Low self-esteem can have a negative impact on you. Even if we don't think it, self-confidence plays a big role in everyday life. In this way, you can already tell in everyday situations whether you have strong or weak self-confidence.
In the following we will explain to you what a healthy self-confidence is. We also tell you what tips and tricks there are to strengthen your self-confidence. So here you can find out how you can assess your self-confidence and how to strengthen it if necessary. In today's world it is extremely important to have a strong self-confidence.
the essentials in brief
- Low self-esteem can cause you many problems. People with low self-esteem are quickly taken advantage of and seen as targets. You should be aware of what you can do, who you are and where you want to go.
- Self-confidence strengthens you in uncomfortable moments that you actually want to escape from. With a strengthened self-confidence you approach tricky situations cooler. A certain distance allows you to evaluate problems and situations more objectively.
- Self-confidence can be increased. There are many different points you can work on to become more confident. These are often wrong trains of thought that automatically come to mind. If you become aware of your strengths and weaknesses, you will master situations better.
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Definition: What is Self-Confidence?
To put it bluntly, self-confidence means being aware of yourself. As funny and simple as the sentence sounds, it is. Self-confidence is simply defined as being aware of your strengths and weaknesses. People with a high level of self-confidence remain calm because they know what they can and cannot do. When people approach something or a problem with confidence, they are carefree, fearless and carefree. In this article, you will also learn why confidence and self-esteem are not the same thing.
Background: Why should you strengthen your self-confidence?
Almost every decision you make in your everyday life depends on your self-confidence. A strong self-confidence saves you from unpleasant situations, because with a strengthened self-confidence one does not get into unpleasant situations so quickly or one does not allow unpleasant situations to arise.
It makes it easier for you to be the master of the situation. The increased self-confidence allows you to assess situations more quickly and accurately. In addition, you are not afraid to take the necessary time to then clarify the moment or situation with a clear mind . In addition, strong self-confidence increases your performance in exam situations (1).
Can self-awareness boost self-confidence?
Of course, self-awareness can boost self-confidence. If you are self-confident and know what skills, strengths and weaknesses you have, you can approach things with more confidence. For example, if I know that I am very good at mathematics, I will approach an exam with more self-confidence than with self-doubt (2).
You can do anything if you believe in yourself. (Image source: Kathleen Bergmann / Pixabay)
For this reason, you should be aware of what you can do so that you approach the tasks or situations with more self-confidence. Accordingly, you gain confidence in your abilities through a stronger self-confidence, which means that you do not give up so quickly and have more confidence in yourself.
Does strengthened self-confidence ensure a more positive and confident charisma?
Strengthened self-confidence gives you more secure self-confidence, which allows you to achieve improved posture. If you are more confident in what you do, you will appear more confident. In addition, good posture leads to a release of testosterone and a reduction in stress (3). Unfortunately, many people see a weakness in low self-confidence. This weakness is often exploited by the "wrong" people, which makes you subordinate.
By boosting your confidence, you'll also loosen up. You speak more calmly and are not so nervous. In addition, you don't make yourself easily vulnerable to people who are looking for such people.
Does increased self-confidence help to increase self-esteem?
Indeed it is. If you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses, you will have an increased sense of self-esteem. If you are aware of the abilities you possess, you will recognize your worth. Boosting your self-esteem is worth it because it teaches you to appreciate yourself and in turn makes you know that you are not that easy to replace.
Increased self-confidence often leads to more self-love and more self-love leads to more self-confidence.
(Image Source: Tasha Jolley / Unsplash)
A healthy self-esteem ensures that you can build yourself up even with mistakes and weaknesses instead of "breaking" yourself down. It lets you understand your flaws and because you know what strengths you have, you don't lose your self-esteem.
Can I improve my ability to take criticism through increased self-confidence?
This question can also be answered with a clear “yes”. Because you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can understand when things didn't go so well. The strengthened self-confidence allows you to accept the criticism. The good thing is that you can draw conclusions from the criticism, so you are spared your bad mood . You know what you can and you know what you can't. So you can work on your weaknesses.
If you have less self-confidence, it could be that people want you bad. It is possible that people want to subordinate you and therefore criticize you. If the reviews are not correct, you will question the people and yourself.
Does it help build my confidence to say "no"?
Low self-esteem is easy to manipulate these days. People with low self-esteem are more likely to be taken advantage of than people with high self-esteem. If you have been subordinated by someone, it also affects you as a person. You start having doubts and do whatever the other person asks you to do. This process will make you worse and worse, so it's worth breaking this cycle to stop being taken advantage of.
Saying no is important and will help you avoid being taken advantage of!
Saying no is not impolite, because each person is in charge of themselves and should not be taken advantage of. Of course you should listen to your superiors in your professional life and do your job properly. In addition, you should not allow yourself to be shooed back and forth in private life.
Do I become more self-critical if I strengthen my self-confidence?
