10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence

10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence


Self Confidence

Self confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. I like to think of it as an aura. And here's the big deal. Perception is reality — the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed.

Wow, did you know that?

Although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence in yourself, each and everyday. it's Monday and I think you need to know some of these things, just to get you revved up for the week. By using these 10 strategies you can get the mental edge you need to reach your potential.

And I'm sure you're reading this blog because you want to reach your potential.

Building YOUR Self Confidence

1. Dress Sharp

Although clothes don’t make the man,(or the woman) they certainly affect the way he feels about himself/herself. No one is more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. No One! When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance. Workout, eat right, have the best body you can have and take supplements. In most cases, significant improvements can be made by bathing and shaving frequently, wearing clean clothes, and being cognizant of the latest styles.

That may be a challenge to some, but for most, it's not.

This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on clothes. One great rule to follow is “spend twice as much, buy half as much”.

Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many select, high quality items. In long run this decreases spending because expensive clothes wear out less easily and stay in style longer than cheap clothes.

Buying less also helps reduce the clutter in your closet.

2. Walk Faster

One of the easiest ways to tell how a person feels about herself is to examine her walk. Is it slow? tired? painful? Or is it energetic and purposeful? People with confidence walk quickly. They have places to go, people to see, and important work to do. Even if you aren’t in a hurry, you can increase your self confidence by putting some pep in your step. Walking 25% faster will make to you look and feel more important. I'm getting on the stepper at least four or five times a week, walking 155 - 30 minutes a day. If you can do something like this, stay flexible with regular chiropractic care, you're going to be much better off. Who wants to be old and in a wheel chair. Not me. I want to be who I am. A little more fragile than when I was 20 but not much.

3. Good Posture

Similarly, the way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements (slow movements) display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Check this out. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and make eye contact. Eye contact is very important with women. Most patients are women, so you have to learn to do this. You’ll make a positive impression on others and instantly feel more alert and empowered.

4. Personal Commercial

One of the best ways to build confidence is listening to a motivational speech. Unfortunately, opportunities to listen to a great speaker are few and far between. You can fill this need by creating a personal commercial. Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals. Then recite it in front of the mirror aloud (or inside your head if you prefer) whenever you need a confidence boost.

5. Gratitude

The attitude of gratitude. When you focus too much on what you want,(and most people do due to human nature) the mind creates reasons why you can’t have it. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses (and we ALL have weaknesses). The best way to avoid this is consciously focusing on gratitude. Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for. I mean if you're healthy, you have something to be thankful for. Recall your past successes, unique skills, loving relationships you have with your children etc., and your positive momentum. You’ll be amazed how much you have going for you and motivated to take that next step towards success if you just take the time and think about it.

6. Compliment other people

When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. I hate to tell you but if you engage in this, it's going to effect you. To break this cycle of negativity, and you do need to break this, get in the habit of praising other people. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you. Give at least one compliment to everyone you come in contact with every day. In the process, you’ll become well liked and build self confidence in yourself. By looking for the best in others, you indirectly bring out the best in yourself.

7. Sit in the front row

Here's another biggie. In schools, offices, and public assemblies around the world, people constantly strive to sit at the back of the room. next time you go to a meeting watch which seats are filled the first. Most people prefer the back because they’re afraid of being noticed. I know I've done this before. This reflects a lack of self confidence. By deciding to sit in the front row, you can get over this irrational fear and build your self confidence. You’ll also be more visible to the important people talking from the front of the room.

8. Speak up

During group discussions many people never speak up because they’re afraid that people will judge them for saying something stupid. This fear isn’t really justified. Generally, people are much more accepting than we imagine. In fact most people are dealing with the exact same fears. By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.

9. Work out

Along the same lines as personal appearance, physical fitness has a huge effect on self confidence. If you’re out of shape, you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and less energetic. By working out, you improve your physical appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive. Having the discipline to work out not only makes you feel better, it creates positive momentum that you can build on the rest of the day. I like to workout, I just haven't made the time to do exactly what I want to do. I've found a way to gain that in four minutes or less a day and I have to tell you, if you don't have four minutes, you need to get a life. I do, everyone does, and you can change your life and how you feel about yourself, just doing this.

10. Focus on contribution

Too often we get caught up in our own desires. We focus too much on ourselves and not enough on the needs of other people. If you stop thinking about yourself and concentrate on the contribution you’re making to the rest of the world, you won’t worry as much about you own flaws. This will increase self confidence and allow you to contribute with maximum efficiency. The more you contribute to the world the more you’ll be rewarded with personal success and recognition. I'm all for that.

I know these are my own thoughts, but since this is a blog, I'm a chiropractor, a nutritionist, a copywriter, an acupuncturist, and a marketing strategist, I thought you might like to read about what it takes to be self confident.

Let me know your thoughts.

Dr. Carney