Do you ever wonder why some people appear more confident than others? You may believe self-confidence is a trait with which people are born. You either have it or you do not. However, research shows it is possible to teach your brain to feel more self confident

Self-confidence is defined as a feeling of trust in one’s own abilities, qualities, and judgment. How you feel about yourself can change across time. Several factors may impact your overall view of yourself such as how you view failure or how you have been treated by others. Even though varying circumstances can effect your confidence levels, you can practice daily habits that may help to train your brain to think more highly of yourself.

Be mindful of your thoughts-Self-confidence starts with what you think about yourself. You have heard the saying, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right”. Training yourself to notice your thoughts, you will identify if they are positive or negative. This is the first step towards changing them. For example, one daily practice is to consider something you believe about yourself that may not be true. Then, keep a log of the times you think that untrue thought about yourself in a day. At this point, you will be ready to decide if you want to make a change.

Set attainable goals- Having a sense of accomplishment can boost your confidence. You may have a goal to get a promotion at work. Breaking this big goal down into smaller daily goals may help you accomplish your goal more efficiently. Ask yourself what small things can I do to help make my goal more attainable? For example, to reach your goal of a promotion, maybe you need more training or maybe if you want to be a manager, you want to be intentional about developing better relationships with your co-workers? Thinking about what it may take to reach your goal within a plan can help you to keep your confidence when you do not see results right away.

Pay attention to your posture- Sitting up straight can not only help you to feel more confident but it can help to give you more ease when you breathe. Studies have also shown that for example, when people look at themselves in the mirror before an important meeting and power pose, they feel more confident. You could make it a daily practice to look in the mirror before you leave and say one positive thing about yourself to yourself.

Conquer your fear of failure- Most people are afraid of something. There may be a rational reason for why you feel afraid. However, if you live in that place, instead of seeking a different perspective, your confidence will be impacted. Fear is a very real thing and it may be easier for some to overcome than others. Sometimes it takes talking to a professional to have them walk you through some possible solutions. Getting rid of that fear can help to change your perspective about yourself. Being less fearful will enable you to take risks you would not have been able to otherwise. If you have failed at something before and you feel like it is challenging to try again write down all of the reasons it could work instead of focusing on why it will not work.

Do not compare yourself with others- Everybody is different. You are unique and that uniqueness is a gift. It can be easy to fall into the trap of wondering why some people have it easier than others or other similar thoughts. The other thing to consider is the iceberg theory. 80 percent of an iceberg is under the water. You can only see the top of it. The 80 percent that is under the water are all the things that do not show on the outside. What you see is the success (the top of the iceberg) but what you do not see is what it took for them to reach the point of success. A daily practice that may help with this is to focus on you and your goals. Focus on what is special about you and learn to appreciate you for who you are.

There are many other habits you can form to help you learn to feel more confident. Be sure to follow our blog for other tips that may help you along the way.