Self-belief can be hard to come by. But when it does, it can change your life. We cover tips and tricks on how to become more confident as well as discussing what confidence is. From thinking positively to being more adventurous and facing your fears, becoming more confident doesn’t have to be a massive change to your routine like you may think. Read on to learn how you can build your confidence and be more positive about yourself.
What is Confidence?
The definition for ‘confidence’ is: the feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something. This means yourself too! Confidence isn’t quite as simple as a brief definition, however. It is something that can express itself better in certain situations, can switch on and off as frequently as a lightbulb and mainly, is something that can hugely affect our lives.
Confidence is very much unique to all of us. Confidence to some may be standing up and presenting in front of a large crowd, but to others it may be getting out of bed every day. Confidence can come naturally to certain people, but for others may have to be learned. It can stem from the type of people we have around us, to our jobs and other life experiences.
The most important thing to note about confidence is that it all links back to our self-belief. Ask yourself what makes you feel confident and what doesn’t, and work on the things that don’t make you believe in yourself. This can take time, but there are certain things you can do to improve your confidence.
How to Build Confidence
Do one thing that scares you every day
Facing our fears can have various benefits. Every experience we have can build our characters and confidence. Doing something that scares us every day can help gain courage that can be applied to many aspects of our lives. After all, we don’t develop courage in the good times, we develop it when we confront our fears.
Visualise yourself as someone you want to be
Who are those people you admire? Perhaps it’s a work colleague or a loved one. What is it about them that inspires you? Whether it’s their ability to speak to anyone or the way they present themselves in stressful situations, visualising these traits on yourself can help you achieve them. You’re amazing the way you are but putting on a facade in a situation that you usually don’t want to be in, can help you progress to act in that way.
“What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill
Maintain a supportive network
Think about who makes you feel good and connect more with these people. Then, think about who makes you feel bad and disconnect with them. Spending more time with people who uplift you means you can get genuine advice and encouragement when you’re feeling down. Building your confidence helps you become the best person you can be.
Identify your talents
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and we are all good at something. Go ahead and discover your talent! It could be a sport, an art or something completely random like pogo sticking. When you’ve found it, take pride in it. When you’re practicing whatever you’re passionate about, it’ll make you feel fulfilled and unique, which does wonders for your self-confidence. If you aren’t sure what you’re good at, read the next point…
Try something new
Embrace the unknown and try something new! This may be where your hidden talents lie. If not, you’ve made new experiences and can learn from them. However, more often than not, you will be glad that you tried something new and there will always be positives you can take from it. Whether it’s going to a new country or finding something different to do after work, the possibilities are endless. If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it again! Simple.
One thing that can immensely boost confidence is volunteering at The Army Cadet Force. Our adult volunteers can be as involved in the ACF as they want. We take volunteers in to be behind the scene administrators to ACF officers and civilian assistants. Our adult volunteers can complete a range of qualifications that help their development in the ACF as well as their day-to-day career. Helping enrich the lives of young people, our adult volunteers spend their time inspiring and watching our cadets grow into fantastic individuals. It also provides an opportunity for our volunteers to build their confidence, and we witness people go from strength to strength from when they join us. If you’re interested, find your nearest detachment and get involved.