This question can be answered with a dry “yes”. Because you know what skills, strengths and weaknesses you have, you become more self-critical. If you do not complete a task at your own discretion, you will notice that you can actually do it better. If you think about mistakes for a long time and don't process them, you will stress yourself more and more (4).
By strengthening your self-confidence, you will be able to assess your own performance. If you don't cope with something as well as you actually can, you will not sink into self-pity, but work harder on yourself. It's more important to encourage yourself than to criticize yourself.
Strengthen self-confidence: The best tips & tricks for strong self-confidence
In the following you will receive tips and tricks on what to look out for and how you can strengthen your self-confidence. Nothing is impossible. Concentrate on yourself and your skills. Be more confident and be happy.
A strong self-confidence is important for your life. Be it in everyday life or at work. A healthy self-confidence will never negatively affect you and your life. With a few tips and tricks, you will be more likely to take chances than without training.
Recognizing skills to boost your self-confidence
A first tip for you is that you make your strengths and weaknesses clear. Write down what you are good at and where you still need improvement. Feel free to talk to your family and friends about what they think of your strengths and weaknesses. Such a conversation usually reveals additional qualities and skills that you may not have noticed before.
The most important thing here is that you are honest with yourself. It's no use talking about skills that you don't have or that are relatively weak.
Set goals to boost your self-confidence
No matter what life is about, setting milestones always helps. It is worth taking small steps and recognizing them as small successes. The small partial successes give you a boost, which is good for you and your self-confidence. Good self-esteem also gives you increased self-confidence (5). With goals, you have a path you can take to achieve them.
Evaluate situations objectively to avoid anxiety
If you evaluate situations objectively and with a certain distance, you are one step ahead of many people. People who are unable to objectively assess a situation often act out of their emotions. Then the train of thought often comes up: “I would have preferred to have reacted differently.” So that you don’t have exactly these problems, you should strengthen your self-confidence. With the strengthened self-confidence you will be able to face fears or avoid them. Since you can objectively evaluate situations with increased self-confidence, you keep a cool head even in anxious and tricky situations.
Fearful situations give us an instinct to end the situation as quickly as possible and then escape. With increased self-confidence, you will gradually face such anxious situations and realize that it is not as bad as you previously thought. By constantly coping with these situations, your self-confidence will be strengthened so that you can avoid your fears in the future. So all you have to do is step out of your comfort zone and overcome yourself.
Mistakes are human
“Faults are human” is a very general statement. Nonetheless, this thesis makes sense. If you build up a certain self-confidence, you can also admit to mistakes. Humans never stop learning, which is why mistakes make you more experienced. People never stop learning, which is why you can always remain inquisitive. It has been proven that people with low self-esteem think about problems much more often and are more likely to give up (6). That's why you should always stay on the "ball".
trust yourself more Only by overcoming it will you find out what you can really do. If you don't try things, you won't find out what you could do. (Image Source: Tumisu / Pixabay)
Mistakes only make you stronger. Next time you know what not to do. For this reason, a mistake is not a loss but a gain for you. Although other people may want to judge you for mistakes, you don't need to let your mood spoil. After all, anyone can make mistakes, so you don't need to let other people's anger get to you.
positive mindset
A positive mindset helps you get through the day and not let things and problems get you down. If you start a day with positive thoughts , it affects the day. Know your strengths and use them.
If you don't currently have a positive mindset, then it doesn't matter. Since everything meshes like a cogwheel, a positive mindset is also to be learned. Many small branches result in a solid tree and this also strengthens your self-confidence. Compliment people and don't be afraid to accept a compliment. It is often the case that compliments are downplayed by people with low self-esteem.
Comparing is a no go
A no-go is comparing with others. It doesn't matter what others have or what they can do better than you. Life is not a constant competition. You should refrain from making any comparisons so that you can focus fully on yourself. With every comparison you start a competition with yourself, which will eat you up inside in the long run.
Don't compare yourself to others. Put your focus on you.
Conversely, it is more important to be thankful for what you have every day. It is much more pleasing to your inner peace when you appreciate what you are. Let other people tell you what you are particularly good at. Do not start a survey with yourself in which you negatively envy other people.
Beginner exercises
A basic introduction to strengthening your self-confidence can be completed in 5 steps. At the beginning you should assume a straight posture. Walking upright radiates a certain strength to the outside world. The next step is dealing with your inner self. Smile for 60 seconds. With this trick alone you release feelings of happiness and you feel better.
The third step begins with making yourself aware of what you find great about yourself. Repeat this step in the morning after getting up and in the evening before going to bed with 3-5 strengths (7). It is very important that you know where your strengths lie. In the fourth step you stand in front of a mirror and encourage yourself. Make yourself aware that you stand by yourself and accept them as you are.
