How to build your confidence, brick by brick
They often say that confidence is the key to unlocking your true potential. This is because it changes how you act or present yourself in different settings, whether you’re socialising with friends, heading out for a first date, or even interviewing for your dream job.
Despite this, it does not come naturally to most people (despite how it may seem). As such, your confidence levels are something that you’ll have to work on throughout your life.
Fortunately, there are many steps that you can take to gradually build your confidence up, brick by brick. This means that you will then have a strong foundation to rely on moving forward. Read on to find out more!
Develop a good skincare routine
The vast majority of confidence issues relate back to how we feel about our appearance. While accepting ourselves for who we are is important, developing an effective skincare regimen can be a real game-changer when it comes to feeling confident. This is because it can help you tackle a wide range of issues, from acne to redness and even the signs of aging.
When first starting out, try to keep things simple. You don’t need to spend hundreds on skincare, you just need to find a handful of products that work for you, focusing on cleansing, toning, and moisturizing.
If you still aren’t getting the results you’d hoped for (bearing in mind that this can take some time), you may also want to look into cosmetic treatments that can help you achieve your goals. For example, if you are dealing with discoloration, you could try out different kinds of hyperpigmentation treatment, such as microneedling or derma-planning.
Refine your makeup routine
62% of people say that they feel more confident when wearing makeup. There are many potential reasons for this. For example, it can disguise their so-called flaws while drawing attention to their best features. As such, learning how to perfect your make-up routine can also help you fall in love with your reflection again.
Ideally, you should emulate a make-up style that flatters your features, face shape, or coloring. For example, it is often advised that those with brown eyes wear gold, bronze, and pink eyeshadows. If you aren’t sure where to get started, watch tutorials online. This will help you to figure out which makeup styles you like and the best techniques for applying makeup, whether you have ten minutes to get ready or several hours.
Change your hairstyle
While you may have had the same haircut for several years on the run, many people find that a drastic haircut can increase their confidence tenfold. As such, now may be the perfect time to dye your hair or cut it super short – depending on your preference. Of course, you should always make sure you entrust a hairdresser to carry out this task on your behalf, as this can help you avoid haircut nightmares while also ensuring that you choose a style that is both flattering and stylish.
Upgrade your wardrobe
Upgrading your wardrobe can also help to elevate your confidence, especially if you choose pieces that flatter your figure and colour palette. To begin, purchase timeless essentials that you can mix and match to create different looks. For example, a black skirt can be paired with a shirt for a business casual look or a jumper if you are doing something a little more relaxed and casual.
Once you’ve built a capsule wardrobe that matches your personal style, consider investing in a few statement pieces, too. If you’re working within a specific budget, consider shopping second-hand.
Change the way you talk (or think) about yourself
You’ll find it near-impossible to elevate your confidence levels if that little voice inside your head is always tearing you down. As such, it is important that you start changing the way you talk to (or think about) yourself moving forward.
While it can be hard to rewire your brain in this way, learning to silence that voice can be truly transformational. One way in which you can achieve this goal is by getting into the habit of complimenting yourself, ideally out loud. For example, when getting ready each morning, you should try to say a handful of things you like about yourself. This does not necessarily need to be related to your appearance; you could also comment on your character, skills, or the kind of friend you are to others.
Though this will take some getting used to, the more you work at this, the quicker the compliments will come to mind and the better you’ll feel about yourself overall. This is because doing so gives you permission to discover more about the person that you are, as opposed to seeking out the flaws and nothing else. In addition to this, you should try to counter negative thoughts as soon as they appear.
Work on your posture
Various studies have found a link between good posture and high self-esteem. As such, this is something that you should work on moving forward. For example, you can improve your posture while you work by:
- Sitting upright, with your back against the chair as opposed to leaning forward
- Keeping your shoulders low, as opposed to raising them or hunching over
- Investing in ergonomic furniture and work tools/supplies
Stop comparing yourself to others
It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others and feel as though you are constantly falling short. For example, this is something that we do every time we scroll on social media, whether we’re looking at pictures uploaded by our celebrities or our friends.
However, by doing so, you’re once again putting limits on your own confidence and self-esteem. This is because you’ll be focusing heavily on your alleged “shortcomings” as opposed to celebrating what makes you great. However, as self-comparison can feel instinctive rather than a choice, it can be hard to know how to stop it.
Fortunately, there are many different strategies that you can rely on during this time. For example, this could start by taking a break from social media or unfollowing/muting the accounts that make you feel bad about yourself. Upon your return, try to remember that we only upload posts to social media when something good is happening – meaning that our bad days remain hidden.
Distance yourself from negativity
We’ve all experienced toxicity within friendships or relationships, but this is not something that you need to simply accept or learn to deal with – especially if doing so is harming your confidence.
This does not necessarily mean that you need to cut someone off, but you should let them know that you don’t appreciate the way they try to bring you down and set healthy boundaries for your interactions moving forward. If they are not able to make a change off the back of this or continue to make negative comments, then you can walk away with your head held high.
On a similar note, you should make sure that you instead surround yourself with people who uplift you or make you feel good about yourself.
Always be on the lookout for a challenge
You’ll never feel truly confident if you stay within your comfort zone. After all, this means that the way you act or feel will never really change. As such, you should always be on the lookout for challenges that will help you step outside of your comfort zone or the limits that you have set for yourself.
For example, you may want to use this as an opportunity to develop a new skill that will help you to take the next steps in your career. Alternatively, it could mean that you could put yourself up for a promotion at work, as opposed to letting doubt creep in and tell you that you aren’t good enough.
Outside of the professional sphere, you can challenge yourself by picking up a new hobby, whether that is exercise-related or something creative. This, again, will help you to develop a wide range of useful skills that will serve you well moving forward.
As such, no matter how safe you may feel inside your comfort zone, now is the time to start stepping outside of it.
Build your confidence with every step
In short, while it may not seem that way now, there are plenty of steps that you can take to build your confidence, even if your self-esteem is at an all-time low. For example, you can achieve this goal by:
- Developing an effective skincare routine
- Refining and perfecting your makeup routine
- Changing your hairstyle
- Upgrading your wardrobe
- Changing the way you talk to or think about yourself
- Working on your posture
- Working to stop comparing yourself to others
- Distancing yourself from negativity
- Stepping outside of your comfort zone as much as you can
The sooner you get started on the tasks outlined above, the sooner your confidence will begin to grow and flourish. As such, do not hesitate to get started today, especially when doing so could bring a smile to your face tomorrow.
