Confidence makes us beautiful and it comes from accepting yourself. The moment you accept yourself, it makes everything better. —Diane Von Furstenberg
One thing I’m really focusing on this season is (re)building my confidence so I can live a free and fulfilling life.
When you’re confident, you make decisions that result in the improvement of your health, finances, relationships, and overall well-being.
In a way, confidence brings you a richer life in the form of a sense of peace of mind.
I can’t say that I have that at the moment. After the last several years, I feel like I’ve lost my confidence, who I once was, the me whom I absolutely loved.
So, for the past several months, I’ve been studying and applying my knowledge to rebuild a new version of myself
In this article, I want to share seven tips I’ve been using myself to teach you how to build your confidence:
WORK ON YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
The way you physically and mentally feel is a huge factor when it comes to having confidence.
You may think, “Yeah, yeah. I know.” No, love. I don’t think you understand just how much your mental and physical health plays into your having the utmost confidence. The percentage is higher than you think.
KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU
A major thing that has helped me with my confidence these last few years has been reading the Bible and studying Bible plans regarding confidence and bravery.
Until you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, you won’t understand what it means to be truly confident in who you are.
TAKE SMALL ACTION STEPS
I’ve always believed that the cure to fear is action.
Learn as much as you can. You’d be surprised how listening to a book or podcast for 15-30 minutes a day can improve your knowledge. When your knowledge improves, you have much more to talk about in conversations. The result? Increased confidence when talking about a subject you know about! I’ve linked some books that have changed my life and helped me build my confidence below. If you’re interested, here’s my personal library and recommended reading!
Personally, I took a small step by taking the Confidence Course by my friend, Rachel Kennedy.
Speaking of, here’s a fantastic article by my friend, Rachel, if you were confident before and are trying to get your confidence back.
PRACTICE DELAYED GRATIFICATION
Good things come to those who wait. Well, good things come to those who are patient while they work toward their goals too.
I think one of the hardest skills to build is envisioning something before you even have it or experience it.
You may want something so badly right now and that’s okay. But it’s also okay if not more, to feel and believe, “I know what I want, but it’s not the right time right now. I’ve got some other things I need to focus on that are more important. When I’m finished with those priorities, my reward will be even greater!”
LEARN TO SAY NO
Learning to say no is much more powerful than saying yes.
Why do I say this? Because saying no is a lot harder than saying yes.
STOP APOLOGIZING
If you’ve made an error that is truly your fault, apologize.
If it’s not, it’s don’t apologize. No need to apologize or make excuses to get the other person to like you. One of the things I hate seeing the most is when people apologize for something that’s out of their control.
For example, don’t apologize for not coming to work because you were sick. You probably worked yourself to death which lowered your immune system which is why you got sick in the first place. Never apologize for prioritizing yourself.
How can you pour into others if you’re running on empty?
GIVE YOURSELF GRACE
Part of giving yourself grace is to stop apologizing as I mentioned above. Forgiving yourself is also giving yourself grace. Giving yourself grace is a part of healing from negative self-talk, trauma, etc.
When you give yourself grace, it means you are finally loving yourself, your whole self, flaws and everything.
Where do you think your confidence level is at? Your answer can be personal and professional.
