Being confident is not always easy. As a child I was told I was different because I had my own ideas and as I progressed into a teenager this knocked my self esteem.

I believe that confidence is either natural or learned and for most of us we have to learn it because of the way society judges everything we do say and feel.

If you are lacking in self confidence here are some ways you can learn to overcome your low self esteem and develop into a new confident you.

Daily Achievements:

You probably underestimate just how much you really do and achieve on a daily basis. A good way to improve your confidence is to jot down on a piece of paper or your computer notepad just before you go to bed, things you have achieved in the day, even the small things and then at the end of each week read through them all and you will be amazed at just how much you have actually done. This will really help improve your self esteem and boost your confidence no end.

Surround Yourself With Happy Positive People:

Take a good look around you and the people you surround yourself with. I know from previous experience that certain friend’s and family members brought my mood and confidence down because they live their existence in negative thought and disagreed with personal decisions I made. By surrounding myself with like minded entreprenerial people and positive happy people who cared about personal development I noticed an instant change in the way I felt. Knowing there are other people just like you and support you and your choices really does boost your confidence.

Take care of your Appearance:

Although it’s what inside that counts, your physical appearance is just as important as your mental well-being to improve your confidence. By taking care of personal hygeine, wearing smart clothes and making an effort with grooming yourself, you will not only feel better but other people will want to be around you more. This in itself will boost your confidence sky high.

Exercise Regularly:

Looking after your exterior self involves getting in some form of exercise. If the though of exercise repulses you there are plenty of ways you can get started and one of the best ways is walking. I walk both of my dogs every day and although sometimes the weather can put me off going outside, once I’m out and breathing in the fresh air I soon adapt and instantly feel great.
By exercising you release happy endorphins and feel refreshed and clear headed afterwards. This is a great way to help your confidence as well as looking like a lean mean healthy machine!

Eat Healhier When You Can:

Whether you realise this or not food really can affect your mood and be being in a low mood your are also lacking in confidence. I’m not saying go and become a vegan, just educate yourself on food and nutrition and try to cut out refined sugar (like in bread, cakes, sweets fizzy drinks) as much as possible. I have a rule myself where I eat healthy Monday to Friday and then if on the weekend I want to indulge a little I do, happy in the knowing that I have looked after myself all week. All berries are excellent for lifting your mood and improving mood and concentration. When you feel clear and focused your confidence will shine through.

Feed Your Passions:

Most people have hobbies or interests that they are passionate about. My main passions are Personal Development and dogs. I’m crazy about both. Figure out what yours are and when you work on your passions and share them with others, especially blogging, joining a class or online forum where you get to discuss and share information about what you love, this gets the heart rate up and an almost magic energy occurs when your are in your flow of talking about these things. By feeding your passion with your personal energy you are gaining a new found confidence in yourself.

Have Fun With Failure:

Nobody is perfect and even the most successful people of our time have failed and failed again. I once recorded a simple powerpoint presentation 30 times before getting it right but my persistance paid off eventually. It’s ok to be imperfect and fail over and over again. In fact the more you fail, the more likely you are to be truly successful because you have learned so much in the process of failing! Laugh at yourself when you get something wrong or something doesn’t work out quite how you had it planned. Each time you try again laugh harder and eventually failure will become success because you allowed yourself to relax and be real. Realise that failure is part of life and you are absolutely perfect as you are and this will increase your self confidence to the max.

Be Love:

Love and accept yourself for all your faults. Practice liking everything you do and loving everyone you meet. After a while a pattern will emerge and you will feel surrounded by a warm pleasant feeling everywhere you go. Once you let go of your own emotional pain and accept other people for who they are, you will discover a new found confidence that you never dreamed possible.

Even if you just decide to practice 1 or 2 of these tips it’s better than none! Try for yourself and watch your confidence increase.

Carly Taylor x