Struggling with your self-confidence? You’re not alone. Many people deal with insecurities in everyday life, which can negatively impact your well-being and relationships with other people. A lack of confidence can cause suspicion of others, mistrust, misunderstandings, and resentment. Insecurity can also lead to anxiety or the inability to honestly express their feelings. This type of behavior can have damaging effects on romantic relationships, especially when one partner needs constant reassurance.
When you’re more confident in yourself, you’re able to be more trusting and open in relationships. Learning how to improve confidence will bolster feelings of happiness and self-worth and improve the connection you have with your partner. You can’t rely entirely on them for a confidence boost, so it’s important to learn to love yourself for who you are.
Learning how to be confident doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are 8 simple ways to boost self-confidence and improve your relationships:
1. Stay Present
A lot of times, a lack of confidence can be due to over-scrutinizing situations. This means you’re constantly obsessing over things you could have done differently or beating yourself up over past decisions. Remember, no one is perfect! Life is one big learning experience, and you’re going to make mistakes along the way.
The key to avoiding constant regret is to stay present by looking to the future, rather than back at the past. Everyone does this differently, but some helpful ways include:
- Recognizing self-criticizing thoughts as they arise and learning how to dismiss them
- Replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations (or trying meditation)
- Setting daily intentions for you to focus on
Regardless of how you commit to staying present, doing so will help you feel more confident in your everyday life.
2. Let Go of Expectations
If you create unrealistic expectations for yourself, you’re bound to lack self-confidence. Why? You’re human! It’s almost impossible to live up to impractical expectations. Focus on what you can do now and how it can help you in the future. Life almost never goes the way you plan, and if you accept and embrace that, it can help tremendously! You’re still capable of so much, so focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t.
3. Exercise
It’s no secret that exercise makes you feel good. It releases endorphins and keeps you healthy and energized. It’s hard not to feel confident when you’re feeling so good about yourself! Exercising is also a great way to prove to yourself that you can set and achieve goals. Even if your goal is small, committing to the goal and achieving the outcome (let’s say walking/jogging a mile or doing five pushups) will give you fitness confidence that you can translate into other parts of your life.
4. Eat Well
Like exercising, eating healthy foods can improve your general well being, which can make you feel more confident. It can be difficult to feel good about yourself if you’re sluggish most of the time, right? It’s not about counting calories or completely restricting yourself—it’s about choosing healthier options that nourish your body and mind and keep you feeling confident. Focusing on changing your diet or eating better in small, incremental, realistic ways will prove to yourself that you can create and achieve goals, which builds a more confident mindset.
5. Avoid Holding Grudges
You can’t expect yourself to be perfect, and that goes for other people too! Those in your life are bound to mess up from time to time, and it’s important to embrace forgiveness. Of course, every situation is different, but if the offense is something you can move past, it’s best to try and do so. When you give yourself permission to get over the grudge and move on, you allow yourself to live in the present. Taking initiative in this way, and trusting your own instincts of forgiveness, will help you feel more confident moving forward.
6. Seek Support
Sometimes a lack of confidence can stem from deep-seated issues that are hard to address on your own. If you feel like you need support or help building up your confidence, it’s incredibly beneficial to turn to a professional for an outside opinion. Admitting you need help is a huge step toward more self-confidence, and making the decision should feel empowering!
7. Surprise Yourself!
Challenging yourself to try new things or meet new goals can help you build confidence by proving to yourself that you are able to adapt and overcome different things. Trying something new can be intimidating, but it also forces you to come out of your shell and show yourself what you’re made of. (Not to mention, you’ll feel pretty proud of yourself too!)
8. Provide Support to a Friend
If you’re feeling down about yourself, it can be helpful to channel your energy into your relationships with other people. Your friends rely on you for support, and being there for them will not only help them out, but will make you feel useful, leading to more self-confidence. Feeling helpful and needed can improve your feelings of belonging, which can increase your sense of self-worth and, therefore, your overall confidence.
Learning how to be confident takes some practice, but putting in the effort can work wonders for your overall well-being. Not to mention, you deserve to be happy in a relationship—and that won’t happen unless you’re happy with yourself first!
