Self-confidence is one of the highly sought-after qualities in every walk of life. Being confident is the key – be it in a professional environment where you must voice your opinion and face various people daily or in a social setting where you must uphold a persona.
The internet is filled with numerous success stories of women who have proven their worth and mental abilities with their actual performance and attractive personalities. However, few guides explain how these women reached this pinnacle of self-confidence. It is where the experts’ opinions and help come in.
What is confidence?
Self-confidence is an integral part of your self-esteem – the way you value yourself in terms of your abilities and qualities. Among other crucial self-esteem factors are self-identity, confidence in your abilities, and your self-worth – the amount of confidence in your abilities.
Self-confidence is fraught with a sense of security in your life, beliefs, and abilities. You must be contented with your life and surroundings and be aware of your strengths and talents to reach that confidence in yourself. The more you know where you lack and excel, the more you feel confident about knowing yourself thoroughly.
Disadvantages of low self-confidence
It is essential to build self-confidence as a woman as it is the most important underlying foundation for everything you do in your life – daily-life activities or long-term goals. While it is entirely normal to doubt yourself sometimes in life, constant low self-confidence or self-esteem can cause permanent personality damages, such as:
- Feeling insecure about everything in life
- Lacking intrinsic motivation
- Inability to take up challenges in life
- Ridden with anxiety or depression
- Negative thoughts and body images
Things to avoid to boost self-confidence
Before giving some pointers on how to increase self-confidence, this article attempts to enlist a few things that women should avoid doing to gain confidence and combat low self-confidence. Acknowledging the reasons for low self-confidence is the key to taking the first step toward improvement.
1. Rumination
Rumination is the process wherein you get stuck in the past as your mind does not stop mulling over the mistakes in the past. It is a vicious cycle of negative thinking patterns that keep attracting pessimistic thoughts about the future and possible failures it can bring.
A 2012 study found that rumination – a cycle of negative thought patterns – is the most significant mediating factor between low self-esteem and depression. Since negative thoughts about the possibility of a bleak future or failed endeavors can significantly impact how one views their abilities and life choices, avoiding this ill-thought process positively impacts self-esteem.
2. Negative self-talk
The motivation that comes from within is called intrinsic motivation, which relies greatly on how one engages in self-talk. Ever given yourself a talk in front of the mirror? Self-talk is indeed one of the finest ways to keep yourself on track. Similarly, avoiding negative self-talk can help lessen the flames of rumination.
The less you think bad about yourself, the more you can avoid self-talk about perceived shortcomings, self-criticism, and blame for past mistakes. Studies show that positive self-talk benefits cognitive performance by modulating the brain states, thus, helping in gaining confidence.
Ways to Improve Confidence as a Woman
It is no more the past century when women were not a part of the mainstream professional world. Today, women are equally indispensable in various walks of professional fields – thriving on their self-confidence and high self-esteem.
Despite being frequently subjected to sexist remarks and attitudes, confident women are not rare in this time and era. We can find several examples around us in different settings where women excel in their abilities and outperform their male peers.
What makes these successful women stand out is the confidence with which they carry themselves and portray their personalities. This article is for you if you want to eliminate your insecurities and come out of the self-doubt bubble that does not let you thrive.
1. Self compassion is the key
It is helpful to take notes of your daily thought patterns, especially addressing the ruminative thoughts overpowering your mind and behavior. If you have undergone a trauma, familial or social issues in the past that cause your negative thought cycle, you must take help from therapy.
As we have read above, ruminating thoughts paint a pessimistic future, thus, making you self-doubt every step you take in your life. This world might have accepted and included women in different walks of life, but guilt marketing still significantly contributes to negative self-image and thoughts. It is where self-compassion comes in. Women need to embrace compassion for themselves.
- For instance, if your ruminating thoughts are related to your past mistakes in personal relationships, self-compassion can stop this vicious cycle of thoughts by telling you that nobody is perfect and anybody can make mistakes.
2. Learn a new skill
Nothing boosts your confidence better than learning a new skill or craft. You should take out some time from your schedule and enroll in a music class or whatever aligns with your passion. There is nothing more fulfilling than taking steps toward your dream.
Self-worthiness is largely attached to the capability of learning new things and mastering new skills.
3. Practice body-mind healing modalities
Have you noticed how refreshing a good morning walk feels? It is because your mind is nourished whenever your body feels good and agile. It would be best to practice healing your mind to feel physically good. Yoga and meditation help increase mindfulness. A calm inner mental state allows you to enjoy the present without worrying about the past or future. The documented positive effects of yoga include reduced anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improvement in sleep patterns, and overall enhanced quality of life.
4. Keep tabs on your progress
The best way to push yourself toward your goals and achievement is to be aware of how much you have already achieved. We all know that the most effective way to attain a goal is to break it down into smaller, more achievable goals and pat yourself on the back. Thus, an effective strategy to build confidence is to monitor the progress.
Valuing your accomplishments is a surefire way to motivate yourself to do more. You can try maintaining a journal wherein you keep noting down your achievements and milestones you have achieved. Looking back at your hard work can significantly make you feel prouder of yourself and, in turn, make you confident.
5. Cut back from toxic relationships
Nothing holds a woman back more than an unsupportive partner or family. Most women in emotionally or physically abusive relationships lack self-confidence as they are repeatedly reminded that they are worthy of nothing good in life. It leads to increased depression and rumination, destroying their personality even more.
Also, to gain confidence as a woman in this era, you must surround yourself with people who appreciate your abilities and acknowledge your achievements. If you are in a toxic relationship – be it friendship, marriage, commitment, or workplace ties – it is best to break free from people who bring you down all the time.
Saying no is also a major component of getting out of toxic relationships and making time for nourishing your mind and healing your body.
Related Article: 7 Powerful Ways to Heal from a Toxic Relationship
Self-confidence lets you thrive
Self-confidence reaffirms your faith in your abilities. It establishes a profound connection between your mind and body, constantly supporting each other and working in unison. A contented mind helps keep your body relaxed and refreshed. When you feel good in your skin, your whole demeanor reflects that and becomes a permanent part of your personality. Therefore, you must follow the tips mentioned in the article to boost your confidence.
Comments are closed.