A confident person garners admiration. A person who believes in himself/herself makes for an excellent leader. No one will follow a leader who appears unsure of themselves. Being confident helps you make instant connections and build relationships. Confidence is not something you have, it’s something you create. Learning how to be more confident can help you attract a partner you can build a healthy relationship with. It can also help you seek out new opportunities that will foster your personal growth.
One can also trick the mind by pretending to be confident which in turn makes one “feel” confident. As the saying goes, ‘fake it till you make it.’ This is particularly very helpful when a person is going to give a presentation or is a key speaker of an event, by pretending to “have it all together” and imitating confidence, they can translate it into their actions, which results in a positive outcome. This is known as reactivity psychology.
Here are some tips on how to be confident in any situation
1. Talk to yourself
Talking to yourself can improve your concentration and task performance. Research suggests that self-talk may help your brain perform better. Talking to yourself helps you prepare for difficult times in life, such as a conversation with a loved one, colleague, or boss. Whether giving yourself a simple pep talk or rehearsing what you’re going to say, hearing the words come out of your mouth make the action doable, and allowing you to face tough situations with courage and confidence.
2. Growth Mindset
Confidence doesn’t come from your outward achievements – it comes from within. Being confident means that if you do fail, you can pick yourself back up and try again. Once you start taking actionable steps toward your goal of being confident, your beliefs will gradually start to solidify.
3. Change your body language and maintain eye contact
Stand up straight. Square your shoulders and open up your chest. Breathe deeply. Maintain brisk, purposeful strides when you walk to cover more ground. Maintaining a posture like this makes you feel stronger. Connecting with people and showing confidence through eye contact is one of the quickest ways to exude confidence when you meet new people and can strengthen relationships long-term.
4. Overcome self-doubt and face your fears
Identify self-limiting beliefs that are stopping you from achieving your goals. A very important aspect of being confident is to not give in to self-doubt and stop yourself. It is about taking the plunge no matter how scared you are.
5. Appreciate yourself and take pride in your achievements
Just as adjusting your body language can make you feel confident even when you’re not, speaking up for yourself even when you don’t feel you deserve it can also have that effect. Take credit for your achievements and unlearn shying away from compliments.
6. Practice makes perfect
Confidence needs to be practiced. For example: if you are scared of talking in front of a big crowd, take small steps of first speaking in front of a few people. The key is to take small but significant steps by facing your fears, which in turn reinforce confidence in yourself.
7. Visualize your success
When you visualize something over and over again, your mind begins to believe that it has already happened. When the situation finally arises – you’re making that presentation, asking for a raise, or confronting a coworker – your brain thinks, “I got this.” That’s confidence. Visualize a specific situation at work. Think of yourself succeeding and do your best to minimize any thoughts of failure.
We all have strengths and weaknesses. In order to stay confident in every situation in life, you must first be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. One can gain confidence by being self-aware of their own skills. Accept yourself for your strengths, good and bad qualities. Only when you accept yourself for yourself, will you be able to be confident. Learn who you are, and you will develop a sense of confidence and fulfillment.