Build Your Own Self-Confidence

A healthy dose of self-confidence is one of the key ingredients to living a successful, mentally healthy life. But you don’t have to fish for compliments from your friends and family; while compliments are always nice, you can also be your own cheering section.

Learn To Stand Up For Yourself

You know that nagging feeling you have inside every time you keep quiet when you should speak up for yourself? It’s there for a reason. It’s there to remind you that if you don’t speak up for yourself when you have the chance, you may regret it.

• Start standing up for yourself when it comes to the little things and eventually you’ll learn to handle those bigger issues. 
• For example, when your lunch order gets mixed up, don’t just sit back and eat it as is. Send it back politely and ask for the correct order.  
• Eventually, you’ll learn to handle yourself confidently so you can graciously tackle that situation at work or with a friend. 

Check Your Body Language

Whether you like it or not, first impressions do count.

• Stand tall and practice good posture when you walk into a room. 
• Imagine that you're being pulled by a string going all the way from your toes to the top of your head. 
• Carry yourself with confidence, make eye contact, smile, and never fold your arms.

Get Physically Active

Any physical exercise such as walking, running, dancing or swimming will make you feel better about yourself.

• Exercise releases all those good hormones that make you feel happy.
• Working towards a fitness goal can help teach yourself that you can take charge and achieve what you want.

Wear Properly Fitting Clothes

Wearing sloppily-fitting clothes to hide flaws is one of the biggest mistakes people who want to lose weight make.

• The truth is that wearing ill-fitting clothes only serves to accentuate the very areas you're trying to cover up. 
• On the other hand, jeans or pants that fit too tightly make you seem uncomfortable and unsure, especially if you’re constantly tugging at them.  
• If you wear clothes that make you feel comfortable and look nice, you’ll feel more confident in your own skin.

Remind Yourself Often of Your Good Qualities

Do you know what your best qualities are?

• Think of what you would say to someone if they asked you about yourself.  
•Make a list of at least five good qualities and remind yourself of them daily – especially when you feel like you’re having a not-so-good day.

Surround Yourself With Supportive People

You wouldn’t pick an apple with poison in it, so don’t pick friends who are toxic to your confidence. 

• The last thing you need when you feel down is to be surrounded by negative people with nothing enriching to say.  
• Friends who say things like, “If that happened to me I would have died!” or, “All men are dogs” or “You’ll never be able to get that kind of job” are not the best friends to have.

Always Be A Student

It’s never too late to learn a new language, take a dance class, get caught up on the latest computer skills, or take up a trade.

• Learning will improve your confidence in yourself and your ability to succeed. 
• In addition, passing on what you’ve learned to someone else is even better.

Be Good To Yourself

Reflect on the things you say to yourself or think about yourself when you make a mistake. If you wouldn’t say those things to your closest friend, then don’t say them to yourself.

• We’re often very hard on ourselves, yet we treat other people with more compassion than we do ourselves. 
• Next time you are about to get down on yourself, think of yourself as your own best friend and encourage yourself.

Always remember one essential truth: if you don’t take care of, nuture, support and love yourself, then it will be next to impossible for anyone else to truly do the same. Also, caring for others starts with respecting and caring for yourself.

Have a happy and healthy week.