Friday Five: 5 Self-Care Tips to Build Self-Confidence
Ever felt unsure about yourself, or that you’re not good enough? Maybe a situation at work or in a social setting has left you feeling anxious? Or maybe in your alone time you are stuck replaying supposed mistakes you made?
Often, anxiety and self-admonishment can stem from a lack of confidence in one’s own abilities or worth. While some people seem to be born with it, self-confidence is a skill that can (and should) be nurtured in order to grow.
Today, let’s talk about 5 self-care tips to build self-confidence for the times you most need it.
1. Be Kind to Yourself
While we can’t change the way other people think or talk about us, we CAN manage the way we think and talk to ourselves. Sometimes we are too rough on ourselves without noticing, and that also can ruin our confidence.
The more you repeat something in your mind, the more the mind believes in it… so why not say nice things about yourself? Having self-compassion is a form of self-love.
2. Practice Positive Self-Talk
As with the first tip, talking nicely to yourself can be a game-changer move when it comes to confidence. Even better, it’s easy to start! How can you do it? Here are some affirmations or thoughts to practice:
Replace “I’m terrible at this” with “I am doing my best right now”
Replace “This is impossible” with “I can do this and if I can’t, that’s also ok”
Replace “I’m bad at talking in public” with “I can get better at talking in public”
Replace “No one likes me” with “I don’t need to be liked by everyone”
3. Know When to Say No
Knowing when to set boundaries is key to taking care of yourself. Saying no to activities that you don’t feel comfortable in is a good thing. You don’t need to push yourself out of your comfort zone all the time.
While going outside of it can be good for your personal growth, it is not always necessary or a “must”. Creating clear boundaries and going at your own pace can be a way of growing too!
4. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
While feeling down, it's easy to start comparing yourself with others, such as co-workers, friends and family members. But if you think about it, it’s not rational to expect your path or behavior to be the same as other people’s.
Everyone has been raised differently, born in different situations and grown up with different stimuli, so why would anyone’s life be the same as another’s? Embracing differences is a healthier way to approach life. Instead of looking at others, why not look at yourself and try to understand what made you who you are? We can change our own narrative, but first we have to understand it.
Reflecting upon what led you to your situation can be a good way to start the process of changing.
5. Take Care of Your Body
Without falling into the idea of “being in shape” or “ready for summer”, taking care of your body is about feeling comfortable in and caring for your physical self. After all, it’s the only one we’ve got! What can you do to take care of your body? Here are a few recommendations:
Meditate: Whether you already do it or you’ve never tried, meditation is a good way to find yourself in your body, be present within it, understand its needs and give it the chance to take up space.
Exercise: It’s known that physical exercise helps boost self-confidence. Exercise is also good for anxiety, depression and stress. Moreso, it can help you get out of your head. It helps promote the growth of new neurons, and it’s a natural way to increase serotonin levels in the brain!
Sleep: Making sure to sleep a decent amount of hours will help your brain and body to approach life differently. A study published in 2015 by the Sleep Research Society found multiple adverse effects for those who slept less than seven hours a night, with potential psychological outcomes such as depression, increased pain, impaired performance, increased errors, and greater risk of accidents.
Never forget to be nice to yourself, it’s your first time experiencing life!
