Give you a boost

Even the most outwardly confident person has moments of self-doubt when they don’t feel at their best – but for some people the feeling of low confidence can be an almost permanent one.

Confidence is affected by many factors – including our own feelings of self-worth or perceived degree of success. If you’re lacking in these areas then you should check out the following top ways to boost your confidence – which will have you feeling able to tackle any given situation!

Get a new image
It doesn’t matter whether you are male or female – what you look like will always affect your confidence. Your everyday appearance – including what clothes you’re wearing, how your hair looks and what make-up you’re wearing – will make a massive difference to how you feel. All of us know how much our confidence can be knocked when having a bad hair day, or by having unsightly spots appear overnight smack bang in the middle of our faces!

It’s well worth investing in your appearance with new clothes or a new hairstyle, as this will really boost your confidence. Wear some colors that cheer you up and make you feel good about yourself, or go for a smarter option if you think this will make you feel more confident.

Get a new job
It might be your job that is causing you to lack confidence. If you’re in a place where you’re constantly undermined or lacking a challenge, then your confidence is hardly going to be sky high. If that’s the case, then it’s probably time to move on and find a more challenging role.

Look for that job out there that you really want, and then apply for it – rather than constantly thinking about going for it and then doing nothing. If you get the job then you’ll feel extremely uplifted and much more confident. Admittedly, there is always a risk that your level of confidence will go down if you don’t get the job, but don’t let that bother you; instead, be proud of the fact that you tried – and then try again.

List your good points
Write out a list of all the things that you are good at, to act as reminder to yourself that you are least good at some things! Then, when you’re feeling that your confidence is on the wane, take the list out, read it, and add something new to it. If you’re struggling to think of things to add to your list, then it’s possible you’re missing the obvious or being too harsh on yourself.

It’s also worth remembering some of the things you have achieved so far in your life. They don’t have to be earth-shattering achievements, but could still be something to be proud of – such as passing your driving test, raising a family, getting fit, or successfully saving up for a vacation.

Work on your small talk
Some people really struggle in social situations such as parties because they feel they lack the confidence to engage in small talk with people they do not know. They constantly avoid these situations and therefore their confidence does not improve – and nor does their circle of friends.

Our advice is: if you get invited somewhere, make sure you go! The more social situations you get in, the more comfortable you’ll feel making small talk to people you’ve only just met. Remember: most people probably feel the same way, and will probably be so relieved when you break the ice that they’ll open up and talk to you in kind.

Mix with positive people
Being around positive people will rub off on you and will get you in a positive frame of mind – as well as brimming with confidence! If you’re surrounded by happy, smiling faces and laughter, then isn’t that going to be infectious?

Being positive is all in the mind – so you have to make yourself think positively. But if there are positive people around giving you advice, building you up, and pushing you in the right direction, then thinking positively will come more easily and your confidence will naturally increase as a result. So, if you are aware that the people you mix with tend to bring you down a lot, then do something about it by getting some new friends.

Get fit and eat healthily
Your body shape and weight can have a major impact on your confidence levels – although we’re not saying that everyone who is overweight, underweight or needs to tone up is always lacking in confidence, of course. But getting more exercise and following a healthier diet will boost your sense of well-being – and this in turn will have a positive effect on your confidence.

Getting fitter and eating more healthily will definitely make a difference to your confidence levels – no matter how much or little you improve. Remember the saying ‘healthy body, healthy mind’? Well, it’s true!

Be assertive
Assertiveness breeds confidence in yourself and gains the confidence of others around you. If you take control of a situation, you will gain confidence from that, and any positive feedback you get from others will surely help with your levels of confidence too.

Being assertive doesn’t have to mean being rude or bossy. You could start by making yourself stand tall so that people take notice of you and your oozing confidence. Then decide that each day it’s going to be you that makes everyday decisions at home and in the workplace, rather than waiting to be told what to do or being passive.