“Confidence is the most beautiful thing you can possess.” – Sabrina Carpenter

Listen up, ladies! Let’s talk about how to be your best, most confident self. Confidence is a fundamental trait and having low self-confidence can hinder your ability to lead a productive, happy, and meaningful life. Research shows that individuals who lack confidence rarely try new things, take chances, or get ahead in life. 

A lack of self-confidence has also been shown to influence your relationship satisfaction, as well as your partners. It’s for that reason that working on building your self-confidence is a matter of necessity to getting the most you want out of this beautiful life. 

Confidence is a trait that every woman can possess (with the right steps) and you are infinitely more beautiful when you have it. So, let’s delve into what confidence is and how you can be a more confident woman.

Know Who You Are – Strengths and Weaknesses

One of the big things that allow me to be a confident woman is understanding who I am. I am aware of my personality traits, positive and negative, and I own and accept them. One of the biggest problems people have is admitting wrong or acknowledging a negative personality trait. We all have flaws to some extent and it doesn’t mean we are broken people, it’s just something to be aware of and manage properly. 

For example, a negative trait of mine is that I am always late, so instead of denying my lack of time management, I acknowledge it and apologize for it — I don’t make excuses. In addition to that, I make a big effort to work on this quality, usually by telling myself the start time of any event is actually 15 minutes before the actual start time. 

If you need a little help on finding and being your most authentic self, check out my blog post that focuses on helping you tap into your most authentic state of being. 

Admit When You Are Wrong 

This brings me to my next point, taking responsibility for your actions. Owning up to mistakes and avoiding making excuses will help you to become more comfortable with yourself. It is a strong quality to admit when you are wrong and shows confidence in just this simple act. This also must be followed up with mending the situation and/or making things right. I try not to leave any situation negatively.

Spread Positivity

All of the confident women that I know are positive people, making them extremely pleasant to be around. They use positive language and lift each other up and focus on the good in others (and themselves). Complaining is not productive anyway, but it also isn’t something that builds confidence. Try to focus on using positive language, focusing on positive traits in people, and seeing each situation in a positive light. 

Some easy tips for being more positive is to try to be more aware of your thoughts. When you find yourself with a negative thought, try to acknowledge it and let it pass with ease. Replace the negative thought with something that brings you joy, a goal you’re working toward, or something, or someone, good in your life. We all have a lot of positive things in our lives, it’s just a matter of focusing on those things and being grateful for what you do have.

Practice Self Care

If you want to have confidence, you need to have a healthy body, mind, and spirit, and a positive self-image. To do this, it’s so important to practice regular self-care. One of the best ways I know how to practice self-care is through a regular meditation practice. This doesn’t have to be a long process and can be as simple as taking some time throughout each day to focus on the breath and take a mental break. Meditation is the best tool there is to be more present in life and at peace with what is happening in the current moment. When you can be present, you exude confidence and radiate positivity. Through the practice of regular meditation, you can also learn to be more in tune with what your body needs and respond accordingly.

Other ways you can practice self-care are by exercising, taking a long bath, going for a walk to clear your head, getting your hair or nails done, reading, and basically whatever makes you feel good. Self-care is doing something that makes you feel good and in turn, will make you feel more comfortable in your own skin and subsequently more confident.

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Confidence is being comfortable enough with yourself to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. You would be surprised at how easy it is to try something new once you overcome the barriers inside your mind. I feel like sometimes we look around and think everyone else has it all figured out when really we are all just exploring ourselves and this giant world of ours. 

Set a goal for yourself to try one new thing every week. It can be as simple as trying out a new restaurant or gym you’ve been scared to go into. If you really want to step out, try taking a solo trip to a new city or country and really get to know yourself. Check out my blog on how to take a solo trip to Iceland!

Set Goals for Yourself

Confident people set goals and make plans to achieve them. They don’t have to be big life-changing goals (although working on a life plan isn’t a bad idea, but that’s for another time). Your goals can be as simple as joining a gym, losing some weight, learning how to sew, finishing that book you’ve been reading for a year, or cooking a new recipe. It’s a confidence booster to set goals and achieve them so focus on setting attainable goals. When setting goals, always give yourself a time frame to complete them and make sure you stick to it.

Body Language and Image

One thing that is really helpful for me is remembering the “look good, feel good” mentality. When I was down in the dumps a couple of years ago (yes, it happens to everyone), I set a goal to join a gym and go four days a week for a month. I couldn’t believe how this changed my mental state and my physical appearance. I was more agile, lost the extra weight I had been holding on to, felt clear-headed when I left and completed my goal! 

With my new, fitter self, I also focused on my body language. I felt more confident, I stood up straighter and lifted my chin. Try it now, as you read this. Sit up straight and lift your chin. Tell me you don’t feel like you can take on the world. Really, it’s the little things like this that are the building blocks to creating a more confident you. 

These are some simple and small steps to get you on the road to building confidence. You are strong and beautiful and worth living your best life with the most confidence possible. It doesn’t take much to get started on this road, but the trick is to keep at it. 

Remember to keep a positive attitude and treat your body with respect and love. We all have confidence within us, the trick is to tap into it. Not everyone is born with confidence, but confidence can be learned, so start practicing!