Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Building a positive self-image
• Part 2 of 4: Being realistic and positive about the situation
• Part 3 of 4: Using techniques for controlling negative emotions
• Part 4 of 4: Maintaining your confidence

Being confident can be challenging when you find yourself in potentially tricky situations, such as: taking part in an athletic competition, talking to someone you would like to start something with, giving a speech, meeting new people, or making a comment in the class. Fortunately, you can boost your confidence right now by starting to think positively about yourself, think realistically about a situation, behave confidently, and use techniques for managing the anxious or nervous feelings you have about yourself. a certain situation.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Building a positive self-image

1. Practice thinking positively. Suppose you are preparing for and presenting at work or at school. You want to be confident and appear balanced to your audience. But you don't feel as confident as you would like and fear that you will make a mistake. Positive thinking can greatly improve your confidence and help you deal with any difficulties. This has to do with the idea that your self-image influences your behavior. If you think negatively (I'm going to fail. This is too hard. I'm going to embarrass myself), it increases the likelihood that you will engage in negative behaviors (such as tripping over your words, sweating too much from excessive nervousness, etc.). If you think positively (I'm going to succeed. This is absolutely doable. I'm going to do my very best), the chances of positive behavior (speaking clearly and maintaining a calm physiological response) increase.
   • Focus on the positive aspects of yourself and what you do well. Are you good at making people laugh? Maybe you can use some humor in your presentation to spice things up a bit.
   • Quickly list as many positive qualities that you carry with you as you can think of. Some examples could be: passion for the subject, your level of education, your ability to make other people laugh, honesty and persuasiveness.
2. Support yourself through self-motivation. Using positive affirmations and self-motivation helps improve your self-confidence and reduce cognitive anxiety.
   • Use positive affirmations when you feel less confident, such as, “I can do this! I am strong. Go! ”
3. Ask for validation or feedback. Reinforcing and positive thoughts about the self can be further increased by interacting with other people.
   • Ask a friend, family member, or colleague to give you a pep talk. Ask the other person to tell you what you are good at and that everything will be fine (provide reassurance).
   • Make sure you don't ask for help too often with tasks that you can handle on your own, as this will increase your dependence and decrease your self-confidence. Ask for feedback, but remain independent.

Part 2 of 4: Being realistic and positive about the situation

1. Use guided imagery or visualization. Using the imagination helps boost your confidence.
   • Try an imagination technique where you can focus on achieving self-confidence. Envision yourself as completely confident and engaged in achieving your goal. What are you doing? What is going on around you? How does it feel? Who's there? What are you thinking of?
2. Be clear about your goals. Setting goals increases self-confidence because it makes us feel like we are working towards something positive. Focus on the types of goals you have for the current situation. For example, your goal may be that you want to explain a clear and straightforward message with your presentation, make sure it gets through, and that you come across as confident. The more goals you achieve, the more confident you can become.
   • Think about the purpose of your activity. Ask yourself, "What do I hope to gain from this?"
   • Set specific goals for what you want to do. Focus on achieving these goals instead of thinking about what could go wrong.
3. Trust a positive outcome. A self-fulfilling prophecy is when you believe that something negative is going to happen, after which you start to influence the negative in such a way that it actually happens. For example, if you are terribly afraid that you will trip over your words, that fear can eventually cause this negative outcome to become reality. If you are afraid of stuttering, your fear and nervousness will increase, your heart will race, and you will not be able to concentrate and you will lose the thread of your story.
   • Instead of focusing on the negative, focus on what you want to happen - speak clearly and get your message across. Think thoughts like, "I'm going into the room and I'm confident, calm, focused, and know how to get my story across."
4. Try to change your mind. If you find yourself thinking negatively about the situation, look for someone who can tell you a different story. Successful people in the field in which you would like to increase your self-confidence can serve as role models. We can learn from others, see them as mentors, and mimic their success and confidence.
   • If you don't have someone in persona to hand right away, you can also call a friend to discuss the situation.

Part 3 of 4: Using techniques for controlling negative emotions

1. Act confidently. Non-verbal communication is important to appear confident. Exhibiting behaviors that are considered confident can also help you feel more confident inside.
   • Stand up straight and get tall. Posture is an important non-verbal form of communication in the sense that you want to appear confident. Slouching your shoulders and bowing your head are signs of insecurity or depression.
   • Smile and laugh. This shows that you are comfortable and have a positive mood. It can help put your audience at ease.
2. Interact with others. Extraversion is a prediction of self-confidence. The more social you are, the more confident you feel. Rather than hiding from or avoiding people because you are nervous or insecure, take the plunge and focus on interacting with other people.
   • Greet people for the presentation. Ask them about their day and talk a little bit about it. Try to avoid talking about the presentation too much, as it can make you more nervous. Just focus on the conversation you are having with the person.
3. Accept your emotions. Common emotions related to low self-esteem include nervousness, anxiety, stress, fear, and being depressed. If you accept these emotions instead of trying to fight them, you may be able to change your behavior and build confidence in yourself.
   • Tell yourself, “It's okay to be nervous. This is a natural emotion and appropriate to this situation. ”

Part 4 of 4: Maintaining your confidence

1. Love yourself. Athletes and possibly people in general who respect and love themselves tend to think more positively about their own behavior. Avoid basing your self-esteem on your behaviors or actions - this can lead to more anxiety and less self-confidence. It is better to have unconditional respect for yourself.
   • Write down 5 things you love about yourself and read them aloud. Also say to yourself, "I love myself and I will never forget it."
   • Accept who you are and what problems you have, such as your problem of being confident.
2. Face your fears. We must always do our best to let fear not be an obstacle on our path to success. Confronting yourself with your own fears is one of the best ways to get rid of them.
   • If you are concerned about public speaking, the more you practice, the less nervous you will be. Practice speaking in front of your family or friends, in front of your designated audience. This can help you become more confident. Get responses from your test audience to your presentation so you can address issues ahead of the big day!
3. Continue to practice. Remember what goals you have set for yourself and continue to implement those goals in every day. Adjust what did not go well and try to improve it.
   • See setbacks as an opportunity to learn or an opportunity to improve yourself. This will increase your confidence in the long run as it will give you a better view of potential mistakes.