15 Tips To Increase Your Confidence

Confidence, the galvanic force that can help one accomplish great feats, is also known as faith in oneself. “Faith is the “external elixir” which gives life, power, and action to the impulse of thought! Faith is the starting point of all accumulation of riches! ….Faith is the only known antidote for failure!” These are the wise words of Napoleon Hill, a highly renowned self-improvement guru. Conversely, lack of faith will accelerate your journey towards failure. The simple fact is that when you do not have faith in yourself, no one else will believe in you and your capabilities.
If you think that you lack self-confidence, you need not worry because here is some good news. According to Barrie Davenport, “Low self-confidence isn’t a life sentence. Self-confidence can be learned, practiced, and mastered–just like any other skill. Once you master it, everything in your life will change for the better.” As William James, who is considered the father of Psychological Science once said, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” The following few tips will help you master self-confidence.

15. Read inspirational quotes, poems, etc. as often as possible

Even highly confident people admit that at times, they also feel gloomy. But they adopt this simple method of reading inspirational books or poems to lift their spirits. You can emulate them to dispel your lack of confidence.

14. Act “as if” you are confident

Experts point out that you will feel confident when you wear your favorite dresses. Similarly, by improving your appearance, you can increase your confidence. The easiest way to increase your confidence in any situation is to act “as if” you are confident.  Even if you are not in a happy mood, your face must not show it. In other words, the expression on your face must make others believe that you are happy. Remember that you cannot fake for long. So, you will really start feeling happy after some time and this will certainly increase your confidence level. Similarly, frequently visualizing in your mind that you are confident may also help in lifting your confidence level.

13. Do something good for others

There is no better way to lift your confidence level than by doing something good for others. Helping an older person with his luggage, offering your seat to someon on the bus, donating blood, etc. are just a few examples of kind acts that can make you feel that you have done something good. “Get interested in people! Develop a friendly, healthy interest in the people who share your life,” says Dale Carnegie. When you do something good for others, you are certain to feel more confident.

12. Challenge yourself often and surmount the challenges

Challenge yourself as often as possible and make all-out efforts to surmount these challenges. For example, when you master a new thing, you can feel that your confidence level has increased. Your attitude will change and you will willingly take up bigger challenges.

Let us take the example of Elmer Thomas, former senator from Oklahoma. Elmer was very tall but was very thin he lacked confidence. His mother advised him to study. So, he went to Central Normal College, Danville, Indiana where because of his thin frame, some called him “hatchet-face.” The life changing event that raised his confidence was a public-speaking contest at the annual Putnam County Fair. Until then, Elmer had never had the courage to speak to even a single person. So, speaking before a crowd was a fantastic idea for him. His mother insisted that he take part in the contest. He prepared well, memorized the speech and rehearsed it hundreds of times. He won first prize. According to Elmer, “it multiplied his confidence a hundredfold.”

11. Never, never procrastinate

‘Procrastination is the thief of time’ is the saying. You may say that since you lack confidence, you are procrastinating. But will procrastinating solve your confidence issue? No. On the other hand, it will sap whatever little confidence you may have. Therefore, instead of looking for reasons to put things off, start attending to them without delaying. Once you begin doing a task, you will understand that they are not as difficult as you imagined. And of course, once you finish the task, you will feel more confident. 

10. Make yourself relax at regular intervals

Stress can rob your confidence. Therefore, you should learn to manage your stress levels. One of the best ways to achieve this is to relax at regular intervals. Regular relaxation can rejuvenate your physical and mental energy as well. There are many ways to relax: meditation, yogic and breathing exercises, listening to soothing music, praying, etc. These can do a world of good. And, if you are fond of comedy shows, go ahead and indulge. They not only provide comic relief but tension relief as well.

9. Reward yourself for your achievements

You will reap twin benefits if you reward yourself for your achievements, however small they may be. You will remain motivated and at the same time, will keep your confidence level intact. 

For example, weight loss experts advise their patients to go for a “cheat meal” once a week. This is one way of rewarding themselves for their tenacious, confident and focused approach. At the same time, remaining motivated.

8. Sit straight

Sitting slumped with slouched shoulders is an indication that you lack confidence. So, sit straight to improve your posture and your confidence. Experts also advise that you should keep the head level high and your chest open. This change of posture will bring about a transformation in your mood and thus make you feel better and more confident. 

7. Give a pep talk to yourself on a regular basis

Pep talks can significantly lift your mood. So, whenever your confidence level comes down, you can give yourself a pep talk. If you repeat these pep talks on a regular basis, you can do your tasks with enthusiasm and confidence. As an expert says, “when you say to another person ‘you can’, this is suggestion. When you say to yourself ‘I can’, you motivate yourself by self-suggestion.”

Napoleon Hill says in his “Think and Grow Rich,” “Repetition of affirmation of orders to your subconscious mind is the only known method of voluntary development of the emotion of faith.”

6. Powerful music can help you in feeling powerful

Researchers have found out that there are certain types of music like the heavy-bass music that can make people feel powerful. You can choose to listen to such music for lifting your confidence level. 

5. Learn to confront failures head-on

You may say that your lack of confidence is due to what is known as the “fear of failure.” But the words of Michael Jordan are worth remembering. He said, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Remember also that “failure is the stepping stone to success.” If you fail, it is time to delve deep and know the reasons for your failure. Once you know the reasons, you can avoid making the same mistakes. In fact, knowing the reasons for your failure and being determined to succeed will boost your confidence. 

4. Sweat it out

We know exercise has a great number of physical benefits, but did you know it can increase your confidence as well? It sure can. So, make it a point to work out regularly to bring down your stress and increase your confidence. 

3. Do your most difficult tasks during the golden hours

Morning hours are golden hours because your mind is fresh after the delicious slumber you had. You will be able to finish even difficult tasks during these hours. This enhances your confidence significantly making you ready to take on even more difficult tasks. According to Nancy Vito, who is a transformational coach, “Even doing something seemingly small every day will lead you to something bigger. You will grow and will begin to feel unstoppable.” 

2. Cherish the memories of your accomplishments

Your accomplishments, however small they may be, can be a great confidence booster. You should therefore recall them as often as possible. This will motivate you to take on similar or even greater feats with confidence. 

1. Stay away from negative people and pessimism

Negative people can sabotage your confidence. Even when you exude confidence, they will warn you that you may fail. In fact, they will only see the negative side of things because that is all that is really “visible” to them. You should avoid such incorrigible pessimists because they will discourage you from taking the required steps to achieve whatever goals you have set for yourself. This is very important because it is very difficult to become a confident person if you are surrounded by negative people.
Remember that if you continuously have negative thoughts in your mind, you may end up manifesting your fears. Sometime our situations can be very discouraging and being positive seems next to impossible. The best way to come out of this quagmire is to shift your focus from your problems to finding ways to surmount them. As several self-improvement gurus put it, “keep your mind on the things you want & off the things you do not want.”
It is true that talent and knowledge will boost confidence to a great degree. But practicing and mastering are more important. In fact, you can off-set your lack of talent and knowledge with your consistent practice. History is replete with examples of many average but successful people who practiced tirelessly and surpassed the accomplishments of even great geniuses. 

Remember “There is no such thing as something for nothing.” This means you should be ready to pay the “price” for increasing your confidence. That price here is to make it a point to practice these steps regularly and consistently so you can gain the confidence you are looking for.

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