, we say 300-1,000 words to ourselves per minute. The Navy SEALS and Special Forces use the power of self-talk to regain confidence and as a way to get through tough times.
Dress for Success
You’ve probably heard that you should dress for the job you want to have not the one you currently have. This is a good piece of advice for people who want a job promotion or those that just want a self-confidence boost. Wearing nice clothes can change how other people look at you and how you look at yourself.
Make Eye Contact
Eye contact during conversations means that you’re interested and respect the other person’s time. It also shows the other party that you’re trusting and transparent. Don’t forget to slip in a smile here and there so that you don’t look intense and to look around the room so that you’re not staring at one person.
Stand Straight
Optimizing your posture by sitting or standing straight is a great and easy way to regain confidence. By sitting or standing straighter, lifting up your chin and puffing out your chest, you will feel better immediately. When you need to feel self-confidence, try this trick to feel more empowered. When people see that you are self-confident, their perception of you will change.
Be Prepared
When you want to feel confident when the spotlight is on you, you have to be prepared. If you have an important presentation, prepare by practicing for it. If there’s a competition coming up, train harder. If you have a big date, visualize it going great over and over again. Need to make an important sales call? Review your notes repeatedly. When you see somebody brimming with self-confidence, you can be sure that a lot of preparation happened behind the scenes.