The final step is not to put yourself down. There's no point in criticizing yourself. It is important to analyze moments and situations. If a situation or a moment didn't go according to your expectations, try to make yourself aware of what you can do better next time.
Exercises to get your day off to a good start
If you don't start the day well in the morning, it can drag on all day. For this reason, you should start your day well from the moment you wake up. If you can't get out of bed in the morning, go to sleep half an hour earlier the night before. Don't bring yourself to stay in bed late in the morning. Make your favorite breakfast and look forward to eating it. If you like to meditate, you are welcome to do so. Meditation has a positive effect on your stress level (8).
Next, you should get ready for the day. Go to the bathroom and get ready. Pay attention to your appearance. Afterwards you can wear your favorite clothes. Enjoy the little things you do. If you look forward to little things step by step, it will increase your mood. The fact that you feel good as a poodle strengthens your self-confidence.
10-10-10 exercise
Our brain focuses more on negative situations. This is a real challenge for your self-confidence. Positive news triggers a milder response in the nervous system than bad news. According to this, we deal with the situation longer with bad news than with positive situations and news.
encourage yourself
If we don't say anything positive about ourselves, our brain will deal with solving any problems and then take all negative thoughts to heart. That's why it pays to be positive about yourself. This allows you to change your own thoughts so that you think more positively.
Negative thoughts keep us busy longer than positive thoughts. It is therefore important to be aware of what you can do to create positive thoughts for yourself (Image source: Alexas_Foto / Pixabay)
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*The discount is automatically applied to the product
Ten positive things
There is a great exercise to prevent your head from spreading negative thoughts. In this exercise, you think of ten things you like about yourself. It can also be ten strengths. If you have trouble doing this, you can ask someone in your family or circle of friends if they can point out positive things about you. You will probably be surprised at how positive other people think about you and your actions. Think about a moment when you experienced these strengths and things. This influences your mindset, as your head is confronted with positive moments from your life.
| Step | Task |
|---|---|
| 1. | Think about ten things I'm good at |
| 2. | Say these thoughtful things 10 times a day |
| 3. | Repeat the first two steps for 10 days |
This table gives you a quick overview of how this exercise is structured. To strengthen your self-confidence, you only need to use the table as a guide.
Ten times a day
The next part of the task is to recite your chosen positive qualities or strengths out loud ten times a day. Saying it in front of people isn't critical. You can do this exercise in a place of your choice, such as on the way to work or while cooking. It is best to combine reciting these moments with remembering the positive experiences so that you have pictures in front of your eyes. This combination influences your inner being, so that you strengthen your self-confidence.
Ten days in a row
To complete the 10-10-10 exercise, repeat the above steps 10 days straight. In this way you will get 1000 positive moments in 10 days, which your self-confidence will save. By internalizing your strengths and positive moments, you begin to realize that many situations in the past could have been handled better. In the future you will notice that your strengthened self-confidence allows you to solve everyday situations in a much more pleasant way.
Conclusion
Strengthened self-confidence is the be-all and end-all these days. In order not to be left out by people, you always have to keep your self-confidence high. A healthy self-confidence protects you and always lets you know what you are worth. You should be in control and not allow yourself to be taken advantage of. If you have any doubts, talk to your close confidants.
If your self-confidence is not the best yet, it is worth strengthening your self-confidence. Find a suitable exercise for you to strengthen your self-confidence so that you can cope with your everyday life without negative situations. There is no feeling worse than that of non-acceptance and exploitation. You seem to notice that you get along a lot better with your fellow human beings with a strengthened self-confidence.
itemizations
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- A Replication Attempt of Stereotype Susceptibility () Carolyn E Gibson, Joy Losee, and Christine Vitiello Social Psychology 2014 45:3, 194-198 Source
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- Milia C, Kolubinski DC, Spada MM. The effects of self-critical rumination on shame and stress: an experimental study. Behavior Cogn Psychotherapist. 2021 May;49(3):272-286. doi: 10.1017/S1352465820000727. Epub 2020 Sep 30. PMID: 32993836. Source
- Kavussanu M, Harnisch DL. Self-esteem in children: do goal orientations matter? Br J Educ Psychol 2000 Jun;70 (Pt 2):229-42. doi: 10.1348/000709900158074. PMID: 10900780. Source
- Baumeister RF, Campbell JD, Krueger JI, Vohs KD. Does High Self-Esteem Cause Better Performance, Interpersonal Success, Happiness, or Healthier Lifestyles? Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2003May;4(1):1-44. doi: 10.1111/1529-1006.01431. Epub 2003 May 1. PMID: 26151640. Source
- Emmons RA, McCullough ME. Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. J Pers Soc Psychol 2003 Feb;84(2):377-89. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.84.2.377. PMID: 12585811. Source
- Dunlop J. Meditation, stress relief, and well-being. Radiol Technol. 2015 May-Jun;86(5):535-55; quiz 556-9. PMID: 25995404. Source
