Self-confidence and self-esteem are vital traits that one needs to have to be comfortable while performing their day-to-day activities. Self-confidence is the ability to accept yourself just the way you are and trust that all your decisions are entirely in your favor no matter the outcome. Self-confidence is having a sense of control over all your choices, starting from how you dress to relating with others. On the other hand, self-esteem is the general opinion of yourself. It is the ability to feel amazing about yourself and feels that you deserve other people’s respect. Self-esteem and self-confidence are related in the psychological world because these are both traits that positively impact your mental health and allow you to make assertive and realistic decisions.
It is confidence in our bodies, minds, and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures.
Oprah Winfrey
–However, not everyone has enough self-confidence or self-esteem. Some of the signs of someone with low self-confidence and esteem include;
- Being shy or unsure about yourself around other people
- The inability to make assertive decisions on your own due to fear
- Always seeking other people’s approval
- Is not ready for feedback (either negative or positive )
With the right dose of self-esteem and self-confidence, one can achieve much without being pushy or feeling better than others. You can thrive in your academics, profession, and relationships and improve your mental health. Have you ever looked at a person entering a room and thought,” they are confident” by the way you dress, talk, or even walk, people can tell whether you are self-confident or not.
If you have trouble building your self-esteem or self-confidence, here are some special psychological tips to help you.
8 Tips for building your self-confidence and self-esteem
Look at what you have already achieved
If you are in the middle of a task and are unsure of the outcome, pause, take a deep breath, and look back at what you have already done and achieved perfectly. Focus on that one thing that made you proud of yourself and tell yourself you can do it again.
Set some realistic goals
One thing that might make our self-confidence bend is setting unreachable goals. Goals that are hard to attain can make us feel like we can not do better. Before you start working on something, set small attainable goals, and if possible, make a list to tick if you reach any of those goals. Just like taking small steps, achieving small, realistic goals can help one build self-confidence.
Focus on your strengths and how to improve your weaknesses
For example, if you are better at writing than public speaking, make an effort to write more while figuring out how to improve your public speaking skills. Remember, it gets better with practice. Focusing on your strengths gives you the idea that you are good at something and can do it well, which helps build your self-confidence.
If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.
Vincent Van Gogh
Get a hobby
One great tip to help build your self-confidence is getting a hobby. Find an activity that you like, for example, cooking or going to the gym, and take time off after your daily activities to focus on your hobby. With time, your hobby becomes your safe space and helps you grow and achieve the right dose of self-confidence.
Talk yourself up
“I can do this,” “I am able,” “I am the best .”These are excellent examples of how to talk yourself up to improve your self-confidence. Psyching yourself with words of affirmation can give you the sense of control to deal with tasks you thought were past your abilities. It also goes without say that listening to uplifting music can also help boost your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Learn to be assertive
Assertiveness is the ability to say “no” or “yes” and mean it. While other people can be assertive, people with low self-esteem are easily swayed in decision-making. An important tip for building your self-esteem is learning how to say no and mean it confidently. Make decisions based on what you feel or know is right without comparing other people’s decisions to yours. Assertive people who are not pushy have just the right amount of self-esteem.
Build positive relationships
The people we relate to within our daily surroundings can also affect our self-esteem. Hanging around people who always bring you down or focus on what you are weak at can reduce your self-esteem over time. Building positive relationships with people who will uplift you and correct you without judgment can help build your self-esteem.
Challenge yourself
Finally, challenge yourself to do better. Every day is a chance to make yourself a better person, and taking on challenges that will help you do so helps one a great deal. If you feel like you cannot do a certain task, take it upon yourself to do it, no matter how long it takes. Just believe in yourself.
Even if you don’t, pretend that you do and, at some point, you will. – Venus Williams
Conclusion
Building your self-confidence and self-esteem is a great way to have your life under control. However, having low self-esteem does not mean you are any inferior. All you have to do is find what tip works best for you to slowly but surely improve your self-confidence and self-esteem.