“Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand brake on.” — Maxwell Maltz
When you see someone with brimming self-confidence, self-love and esteem; it’s probably because they’ve worked hard on building these traits. We humans, are not born with oozing self-confidence but the hardships of life are fairly good motivators. In the social media age, a negative comment, troll or meme that’s aimed at you can shoo away whatever little self-confidence you have. Some demeaning remark, comment, rejection and especially self-criticism can kill your confidence. Since there’s such negativity around us, the good news is that you can improve and build self-confidence right from scratch.
Here are 7 strategies to help nurture yourself –
Stop comparing yourself to others
Your struggles are unique and so are your failures. Comparing yourself to a friend who’s Instagram reveals his extremely lavish personal life can turn you into an envious soul. Honestly, envying someone is only going to make you more miserable. Stop the vicious cycle.
Photoshop your self-image
Low self-confidence is a result of your poor perception of self in your mind. Use your mental Photoshop skills to fix this image and create the one that you’re proud of.
Hustle harder
Confidence is built on achievements. If you want to fix your self-confidence, hustle to achieve your smaller day-to-day goals and work towards the bigger goals that will ultimately lead to success. Simply put, set goals and strive to achieve them.
Kill negativity, breed positivity
If your inner voice is pessimistic and unhelpful, shut it down with words of positivity. Replace ‘I can’t do it’ with ‘Why not? I can be successful if I try it’ to reinforce positive behavior in your life.
Empower yourself with knowledge
Research, study, practice and get yourself educated – This builds competency. Use the internet, talk to someone experienced, read magazines and books to be prepared.
Shed all inhibitions
Fearing failure cripples you at the knees. Take the risk, peep inside yourself, and gather every ounce of courage to achieve what you’ve promised yourself. The achievement and urgency are greater than your inhibition itself.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindful meditation, calming sessions and yoga can help in becoming self-aware which is the first step towards building unparalleled self-confidence. Remember it is hard to feel good about yourself when you’re emotionally, socially and mentally unhappy.
Remember, success comes to those who believe in themselves. To attain your goals, take chances, overcome challenges and meet your obstacles head-on because this is what confident people do. Don’t forget that self-confidence isn’t built overnight.
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